3 Right-Handed Defensemen The Habs Should Pursue

The first guy that they should look at is current Calgary Flames defenseman Zach Whitecloud. I wrote about the Habs potentially being interested in him at the Trade Deadline back in early March, and after not getting any veteran defenseman then, he remains a potential target for the Canadiens. Unlike the two others on this list to get Whitecloud, the Habs will need to make a trade, as he is still under contract for another season at a very respectable $2.7 million.

Whitecloud would be a good fit, as he brings to the table a guy who can be a very steady presence on the back end while still being mobile enough to move the puck if needed in today’s modern NHL. Standing at 6’2″ and 210 LBS, Whitecloud can be a physical force after finishing with 124 hits in 80 games between both the Vegas Golden Knights and Flames, which would have placed him 4th on the entire Habs roster and 2nd among defensemen behind Arber Xhekaj. While 124 hits doesn’t show that he’s an overly physical defenseman, it’s clear that it would help a Habs defensive core that doesn’t hit much. Meanwhile, his 140 blocks during the 2025-26 season would have ranked 4th among Habs defensemen. He would, however, provide the Habs with another great defender for the penalty kill that they hope will improve next year.

The biggest intangible that he would bring to the Canadiens is that he’s a Stanley Cup champion who won with the Golden Knights back in 2023. During the postseason, we saw what winning a Stanley Cup does for a player come playoff time, as the only current Hab ever to do so, Alex Newhook, came up very clutch. With that being said, Whitecloud on the Habs in next year’s playoffs could allow him to step up and be clutch on the defensive side, similar to Newhook, who led all Canadiens players with 7 goals in the postseason. Not to mention, his 78 playoff games would give the Habs blueline some great experience on top of what they already gained with the 19-game run to the Eastern Conference Finals.

To trade for Whitecloud, a fair deal would be something like a 3rd and a C-level prospect like the rights to forward Joshua Roy, defenseman William Trudeau, or a 5th round pick. The truth is while Whitecloud would be a great fit for the Habs, there is still an abundance of defensemen that they can look to in the free agent market without giving up any assets. Whitecloud just happens to be the best fit due to his Stanley Cup pedigree.

One of those guys in free agency that can play a similar role for the Habs as Whitecloud would is Connor Murphy , who just finished a 4-year contract where he was paid $4.4 million per season to be a solid defensive defenseman on a middle pairing for both the Chicago Blackhawks and then the Edmonton Oilers from the trade deadline onwards. Murphy is a 6’4″, 212 lb. defenseman, which would make him instantly one of the biggest defensemen on the Habs.

His game revolves around being a shutdown guy who can block shots and clear the front of the net, similarly to Whitecloud. Although he does throw the body nearly as much, he only had 87 hits split between the Oilers and Blackhawks . Even though Murphy is 33 years old, he plays a style of game that doesn’t rely on speed, allowing him to stay effective in his role longer than someone who may rely on their speed. Look at what Chris Tanev can still do in the NHL in his late 30s as an example. With that being said, signing Murphy to a 2- or 3-year deal around the same salary he made in his last contract wouldn’t necessarily age that poorly, although the reality is there is always a risk with UFAs, as oftentimes these guys are either on the older side or have flaws in their game. For Murphy, it’s the lack of any offensive upside, but when you could possibly be playing with Lane Hutson, you don’t have to be very good offensively to be good.

At the end of the day, Murphy would be able to provide the Habs with a solid 18-20 minutes a night playing on one of the bottom two pairings and being a penalty kill specialist; that would be great for clearing the front of the net. While Whitecloud is cheaper financially, is younger, and has more playoff experience, Murphy would still be a good option for the Habs if they need to resort to free agency to fill their defensive need.

The final defenseman that will be discussed is more of a lower-in-the-lineup defenseman but could come at a very cheap price as a solid 6th or 7th defenseman in Andrew Peeke . It has been reported by sources close to the Boston Bruins that he isn’t returning to the team, and the 28-year-old could be a solid bargain bin pickup for the Habs on the open market. The Canadiens could potentially get him for around $2-$2.5 million a season on a 1-or-2-year deal.

Like the two others mentioned above, Peeke doesn’t bring much offence, but the Habs wouldn’t need him for that. What they would need from him is a solid presence that can block shots and clear the front of the net, which is something that he can do very well. In all honesty, he may be one of the most underrated defensemen in free agency, as he likely won’t get as much attention as Murphy, but he can play close to the same amount of minutes and is nearly just as effective. If anything, maybe the Habs could inquire about him even before Murphy, given what the price for both defensemen in free agency will be.

There are other defensemen that can be looked at, such as Jacob Trouba, who would be a good fit, but there is no way he leaves the US with his wife being a doctor in the country; hence, he isn’t mentioned in this article, and I wanted to touch on that before some fans suggest that they should look at Trouba.

Who are some other realistic defensemen you would like the Habs to look into?