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Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard – (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

5 Reasons Canadiens Should Finally Make a Splash in Free Agency in 2025

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Szporer | Last updated May 13, 2025 9:05 AM ET

Plenty of teams make mistakes they end up regretting when it comes to signing unrestricted free agents. It’s very possible these Montreal Canadiens end up being another, especially if they go that route, by signing someone significant, before the time is right. However, what if the time is now?

Three complete seasons of linear year-over-year growth into a full-scale rebuild, the Canadiens took the next step by unexpectedly making the playoffs in 2025. They did so in impressive fashion by earning a .621 points percentage from Dec. 3 on, which gives the impression they have the potential to be a far stronger team over a full season in 2025-26… assuming general manager Kent Hughes can pull the right strings this offseason. Could that involve making splash in free agency?

After it could have been construed as being too soon for big free-agent signings in recent offseasons past, the stars seem to be aligning in 2025. There are five main reasons why:

5) Canadiens Have Cap Space to Spare

Sure, goalie Carey Price’s contract represents an albatross even if he’s destined for Long-Term Injured Reserve. However, once the Canadiens presumably move his contract to LTIR, they should have over $19 million with which to work (and sign any free agents, restricted and unrestricted). However, especially taken in the context of the increasing salary cap, the Habs are arguably in better position than last season, by default.

All on its own, more cap space to start the offseason doesn’t necessitate a higher payroll by its end. In a vacuum, the Canadiens don’t need to spend up to the cap. However, the status quo simply won’t do, for several reasons:

4) Holes in Lineup That Need to Be Filled

Granted, the Canadiens could choose to re-sign some of their pending unrestricted free agents: forwards Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak and Michael Pezzetta. However, firstly, each of them had at some point over their current respective terms fallen out of favour with the organization. Objectively speaking, it would be odd to commit to them once again.

Secondly, Kirby Dach, who remains under team control, is ironically the biggest “hole” that needs to be addressed, as he hasn’t worked out as the Canadiens’ No. 2 centre. With him having suffered his second straight season-ending knee injury, the Habs must face the distinct possibility he isn’t the solution there, even if he should be healthy by the start of the season. Moving on could take various forms.

Free agency could be the best one.

3) Loss of Veteran Leadership with Savard Leaving

Another hole that needs to be addressed is on defense, with David Savard having announced his retirement. At 34 years of age, he represents the oldest player on this past season’s team. Armia and Dvorak aren’t far behind. So, effectively, one of the youngest teams in the entire league will get even younger.

Adding to the issue, it seems plausible the Canadiens would try out a prospect to fill Savard’s spot on the right side on defense. Both David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux are knocking at the door. The Habs could conceivably do similar to address the hole at centre on the second line, i.e., try out a young prospect. The difference is the Canadiens don’t necessarily have a prospect ready to jump right into a significant role like Dach’s. Hughes may alternatively try to make a trade, like he did by acquiring Dach in the first place and then Alex Newhook in consecutive NHL Entry Drafts starting in 2022.

Of course, both had been relatively unproven and neither one has really panned out as the second-line centre they need, despite each having been attached to decent price tags. By pursuing a free-agent centre, the Canadiens wouldn’t have to dole out additional assets (other than cap space), while adding a much needed proven, veteran presence to the lineup.

2) Good UFA Fits Available

Technically, Hughes could trade for a veteran. However, again, you would have to give up assets in exchange. Plus, with a decent set of free agents set to become available on July 1, why rush things by trying to make a trade at the 2025 NHL Entry Draft?

This piece will stop short of making cases for each and every possible fit. However, needless to say, there are several centres poised to hit free agency who would make for a good No. 2 pivot on paper.

For one example, a player like Claude Giroux, who’s 37 but coming off a 50-point season, should be relatively affordable as he nears retirement. Considering the Canadiens don’t necessarily want to overcommit to a player on the verge of statistical decline, especially with additional centre prospects like Michael Hage in the pipeline, he makes for a good option who would add skill and veteran leadership to the top of the lineup in one fell swoop.

1) Habs on Cusp of Contention

True, there are no guarantees the Canadiens could attract Giroux or someone else. So, what’s the selling point? That should be obvious. They’ve developed into a competitive team on the cusp of contention. The ultimate goal must be to make the Canadiens more competitive at this stage. They’ve just made the playoffs. Failing to in 2026 would be, well, a failure.

Whether it’s Giroux or someone else, it makes sense for Hughes to test the waters, especially as he’s arguably spent the last three seasons building Montreal up as a decent destination for free agents. Now’s the time for him to test that supposed theory.

The Canadiens are kind of victims of their own success here. The goal had been simply to be in the mix by the end of the season, play meaningful games down the stretch. Had they missed the playoffs instead of sneaking in, simply sneaking in next season would have been the logical goal. Now, what’s next?

Without the pressure to one-up themselves, they could have committed to taking some time to experiment with Dach down the middle to start next season. They could have given another chance to Newhook. Now, they don’t exactly have the luxury of waiting for either one to find their groove, considering eventual-Jack Adams Award finalist Martin St. Louis found himself on the hot seat less than a month into this past season when the Canadiens started off slowly, without even any realistic expectations of them earning a playoff spot. He’ll face even more pressure in 2025-26.

So, this isn’t your typical market.

Under normal circumstances, free agency is far from a silver bullet. Free agents are ideally added as missing pieces to the puzzle. While the Canadiens aren’t in a position to vie for the Stanley Cup next season, they do have the makings of a legitimate contender in the not-too-distant future. It’s hard to envision them taking that next step the way the team is constructed right now though, lacking veteran leadership and depth down the middle.

Look at it this way: If the Canadiens re-signed all their pending unrestricted free agents, Savard included, there’s an argument to be made they’d be even better next season, because everyone knows how good this current incarnation can be. So, one way or another, the Habs have to hit free agency. This is their chance to upgrade on those players, who each have glaring weaknesses, though. If you had the means, motive, and opportunity, wouldn’t you?

Well, the Canadiens do. The means is cap space that’s opening up. The motive is to improve in the standings by adding veteran leadership, while filling glaring holes in the lineup. The opportunity is a fairly stacked free-agent class. They’d be foolish to let it slip by without so much as trying to take advantage.