Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov is set to make his NHL debut shortly, marking one of the most important moments in the team’s long-term rebuild plans.
With the Canadiens quickly approaching a surprise playoff appearance, Demidov’s presence should provide head coach Martin St-Louis with a few more options from an offensive standpoint.
That being said, it’s clear the team could use some reinforcements down the middle of the ice, especially now that centre Kirby Dach has suffered yet another season-ending injury.
Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes will have plenty of financial manoeuvrability this summer, a situation that will only improve as the NHL’s salary cap continues to rise significantly every season.
ON TOPIC: The Ivan Demidov Situation – Projected Cap Space, Trading Carey Price
Now that we’ve established there’s a fair amount of money available, it’s time to take a look at the top centres who will be available in free agency this summer. Keep in mind, the Habs don’t necessarily need to find their centre via free agency, and history suggests they’re more likely to make a trade to acquire a good, young player.
However, they’re also entering a stage in the rebuild that will require an influx of talent, which means they need to exhaust every potential option, including free agents.
Montreal would not offer long-term deals to the players listed below, but they could hold the fort on a short-term deal.
We will be using Evolving Wild to compare the players, a fantastic website that is well worth your patronage.
Potential Unrestricted Free Agent Targets (2025)
John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs, 34 years old, 71Gp, 37G, 35A, 72P, Cap Hit:$11,000,000
The first player we’ll discuss is sure to stoke the fire between the Habs and the Toronto Maple Leafs. If we’re being perfectly honest, there’s very little chance Tavares would join the Habs, as he’s clearly a Toronto boy, but we wouldn’t be doing our due diligence if we didn’t include him.
He’s no spring chicken, but Tavares is still a very good player, which much of his impact coming via his powerplay usage. He’s also a talented playmaker, which would suit a winger such as Demidov.
But Tavares is more than just a playmaker, as evidenced by his 493 NHL goals. By adding a player of his ilk, the Habs wouldn’t just find a great centre for Demidov, they’d be ensuring there’s more than just one scoring threat on the ice, which in turn, should lead to a lot of open ice for his teammates.
Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars, 34 years old, 78GP,30G,51A, 81PTS, Cap Hit: $3,000,000
We often hear about ‘eastern bias’ when discussing hockey players, and while it’s not always true, I honestly feel like we do a terrible job keeping up with the Dallas Stars. They have an exciting team that was well constructed via trades and solid drafting, a situation the Canadiens are attempting to replicate.
Many, including myself, thought Matt Duchene’s time in the NHL was coming to an end, but a resurgence in Dallas has extended his shelf life, making him a decent target for the Montreal Canadiens.
The Haliburton native produces a healthy mix of goals and assists, much like Tavares, but I don’t expect him to command as much money as his Toronto counterpart this summer, as the perception of his overall value took a hit in recent years. That’s not to say he’ll be available for a discount, and he’s certainly due for a raise on his current $3 million salary, but he does fit the bill perfectly when it comes to Montreal’s need to add a talented player to help Demidov thrive.
Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers, 28 years old, 74GP, 25G, 25A, 50 PTS, Cap Hit: $4,425,000
Bennett doesn’t make the same type of impact as Tavares or Duchene, but he’s much younger, which could entice the Montreal Canadiens. After all, Hughes has specifically targeted younger players in trades. That’s not always a realistic approach to free agency, but in Bennett’s case, he’s just a few years older than Nick Suzuki, making him a one of the youngest UFA options out there.
He’s an ‘analytics darling’, which is just a contrived way of saying he’s a good player. Simply put, when he’s on the ice, the Florida Panthers tend to dominate. He also plays alongside Matthew Tkachuk, which means he’s clearly not the only one driving the play on his line, and that could be seen as a red flag depending on how much he’ll want on the open market.
If we’re being realistic, Bennett is likely to among the UFAs that command the most money this summer, and he’ll be eager to cash-in given his current salary.
Such is life when you’re trying to sign a quality centre who tends to score 20-25 goals every season.
Yanni Gourde, Seattle Kraken/Tampa Bay Lightning, 33 years old, 53GP, 7G, 21A, 28PTS, Cap Hit: $5,166,667
The 33-year-old Quebec-native has won multiple Stanley Cups, and there’s certainly some value there, especially since the Habs are aiming to become a Cup contender in the near future.
I’m not worried about is age per se, but I’m also not convinced he has enough talent to anchor a line with Demidov. He’s one of the few centres available that spends more time on the penalty kill than the powerplay, which certainly mitigates his value to the Montreal Canadiens.
With that in mind, it’s never a bad idea to have a few contingency plans in place, and that’s where Gourde could come into play. He’s currently being used as a first-line winger by the Lightning, but he can also play down the middle of the ice if need be.
Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators, 37 years old, 78GP, 15G, 34A, 49PTS, Capt Hit: $6,500,000
Okay, bear with me here.
I know Habs fans won’t love the idea of acquiring a player who spent a lot of time in Ottawa, but we’re not here to dunk on divisional rivals. Rather, we’re here to pilfer their talent.
Claude Giroux is the polar opposite of many of the centres listed here. He’s currently being used as a second line winger, with newcomer Dylan Cozens taking over centre duties, but he has a long history of taking face offs, and his efficiency is usually elite. As it stands, Giroux has won over 61 percent of his face offs this season.
He’s not an offensive dynamo, not anymore, but he does provide an excellent defensive presence for the Senators, and that may be what a line featuring Demidov and Patrik Laine will need to thrive.
At 37 years old, he’s far from a spring chicken, but he still controls the play whenever he’s on the ice, his underlying stats are great, and he can provide secondary or tertiary scoring, which would bolster the team’s overall depth.
Additionally, he could serve as a mentor for a player such as Owen Beck, because he knows how to take care of both ends of the ice.
Brock Nelson, New York Islanders/Colorado Avalanche, 33 years old, 77GP, 24G, 30A, 54 PTS, Cap Hit: $6,000,000
Brock Nelson may be the least exciting option listed so far, but there’s no harm in doing a little due diligence. The Habs will evaluate all their options, which means we should follow suit.
While Nelson was playing for the New York Islanders, it seemed that his numbers were set to go full Thelma And Louise, but a trade to the Colorado Avalanche put the brakes on any potential cliff dive. It’s a good reminder that playing for a mediocre team tends to lead to mediocre possession numbers, therefore we can’t simply dismiss half the league because they’re on a poorly constructed roster.
He’s currently serving as the Avalanche’s No.2 centre, which connotes that he could definitely fill a No.2 centre role for the Habs. Just don’t expect him to be much help on the powerplay.
Jack Roslovic, Carolina Hurricanes, 28 years old, 76GP,21G, 16A, 37PTS, Cap Hit: $2,800,000
Roslovic could be a fun option, as he’s not expected to command too much money on the open market, at least relative to the other available centres. He’s relatively young, and his offensive impact is impossible to deny.
He’s far from a Selke-calibre centre, even if his underlying numbers in Carolina have been fantastic. Just like we can’t put too much stock in the numbers from a player playing on a bad team, we shouldn’t fall in love with stats that were produced on a team such as the Hurricanes. Keep in mind, Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s underlying stats with the Canes are elite, but you’d be hard-pressed to argue he’s an elite offensive presence.
It should be noted Roslovic is currently serving as Carolina’s second-line centre, providing us with ample evidence to suggest he could do the same for the Montreal Canadiens.
Christian Dvorak Player Chart
To give everyone a point of reference, here’s Christian Dvorak’s player chart. I’m a little surprised about his defensive impact, as that has not been the case since he arrived in Montreal, but it’s good to see him improve that aspect of his play. Playing with Brendan Gallagher surely hasn’t hurt in that respect.
For what it’s worth, he’s listed among the most enticing UFA centres on a few lists, though he’s not as highly regarded as the aforementioned players in this article.
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
Finding talent on the open market is difficult, especially if you’re hoping to shore-up your lineup without spending a king’s ransom to get it done.
However, you can’t get a ride on the riverboat without going down to the river, which means the Montreal Canadiens may need to be a little more aggressive if they hope to fill some of the glaring holes in the roster.
They have a healthy amount of cap space, they’ve already locked up most of their core players, and the salary cap is set to increase significantly for the next few seasons. Lane Hutson will command a lot of money, and that needs to be taken into account, as do the potential bonuses that will impact salary cap expenditures should Montreal’s stable of young, talented players end-up overachieving.
And yet, even with all those variables in play, there should be enough money to convince a veteran to join the fold via free agency, especially since Montreal is now considered an attractive landing spot for NHL players.
Athletes love making a lot of money, but I’d argue they enjoy one thing much more, and that’s being on a winning team.
All Montreal Canadiens and UFA statistics via Evolving Wild.