Canadiens expected to make significant additions in offseason

The Montreal Canadiens were very quiet at the NHL trade deadline. They went the entire week without making a move, hanging onto their pending free agents but also not adding to the core. While they are contending for a playoff spot for the first time since 2020, they need to improve to truly compete. Marco D’Amico of Responsible Gambler says the Canadiens are expected to add a center this offseason.

“Almost every single potential playoff team in the NHL was looking for help down the middle, and there were very few options available,” a source told D’Amico. “You saw the prices paid for [Brock] Nelson, [Scott] Laughton, and the other centers to go shortly before the deadline? Those are very steep prices because there’s a higher sense of desperation during this time of the year.”

“They tried to find what they could, but there were so few sellers in this market that prices were sky-high. I fully expect the club to be aggressive this summer with all the draft capital and prospects they’ve accumulated,” the source said.

The Canadiens did re-sign Jake Evans before the trade deadline, locking in a bottom-six center. But the Habs need more than that, something that can snap the rest of their core into the right places.

The Canadiens need an elite center