<\/p>\n
Canadiens celebrating a win (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The Montreal Canadiens have been unsatisfied with their performances of late, and injuries to players Patrik Laine<\/a>, Kaiden Guhle, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach have put even more strain on the youngest roster in the NHL.\u00a0<\/p>\n With the Canadiens\u2019 top forward prospects currently playing in the NCAA or in Europe, there\u2019s a little more urgency on the Canadiens\u2019 end to try and find help for the short-term and long-term, but they\u2019re not in the business of making a panic move.<\/p>\n They were able to add Alex Texier<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n That being said, they\u2019d love to find a way to bolster their top-six.<\/p>\n \u201cMontreal is not done, that\u2019s for sure,\u201d said a Western Conference source. \u201dThey\u2019d still like to add a centre or a top-six player to their lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n 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 <\/a>that the team would look to add during the season.<\/p>\n \u201cHughes is active in making calls and checking in on players. We know Nashville and St. Louis are also talking to everyone right now, added,\u201d added the source. \u201cLots of chatter, let\u2019s see where it goes.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n As they continue to ice the youngest team in the NHL, the focus on building for sustainability hasn\u2019t gone away.<\/p>\n This is why there\u2019s 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Best Offense Is a Good Defense<\/p>\n The Canadiens have a significant amount of organizational depth on defense. Lane Hutson<\/a>, 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\u2019s signed).<\/p>\n The Canadiens were already able to use their depth on defense to bolster their forward corps this summer, swapping Logan Mailloux<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2019 mantra of buying low and selling high.<\/p>\n \u201cHis value is not where it could be and trading him now would be a mistake,\u201d said an NHL source. \u201cHe\u2019s shown good flashes of late, and it\u2019s promising, but he could be a special piece for Montreal if they show patience.\u201d<\/p>\n