For my article today, I wanted to talk about the top 5 acquisitions the Montreal Canadiens have made in recent years. The rebuild seems to have worked, and some of these moves are the reason.

1-Max Pacioretty to Vegas Golden Knights for Nick Suzuki and Tomas Tatar September 10, 2018

With the writing on the wall that Pacioretty’s time in Montreal was over, Bergevin pulled out an outstanding deal. Tatar came in and was able to string together two seasons for 23 and 25 goals and became somewhat of a fan favorite. But the real gem of the trade was Nick Suzuki. He has become one of the premier centres in the NHL, is now the Habs captain and has managed to put up 403 points in 479 games. Furthermore, he’s a playoff performer with 25 points in 37 games. Pacioretty enjoyed a lot of success in Vegas but tore his Achilles tendon twice which unfortunately put a severe damper on the end of his career. 

2-Paul Byron claimed on waivers from the Calgary Flames October 6, 2015

Initially thought to be a depth move, Byron was integral to the team’s success in the coming years. He skated like the wind, never took a shift off and was a tremendous teammate. He was a key factor in the Habs run to the finals in 2021. He suited up for 383 games with Montreal putting up 160 points while owning a +26 five on five. Also, he was deadly on the penalty kill scoring nine short handed goals. Unfortunately, his career was cut short in 2023 due to a hip injury. I definitely miss this guy.

3-Samuel Montembeault claimed off waiver from the Florida Panthers October 2, 2021

Another waiver pick up, Montembeault was acquired to give some depth in net with the uncertainty of Carey Price’s health. Since then, he has become the Habs number one goalie and served as the third string goaltender in the Four Nations Cup. While his stats are not amazing, you need to remember he played on some truly bad Montreal teams for his first three seasons. Without him, there is no way Montreal make the playoffs last year. While he’s had a rocky start to the season, I have no doubt he will return to form. A great pick up which cost the Habs nothing.

4-Jeff Petry traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Mike Matheson July 18th, 2022

Petry wanted out of Montreal for family reasons and Mike Matheson seemingly coming off a down year in Pittsburg. So, Kent Hughes pulled off another one of his famous heists. In Matheson, the Habs have a fast skater, great defender and he’s more than able to put up points, which he proved in his first year in Montreal with 62. Currently, he forms the top pairing for the Habs along with Noah Dobson and they look great together, logging the most amount of minutes per game. Also, he just signed a 5 year, 30 million deal keeping him in Montreal long term at a great cap hit. 

5-Logan Mailloux traded to the St-Louis Blues for Zachary Bolduc

With the logjam on defence, the writing was on the wall that one of the Habs young defense needed to be moved. With the ascension of Lane Hutson, there was simply no place for Mailloux, who also possessed tremendous offensive skill. After Bolduc had a good year with the Blues in 2024-2025 with 36 points in 72 games, Hughes set his sights on picking him up. 

So far, he’s been outstanding for the Habs as he skates well, hits, gets into the dirty areas and can put up points with 12 in 24 games. This is the type of guy who will thrive in the playoffs and will ensure the Habs don’t get pushed around like they did against the Capitals last season. Also, he’s just entering the prime of his career so the best is yet to come! Meanwhile, Mailloux has had a tough start to his career, as he’s been sent down to the Blues AHL affiliate after being a -14 in his first 14 games. It must be said, the Blues as a team are not enjoying a great start to their season. However, I’m quite sure he’s going to get in some good reps in the AHL be an offensive force in the NHL quite soon.

Well those are my top five! I tried to focus more on the moves in the recent past which are having effects to this day.

What are your thoughts? Which accusation do you consider to be the best?