Canadiens Analysis
Canadiens Free Agency: Top-8 UFA Centres To Play With Demidov
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.
Mikael Granlund is your Guy
Team Finn linemate of Laine
Signs 3-4 year deal at most
While he is an Aging Vet he’s also Reliable and Cost Efficient.
He’s the type of guy who can thrive 5v5 and on Special team
Also the guy i’d want helping break in Demidov.
I mean only one person is a better fit in Malkin but thats a high cost.
Granlund is a steal and we can get him cause he’s on few teams top 3 Center UFA’s lists
Granlund is your guys
Worst case Scenario Laine-Kap-Granlund and have Heineman-Evans-Demidov
Either way MTL’s top 9 gets better and our possession game is solid
Inject Beck on 4th line centering Anderson-Gally and thats a pretty good 4 line rotation on a low point in lets say Granlund doesnt click with Demidov.
Point is , get Granlund
Add in the enticement of playing with Laine and Demidov as a big plus for attracting a free agent too!
Bennett has been my guy all along. He’s a playoff style player. My only issue is he’s not what I’d consider an elite offensive producer, which is exactly what a Demidov and Laine would need to succeed the most. But, Bennett is a warrior and that’s always a plus. I’d be cool giving him 5 x $7M, but I doubt that’ll get it done. He’s likely to get 7 years from someone, and with the rising cap, I wouldn’t be surprised he gets more money too. I see Hage as the long term 2C, but Bennett could be that until Hage takes over, and then be an elite 3C with Beck as an elite 4C. A 3rd line of Bennett between Gallagher and Anderson is definitely worthy of a perennial Stanley Cup contender for sure. Having said all that, perhaps there’s a better offensive C out there via trade, but what’s that going to cost us in players? Picks we’re loaded with, but I doubt that’s all a trading partner would want. I’m just not convinced the price to trade is worth it considering we already have Dach and Hage soon to follow.
We can’t assume or plan for any of that. Hage at #2C? That’s a reach at this point. There is nothing to suggest he will def hit it as a legit #2 center in this league. And even if that eventually does happen – when? In 3 or 4 years?
And why pay Bennett all that $$$ to even consider him on a 3rd line?
Besides, there are better playmaker options at center than Bennett.
One thing I’ll agree with is a possible trade instead of a UFA signing…but again, we have to give up prized assets for that. If I’m giving up that, I want Crosby…pry him out of Pitt – they suck. And he is from N. Scotia and grew up a Habs fan.
Funny. I was going to mention Crosby as my dream choice in my post, but decided not to.
As for “all that money” for a 3C, don’t forget that the cap is gonna be well over $100M in a couple years. That’ll be the going price for a 3C before we know it.
Crosby would be perfect, no doubt, but there’s a reason he signed an extension recently.
I get the sense he’s a Penguin for life. And I get it. He’s very loyal.
Funny (part 2). And that’s why I decided not to bring it up in my original post. 😁
It would be a crime to play it out in Pitt. Here is to hoping he watches the Habs in the playoffs on his couch and says I could be part of that. His loyalty to the Pens could be paid forward by the huge package Habs could offer. He has to get out of Pitt. They are a train wreck. Crosby in the playoffs is good for hockey. It needs to happen.
Giroux isn’t a center, and there’s 0 chance he’d sign with the Habs
He’s taken over 20,000 face offs in his career. But he can also play on the wing, yes.
And as I wrote in the article, he’s above 60% most of the time at the dot. He’s on pace to take over 1,000 faceoffs this year (just like every year, because he absolutely plays centre), so that’s good news.
As for whether he’d sign with the Habs, who knows, but I don’t think you bothered to read the article before commenting. That’s a shame.
Well that’s a big “in your face” john john. But very warranted
Five of the UFA centers listed are between ages 33-37 meaning they’d be 34 or older in year 1 of their next contract . That’s when most will be past their best years in any extended contract. Only Bennett is of interest to me from this group and it’s looking like the Panthers will resign him.
I’d rather see a 29 year old Dvorak extended for a couple of more years than signing anyone mid thirties .
HuGo may well look to trade for a younger player once again like they’ve done for Dach , Newhook , Carrier and Matheson .
I hear you, but such is life in the UFA search, they’re almost always going to be older.
That being said, all of them have enough gas in the tank for another couple of years. The Habs are the youngest team in the league (once Demidov suits up), adding someone on the wrong side of 30 wouldn’t be the end of the world.
I Understand the piece is for available UFA centers and agree the search for good ones under 30 makes it difficult to find one . BTW I think you’ve done a nice job on the list .
My belief though is that after year three of the rebuild it’s still early to be signing older players .
The younger core of players from the first three drafts will need another 2-4 more years before they are at a point where they help the Habs become a true Cup contender . That for me is the time to add the age 30 plus players to help get over the top .
Reality is they will likely only go so far as 28 when looking to add to the current Young club.
I know the article is about FAs, but I see Habs more in on a trade..Barzal would be my pick.
Good news, a similar piece for potential trades is on the docket. I was hounded for it immediately after I published this article on Twitter, so it’s on the list.
If anyone can think of a name, drop it here, and I’ll try to include it in the next article.
Considering the rumour of us taking a shot at Zegras at the draft, he seems like a logical option. It also opens the possibility of taking Caufield off the top line to reunite him with his buddy, thereby opening up a spot on the top line with Suzuki as Demidov’s C. That kills 2 birds with one stone. It spreads out our offence even better and puts Demidov with a better C than we’re likely to find elsewhere. Could be a thought…
Noted. Thanks!
I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s a choice I want (I’d prefer more size and snarl for the playoffs) but where there’s smoke, there’s often fire. The rumours of us taking a shot at Zegras already, lends credence to the idea that they might circle back. Those types of conversations often occur over months until finally coming to fruition. My guess is the Ducks were hoping he’d have a rebound season so they could demand more in a trade, rather than sell when his value was lowest. Perhaps the Ducks feel they can justify asking for more now.
Mason MacTavish would be my target. 22 years old, 6’1” 220 pounds. Think of a bigger version of Suzuki with similar skills and upside. As the 2021 3rd overall pick, he’d be expensive. Willing to move quantity for quality. 3 of Mailloux, Roy, either Xhekaj ( Verbeek likes snarl), Engstrom, Kapanen, Pezzetta plus our top first second and third picks this year. Hage has value. Reinbacher or Fowler in a reduced offering. Dach? Why Anaheim might- Carlson is 1C plus they drafted Sennecke at 3rd overall so he’s not going to be a third line Center. Mason might be the odd man out. Zegras would be the guy they’d want to give but I don’t think he fits.
Noted. Thank you!
Had Dvorak played his whole time with the Habs like he has the last two months I agree. But he didn’t
I would go with whoever actually wants to sign with MTL…given their past issues with getting bigtime free agents to sign here.
However, if there is a choice, I would go with Granlund, Duchene, or Nelson, in that order of preference. These are playmaking, assist-first centers. Granlund, especially…he’s coming off back to back 60 pt seasons. Unless injury derails him, would expect another 60-something pt season if he played with Laine and Demi.
3 yrs at $7M per should do it. Or something like that.
I fully agree with the disclaimer part – we are much more likely to find our future 2C in a trade than in UFA… Hughes has already made that clear as well 😉
As for this list, I really don’t like any of these options… I want someone that fits our core that also has the skillset to play with Demidov/Laine.. none of these options fit the bill for that… I guess IF we fully believe Hage is the future 2C, we could settle on one of the skilled 30 plus year olds on a short term deal, but in FA you tend to need more term than we’d want to offer the older guys… I do like Bennett, but I don’t see him as a great fit for the Demidov/Laine duo, maybe I’m wrong and he’s the guy…
Agreed! I love Bennett as well, but he is NOT the type of centre you can see lighting up Demidov. Maybe protect him ..yes,
Unfortunately, he will demand a big sum. I see Philly breaking the bank or even Utah.
I do think that Duchene could be worth a go, but I would definitely keep it to 3 years max and make the offer bonus heavy.
They need to go the trade route, however, going on how things played out with Dylan Cousins, it may be that our young assets are not as attractive, as we would like to think they are, such as Dach, Newhook, Mailloux, Roy, etc..
I would love to see Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson play here. I have no idea if Lou is looking to keep both..
Hello
While a few of the names on here are on the surface enticing, the bottom names on here don’t really seem to be a huge upgrade on Dach, who we already have and signed. I agree that maybe Dach never truly pans out as our 2nd line center, and I always thought he was a better winger in the first place.
I’ve gone over and over the list of UFA and RFA names to see who we might sign or trade for, and there are only a couple of excellent fits, for their age and talent, if Montreal really wants to take a legitimate shot at several deep cup runs with this core group.
That means no one over 28/29 yoa, and there’s no true game-changer on this list, although, I agree, they may be available, and willing to sign for only 1-3 years.
That leaves established top tier talent on teams that are looking or likely to be rebuilding next season.
After looking thru that list, the one name that jumps out is Matt Barzal. On an older team, who’s already started to ship out veterans and could definitely be enticed by our overabundance of draft picks and high end prospects.
He signed long term, manageable cap hit, and a perfect compliment for snipers like Laine/Demidov.
The cost? Sky high, but you are shooting for Stanley Cups and the next 3-5 years is our window.
My proposal; both of our 1st round picks this year, our 1st next year, and a 2nd and 3rd. Or substitute one of our top tier prospects. (Mallioux, Beck, Engstrom, Primeau, Roy). Not Reinbacher or Fowler.
Almost the exact cost if we were to be able to sign him to an offer sheet, but the advantage is, we already have 7 years contract in the bag for him.
None of those 5 picks/prospects will play for us in the next 2-4 years and are we really waiting for yet another top prospect to take us over the top?
With Barzal as our 1A center, our 1st line looks even better, and we are now only one more stud man away from true cup contenders. (Maybe it’s Reinbacher?).
3 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd to improve from Dach to Barzal is insane imo.
What happened to the idea of creating a perennial contender? Can’t do that if you trade away your future. “both of our 1st round picks this year, our 1st next year, and a 2nd and 3rd” for Barzal is too much. Demidov does not need someone to “show him the ropes” he’ll figure it out, he’s a GOOD hockey player and has played in many leagues. I think he needs a capable playmaker. Grandlund has been on my list as well.
In a previous article I commented that Habs might enquire into the availability of a centre who is both Russian and with whom Ivan has had terrific on-ice chemistry — Evgeny Kuznetsov. I was informed that Kuznetsov was one year into a four year deal with SKA. Well, as it turns out, it has just been reported that Kuznetsov and SKA have mutually agreed to terminate his contract. I have no idea what that is all about, and many times when this occurs it does not bode well. However, Kuznetsov’s home town is on the other side of Russia, so maybe his family has grown tired of St Petersburg. But since that can be remedied by a trade to a team closer to home, it either means Kuznetsov is dis-satisfied with SKA and its management, or there are personal issues that caused SKA to sever ties with the player. Either way, Habs should use their connection to Bobrov’s dad (who works for SKA) to get the real dope. If the player is not the problem, and he is considering a return to the NHl, the Habs should be all over this.
I would be against any UFA signing of a player over 30 unless they take a term friendly deal.
My suggestion is extend Devo, see if either Kapanen or Demidov can play centre, draft more centres, see if Dach can stay healthy.
I would venture a guess that we will see some significant trades made by the Habs at the draft and likely over the summer and this would be the try to make the team better from without option.
Stay away from free agency frenzy. Let the dust settle and pounce when other teams are over extended. Like we did with Laine.
We are in no rush to advance things and we can for all intents and purposes build from within. We have draft capital and the youngest team in the NHL.
Any new player should fit the long term plans and not be a placeholder which would only end up denying a spot from an up and coming prospect.
Trade Matheson, Beck and a second round pick for a legitimate second line center.
someone with 3-4 years term remaining. Need to give to get. Reinbacher and Mailloux need play next season
I do not think 2 rookie RD is a great situation. And i understand both have great upside. It appears one of the LD will need to be traded. I think Engstrom is going to be a solid 2nd pair D. Not as convinced the same can happen for Struble and Xhekaj who look like 3rd pair D. Hard to part with Xhekaj – he brings the toughness of a Tom Wilson.
Even after moving 1 LD – Matheson, Hutson, Gulhe, Engstrom, Xhekaj leaaves 5.
Are you willing to go with Carrier, Mailloux and Reinbacher to start 2026? We need another RD.
As for 2C – i want to see what Beck looks like. He has the smarts and can play D (which is required when Laine is on your line). Maybe he can find chemistry with Demidov. Other than that – you need a trade. I liked Cousens – that ship sailed. Kadri for Matheson?
Have to think about it. I do think it is a trade vs a UFA. And think it can be an established player for a couple of years without impacting draft/ prospects in a big way. Or it is a blockbuster with talent and picks for talent. Would lean toward talent/ grit versus a Barzal, Zegras. So Bennett, Kadri style in a younger player.
It will cost a lot more than that.
What would a trade for Dawson Mercer and Simon Nemec look like?
Does Jersey need a LD? I am sure they would want Xhekaj vs Struble. And then at least a 2nd round pick. There was speculation that they had interest in Evans. So would Evans, Dobes, Struble and a 2nd be enough? I think I am just being too much of a Canadiens fan.
yawn