Canadiens celebrating a win (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
The Montreal Canadiens have been unsatisfied with their performances of late, and injuries to players Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach have put even more strain on the youngest roster in the NHL.
With the Canadiens’ top forward prospects currently playing in the NCAA or in Europe, there’s a little more urgency on the Canadiens’ end to try and find help for the short-term and long-term, but they’re not in the business of making a panic move.
They were able to add Alex Texier without giving up any assets after the French forward agreed to a mutual contract termination with the St. Louis Blues. The Canadiens felt they added a good depth piece that could bring speed and experience to their bottom-six.
That being said, they’d love to find a way to bolster their top-six.
“Montreal is not done, that’s for sure,” said a Western Conference source. ”They’d still like to add a centre or a top-six player to their lineup.”
The Canadiens have been looking to add to their top-six dating back to last summer. Although they were comfortable with their roster, President Jeff Gorton mentioned in an interview with RG that the team would look to add during the season.
“Hughes is active in making calls and checking in on players. We know Nashville and St. Louis are also talking to everyone right now, added,” added the source. “Lots of chatter, let’s see where it goes.”
The Canadiens have been followed by a plethora of scouts from across the league, especially from the lopsided Western Conference. Discussions are ongoing, and the Canadiens are leaving no stone unturned in their mission to add a piece that will help them for the long haul.
As they continue to ice the youngest team in the NHL, the focus on building for sustainability hasn’t gone away.
This is why there’s a level of information that still needs to be taken from within their organization to see where that sustainable success will come from, especially on defense.
The Best Offense Is a Good Defense
The Canadiens have a significant amount of organizational depth on defense. Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, and Kaiden Guhle are all signed long-term, while Mike Matheson and the Habs still need to come to terms on an extension in the new year (though nothing is confirmed until it’s signed).
The Canadiens were already able to use their depth on defense to bolster their forward corps this summer, swapping Logan Mailloux for Zachary Bolduc. If the Canadiens continue to want to improve their top-six, they may have to sacrifice a few pieces, including a young defenseman, to make it happen.
David Reinbacher is the first piece that comes to mind, due to being a big and mobile defenseman selected at 5th overall, but moving him in a big deal at this stage would not be advisable.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Canadiens want to keep Reinbacher, moving him in a trade in the immediate future would go against GM Kent Hughes’ mantra of buying low and selling high.
“His value is not where it could be and trading him now would be a mistake,” said an NHL source. “He’s shown good flashes of late, and it’s promising, but he could be a special piece for Montreal if they show patience.”
One player who has increased his stock of late is Adam Engstrom, who has put up 14 points in 18 games so far this season.
Not only are the Canadiens intrigued with his play, but teams have come away impressed from their viewings of him in Laval. Engstrom was recently called up by the Canadiens, which raised a few eyebrows — not because he hasn’t earned it, but because it represented a sudden shift in strategy by Montreal.
So far this season, the Canadiens would simply emergency recall veteran defenseman Marc Del Gaizo from the Laval Rocket; ensuring that his waivers counter didn’t start up again. He was the perfect insurance policy, as the Canadiens could bring him along without disrupting the development of youngsters like Engstrom and Reinbacher in Laval.
Now, with Engstrom getting the call before a three-game road trip in the American southwest, especially after a strong showing this weekend, the Canadiens seem to be looking to collect some valuable information.
“I heard Adam Engstrom impressed a lot of scouts over the last few weeks, especially this weekend,” said an NHL source. “The Canadiens like him a lot and just called him up. I don’t know if they’re showcasing him or trying to get a handle on what he can do in the NHL, but he’s another promising kid. They have decisions to make on that blueline soon.”
It’s important to note that this call-up doesn’t mean Engstrom is on the trade block or the missing piece in Montreal’s chase for another top-six player. His rapid growth this season provides the Canadiens with more options when it comes to not only planning out the future of their roster, but also in deciding which of their young defensemen can be eventually included in a package for an impact forward.
In short: Engstrom is trending up in a big way, and this gives GM Kent Hughes more ammunition on the trade front, but also more clarity from a roster perspective.
The Canadiens still have to figure out an extension with Mike Matheson, who will be 32 at the end of his deal and heading toward free agency for the first time in his career. Although both parties would like to have a deal done, there hasn’t been much progress of late.
Seeing what Engstrom can do could also inform the Canadiens’ upcoming decision with Matheson, determining what they feel is the right term to offer their veteran blueliner, especially if they feel Engstrom is NHL-ready.
Consequently, If Matheson is re-signed, there would be only two spots available between Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom, and David Reinbacher in the future. The Canadiens have time to figure it out, but having some of their younger pieces on the backend show such promise does nothing but improve their leverage point.
“It’s a good problem to have, and, if Engstrom plays well at the NHL level, the Habs would be dealing from a position of strength,” concluded the NHL source. “The Canadiens also have (Jayden) Struble and (Arber) Xhekaj on their roster, too.”
The NHL Roster Freeze is planned from December 20 to 27th, and there’s belief that trade activity could pick up between now and then. Last season, the Canadiens took advantage of a prime trade market prior to the Roster Freeze to pluck Alex Carrier from the Nashville Predators.