Pierre LeBrun claims that the Montreal Canadiens are contacting everyone. GM Kent Hughes is attempting to gauge the market this offseason by contacting every team that has an available right-shot defenseman or center.
On Melnick in the Afternoon, LeBrun made the statement on Saturday, and the term “every” was the most striking aspect. Many calls. These weren’t some subdued opening feelers. Each team using the appropriate asset.
A blanket strategy of that sort often signals one thing: Hughes is fully aware of the areas in which this club is deficient, and he is not attempting to conceal it.
Pierre LeBrun: There’s no doubt that Montreal is going to get in touch with every single team that has a right shot D or a center to find out what the market is; in fact, they already are.
Third in the Atlantic, the Canadiens concluded the regular season with a record of 48-24-10, 106 points. In Round 1, they defeated Tampa Bay in seven games. In Round 2, they defeated Buffalo in seven games. But in the end, Carolina stopped them in five games.
Something genuine was revealed in that last series. Montreal was held scoreless in Game 4 at home, and they gave up six goals on the road in the series clincher. The Hurricanes have controlled the last two games.
Kirby. Roof Due to Dobson’s playoff slump and the lack of available players, the search is becoming more pressing.
Only 37 regular-season games were played by Kirby Dach. That figure by itself explains a sizable portion of why Hughes is calling.
You are basically playing the stretch run and the playoffs without a reliable second pivot when your second-line center is only allowed to participate in 37 games. The Canadiens did just that, and it cost them dearly.
Noah Dobson, who was signed last summer to help bolster the right side of the blue line, had a difficult postseason. After the regular season, he had no goals and one assist in 13 games, good for a minus-7 rating. That performance is an issue moving into next year with a $9.5 million cap hit.
There is a lot of money attached to players who either failed to produce or were not in good health. Instead of a spectacular strike, the mathematics compel Hughes to seek out more affordable and trustworthy depth.
The top of the centre depth is still held down by Nick Suzuki. He concluded the postseason with -8, four goals, and twelve assists in 19 games, which is not what you expect from your $7.875 million franchise center in a playoff defeat. He’s not leaving. But the drop-off after him is sharp.
Look at it like this: Right now, the Canadiens’ center depth resembles a valley that directly follows a mountain peak. Hughes requires a slope somewhere in the center.
It makes equal sense to search the right-shot D market. Left-handed Lane Hutson tallied 78 points during the season and 16 in the postseason. Michael Matheson has a left shot. Jayden Struble and Kaiden Guhle are as well. Alexandre Carrier shot right, but had no power play goals this year.
The Canadiens are young, thus their greatest chance is probably a year or two away. But standing motionless after a Conference Finals loss won’t get you to that window.
It’s still up for discussion whether Hughes will trade for his center or right-shot defenseman, sign a free agent, or do both. What LeBrun’s report proves is that the search is already ongoing, energetic, and aggressive.
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