Montreal Canadiens Summer Shopping List – Team Needs

Now that the Montreal Canadiens have shown they have what it takes to qualify for the playoffs, general manager Kent Hughes’ priority must be to maintain an upward trajectory.

It’s much easier said than done, especially when we consider how many variables factored into Montreal’s surprise playoff appearance, but such is life in professional sports.

If it were an easy job, there would be more than 32 positions available in the league.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the most pressing needs within the Canadiens organization.

Montreal Canadiens Summer Shopping List

Everyone and their cousin knows the Canadiens desperately need to improve their centre depth. It became painfully apparent once Alex Newhook was tasked with anchoring the second line in the wake of Kirby Dach’s frustrating season.

There are chances Dach can re-ignite the fire that led to very encouraging underlying numbers in 2022-23, but for now, the best bet for the Canadiens is to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.

The good news is that Montreal has a decent amount of cap space, which should help them attract high-end talent once unrestricted free agency opens. The bad news is that finding talent in free agency is always complicated. Jeff Gorton will have to perform intense due diligence prior to July 1, spending the bulk of his time evaluating the potential options.

The need is particularly pressing now that we know top prospect Ivan Demidov is ready to play a key role in the top six.

MUST READ: Canadiens Free Agency – Top 8 UFA Centres To Play With Ivan Demidov On Second Line

In that same vein, if the Canadiens decide to let all their free agents walk, they will also have to find a suitable No.3 centre to replace Christian Dvorak. Some will argue Newhook or Dach would be well suited for the role, but beyond their lack of faceoff prowess, both players would be better off without having to worry about the defensive responsibilities that come with playing as a centre in the NHL.

Dach, in particular, needs as few distractions as possible once he’s ready to attempt yet another return to play following a devastating injury.

If the Habs do decide to run the horses they have, signing a permanent faceoff coach is in order.

In other words, they should get an estimate on Guy Carbonneau or Yanic Perreault‘s consulting fee.

Montreal Canadiens Defensive Needs

David Savard’s retirement opens the door to a prospect currently evolving in Laval, with all eyes on either David Reinbacher or Logan Mailloux.

They will have their chance to earn a job at training camp, but I’m not convinced either is ready for full-time NHL duties. Reinbacher still has an issue with timing, a perfectly normal result of missing a lot of games during his D+1 and D+2 seasons. You can get away with hesitating in the AHL to a certain extent, but that will not fly in the NHL.

Reinbacher needs more experience, and that entails as much ice time as possible. The best place to gain that crucial experience is in the AHL.

As for Mailloux, his offensive instincts are undeniable, but gap control and defensive coverage is still far from a strong point. The defensive miscues are currently acting as a counterbalance when discussing his potential impact with the Canadiens. He’s playing some of his best hockey of the season now that Laval has reached the third round of the playoffs.

That’s a very encouraging sign.

His shot selection is elite, and he is a potent weapon on the powerplay.

But there’s absolutely no reason to rush the 22-year-old to the NHL. The same logic applies to 20-year-old Reinbacher. Both still have a few issues to iron out before I’d feel comfortable saying they’re NHL ready.

Finding another Johnathan Kovacevic type defenceman that could act as an insurance policy should neither prospect make the team out of camp would be the ideal contingency plan. I’d go as far as saying that Montreal could use more defensive depth even if both prospects earn a roster spot.

Finally, seeing as Connor Hughes recently signed a five-year contract with Lausanne, John Sedgwick will have to find another quality backup for the Laval Rocket. This may not seem like the most important organizational need, but having a solid option to back up Jacob Fowler or Jakub Dobes is absolutely a necessity, especially if the team decides to let Cayden Primeau walk.