Apr 30, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis (L) hugs Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) in the handshake line after game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Canadiens Need Rugged Second Line Center

Originally posted on Breakaway on SI
By Tyler Major-Mcnicol | Last updated May 30, 2025 9:00 AM ET

When you think of the great Stanley Cup-winning franchises of the past, one thing stands true: the star top-line center always has a pillar on the second line down the middle that he can lean on for support.

The Pittsburgh Penguins would have been okay without Evgeni Malkin . Sidney Crosby was never going to be denied winning, but Crosby is a captain's captain, and with that comes respect for each player, but there are some that stand out more than others.

Atop that list is Geno, followed by Kris Letang and Marc-Andre Fleury, not necessarily in that order, but you get the idea. Montreal Canadiens captain and number one center Nick Suzuki has been the franchise piece that the club needed, and now he needs his Malkin.

ÉLETRIQUE

Keep your friends close and Nick Suzuki closer#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/0tsUseWG8O
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) April 26, 2025

Look no further than the final two teams in the Stanley Cup playoff mix, Edmonton and Florida.

Edmonton has Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, but Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has played up in the lineup in many instances as well. The Panthers have Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett, who has been a weapon for his team, heading into a big pay day on July 1.

Having that second-line center who can support his top-line center and also help out the third-line center adds a great deal of depth throughout the lineup, precisely what the NHL's best teams are doing right now.

If Kent Hughes wants to follow a formula, adding a second-line center who can play a skill game but also keep the opposition honest with a heavy, rugged style is his offseason top target.

Malkin might not be an option, and if he were, the idea of him being a stopgap for a year or two while Michael Hage develops with the University of Michigan Wolverines would be tremendous. For now, it feels like foreign territory even suggest the idea.

With the market loaded, Kent has his opportunity to give Suzuki the support and compliment that he and the first line have earned, but that two of the club's most special wingers need, and the team sorely lacks.

Give this team that missing piece, and the series against the Washington Capitals would have looked dramatically different.

This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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