Canadiens Preparing for Early Blockbuster Deal

Blais’ size, physical play, and experience made him a target, and he was claimed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, whose head coach, Craig Berube, knows Blais from their 2019 Stanley Cup win with the St. Louis Blues. What’s surprising is that the Canadiens only have 22 players on their roster, leaving one spot open, so why didn’t they keep Blais, who they likely knew would be claimed?

By waiving Blais’ $775,000 contract, the Canadiens have saved money, especially when that salary is accrued daily – it will add up to $2.5 million by the 2026 Trade Deadline. Add that to their $5.57 million in cap space, and Hughes will have just over $8 million in cap space by the deadline with a glaring need for a top-six centre. 

Canadiens Impacted by New Salary Cap Regulations 

With the Canadiens setting their sights on making the playoffs this season, rather than just being “in the mix”, Hughes will need to get creative to ensure they can make significant moves ahead of the March 6 deadline. Puckpedia provides some clarity on the salary cap projection. 

As of now, the Canadiens could have the space to add $25.5 million at the deadline. However, after years of teams making a mockery of the salary cap by leaving players on their long-term injured reserve until playoff time, only to miraculously return at full health on day one of the playoffs to play alongside the additional depth players added in the season, the NHL saw fit to impose a playoff salary cap structure. This was famously addressed by Dougie Hamilton when his Carolina Hurricanes lost in the second round of the 2021 Playoffs to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. “We had a great season,” he said. “We lost to a team that’s $18 million over the cap, or whatever they are. I don’t have a problem with it. You just realize how good that team was.”

The loophole that was wide enough to fit an 18-wheeler has now been closed, and teams must now ice a final lineup in advance that fits under the salary cap ($95.5 million for this season). For Montreal, if nothing changes, the projected playoff cap space will be $7.8 million, and any deal Hughes makes must be cap-compliant during the season and the playoffs.

Canadiens Will Move Earlier 

Hughes made roster moves before the season to accumulate cap space. The new NHL regulations make it even more important to manage the cap properly, especially with specific needs to be filled ahead of the playoffs. For Hughes and the Canadiens, making a trade sooner rather than later seems to be the priority.

According to Marco D’Amico of RG.com, “That 2026 Draft class is looking mighty attractive already, with a generational talent like Gavin McKenna at the top. I know of a few teams that would likely pack it in early if their team is out of it by December, and I bet the Canadiens are watching.” The NHL’s weakest teams will become sellers much earlier this season because of McKenna, who is expected to become a franchise player for any team that selects him. How does that affect the Canadiens?

With Montreal having the youngest team in the NHL, a full two-and-a-half years younger than the next youngest team to have made the 2025 postseason, the team needs a veteran centre who can help lead the club. If Hughes can clear up $8 million and remove one centre from the lineup, likely Oliver Kapanen and his $975,000, based on his age and role on Demidov’s line, that will open up roughly $9 million, which should be enough to land a significant player to fill that hole.

With insiders like Eric Engels noting an outside chance that Sidney Crosby could be a possible target, the math seems to add up. The Pittsburgh Penguins are among the five oldest teams in the league, have a weak prospect pool, and an uphill battle to even earn a wild-card position. There is a good chance that Penguins GM Kyle Dubas will be selling, and Crosby would be an ideal fit for Montreal. 

The Canadiens have the assets to help Pittsburgh, and it could be that Montreal is the only team that could entice Crosby to waive his no-movement clause – meaning no bidding war. The 38-year-old is coming off a 91-point season, grew up a Canadiens fan, loves playing at the Bell Centre, has this season and next left on his $8.7 million per season contract, and he has the talent and experience — especially in the playoffs — that Montreal desperately needs. 

Of course, this deal rests on so many what-ifs that the chances of it happening are low. Still, Hughes has made the necessary moves to ensure it could happen. Even if it doesn’t, he has the assets, the cap space, and a proven track record for making big trades that Canadiens fans can be sure he will be aggressively pursuing a veteran centre before the Christmas trade freeze.