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Jack Roslovic, Carolina Hurricanes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Canadiens’ Top Unrestricted Free Agent Targets at Centre

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Ryan Szporer | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 10:25 AM ET

When the Canadiens traded for Noah Dobson last week, they didn’t just make a huge splash, arguably putting the entire league on notice. They also addressed a pressing need, filling a hole on the right side on defense that got created with the retirement of David Savard.

There’s also the added benefit of how the acquisition enables general manager Kent Hughes to shift his attention exclusively to centre with the start of free agency. The GM must at the very least explore his options to acquire someone to replace Kirby Dach in the lineup, especially considering 2024-25 didn’t go all that smoothly for the forward at the position even in the lead-up to his second straight season-ending injury to the same knee.

With Claude Giroux having just re-signed with the Ottawa Senators, Hughes may have to pivot. After all, in a lot of ways, Giroux would have been the ideal unrestricted-free-agent target, based on what he provides: scoring capability, faceoff-taking prowess and veteran leadership. Taking those criteria into account, here are the top five options available via unrestricted free agency, at least as the market opens on July 1:

5. Anthony Beauvillier

Anthony Beauvillier is worth including on this list for the simple reason he’s been linked to the Canadiens in the past. Plus, for whatever it’s worth, he didn’t rule out joining the Habs via free agency when recently asked about the possibility.

Now, that of course shouldn’t mean much. Being asked by the media if you’re interested in playing for the Canadiens when you’re a pending UFA and in your home province as a native Quebecer is like waking up in the morning. So, take any suggestion Beauvillier is the Canadiens’ next second-line centre with a huge grain of salt, especially seeing as he’s not really a centre. He was only drafted as a potential one back in 2015, but it never really took, just like him never having taken more than 100 faceoffs in any one season since 2017-18.

Beauvillier is a decent top-nine winger, who’s never scored more than 39 points, albeit in only 68 games in 2019-20, with the New York Islanders. He’s also just 28, which should attract some suitors. However, if anything, the Canadiens would probably be interested in older free agents for their veteran leadership and as they would be more willing to take less term as the organization bides it time for prospect Michael Hage to eventually replace them. Signing Beauvillier doesn’t accomplish any of that, least of all filling a need at centre.

4. Pius Suter

It’s a similar situation with Pius Suter, with exception to the fact he’s actually a centre. He’s also a year older at 29. So, he’s still probably got designs on a medium-term deal, but with some flexibility, especially seeing as he’s only scored more than 40 points once, just last season, while with the Vancouver Canucks.

Suter’s 46 points did include 25 goals. So, there is undeniable offensive skill there. It’s just worth pointing out Hughes specifically acquired the 6-foot-4 Dach (221 pounds) to play centre on his team’s second line. It may not have worked as well as anticipated. However, Suter is 5-foot-11 and 179 pounds. That’s a huge discrepancy for a GM to wrap their minds around, especially one who’s gone on record as saying, “There’s not a 5-foot-9 hockey player that scares me, but 22 of them would scare me (from ‘Stu Cowan: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes Puts his plan into action,’ Montreal Gazette, July 8, 2022).”

Now, Suter is just one player (and, again, 5-foot-11), but Hughes was clearly exaggerating for effect. Ideally, he wants size to go with skill, like any self-respecting GM. Suter is a tough sell as having enough of either one for the Canadiens to want to commit, even for just a few years. That’s assuming Suter, coming off his career-best season, would be willing to play ball in that regard. If he is looking to cash in now, hopefully it isn’t with the Habs.

3. Jack Roslovic

Roslovic is a 6-foot-1 centre (198 pounds). So, right off the bat, he checks a few boxes. However, it’s worth noting, his 54.1% success rate taking faceoffs this past season was over a relatively small sample size (a fifth-most 355 on the Carolina Hurricanes). During his four seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets, from 2021-24, he only won 42.9% of his fourth-ranked 2,442 draws.

That first, pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season with the Jackets, Roslovic also scored an impressive 34 points in 48 games. So, it would have been natural to assume the 2015 first-round pick had higher to go upon being traded there with Patrik Laine from the Winnipeg Jets (for Pierre-Luc Dubois). He’s unfortunately topped out at 45 points (22 goals) over a full season since (2021-22). As a result, while he may slot in as some team’s second-line centre, he may not meet fan expectations were the Canadiens to be the ones to eventually sign him.

Considering Roslovic is also just 28 and coming off a season in which he matched that 22-goal career high, he’s probably looking for a big contract. He can of course play right wing too, which may be enticing in the sense he could theoretically shift over when Hage is ready. However, it’s worth noting the Canadiens have Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov slotted in at the position for the next decade, give or take. Roslovic may be an intriguing, offensively capable bottom-six option, but to secure his services you’d probably be paying a premium.

2. Evgeny Kuznetsov

On the subject of Demidov, his ex-SKA St. Petersburg teammate, Evgeny Kuznetsov, is reportedly eyeing an NHL return after a season in the Kontinental Hockey League. As they’d hypothetically be playing together on the team’s second line, he’s worth seriously considering as an option, with the Canadiens having successfully brought another former star in Alexander Radulov back from the KHL in 2016 as a UFA.

Kuznetsov is obviously NHL-proven, with the same frame as Roslovic, just with significantly more experience (including a Stanley Cup in 2018). His 33 years of age could be another point in his favour in Hughes’ mind. He’d probably be willing to sign a short-term, low-risk deal to prove himself (in theory).

One of the issues is, how likely is Kuznetsov to in fact prove himself as worthy of a high-priced contract at that age? He scored just 24 points in 63 games in his last season in the NHL in 2023-24 and it’s been a few more since he was a significant scoring threat, with inconsistency having come to define his career as a whole. If it’s only for a short-term deal, it could be worth it, even if only to smoothen Demidov’s transition to (hopefully) stardom. That’s far from guaranteed though, along with Kuznetsov being of a similar mindset.

1. Mikael Granlund

Coming off a resurgent 66-point season, Mikael Granlund is arguably the top centre set to become available. At Kuznetsov’s 33 years of age, he also provides veteran leadership in principle, with presumably (relatively) modest contract demands as well. And, if you’re looking to sign Kuznetsov to play with Demidov, you at least have to consider signing Granlund to play with Laine, who Hughes acquired via blockbuster trade last summer. The two showed some chemistry playing together for Finland at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

Mikael Granlund, Dallas Stars (Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)

Granted, Laine only has a single season left under contract before he becomes unrestricted. However, assuming the Canadiens keep him around for that one season, as previously argued that’s part of the point. If you’re the Canadiens, you’re looking to sign someone to a short-term deal and build on your success from last season, all the while keeping tabs on Hage’s development. Granlund remains an impressive offensive talent worth considering.

However, defensively, that’s not the case as Justin Blades at Habs Eyes on the Prize recently explored. Laine’s defensive issues have been well-documented, and, while Hughes probably conducted a cost-benefit analysis to that effect upon acquiring the winger last summer that resulted in the potential benefits outweighing the risks, you’d be playing with fire here. Signing another defensive liability to obviously play on the same line would be too much to realistically ask of Hughes with any sincere request for him to suspend his disbelief, especially when also weighing Granlund’s relative lack of size at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds.

So, if Granlund is the best UFA option at centre, where does that leave the Canadiens? Probably looking to take another route to fill the projected vacancy down the middle, if there is one at all. If you’re Hughes, you at least need to consider the (remote) possibility Dach remains the answer and can reclaim his spot in the lineup once he’s healthy, which should be in time for next season. So, in that way, Hughes doesn’t need to sign anyone (at least not to replace Dach).

However, it’s also worth noting, the Canadiens are obviously looking to improve on last season’s finish. The Dobson acquisition proves that, when the Habs technically could have made do with replacing Savard internally. By acquiring someone established to address that need, trading for a star no less, Hughes has made it clear the status quo isn’t acceptable.

Over his three complete years as GM, Hughes has helped guide the Canadiens to consistent linear year-over-year growth, arguably making the Habs more of an attractive destination for players. Ironically though, big free-agent signings haven’t been his thing. So, if Hughes isn’t content playing it conservatively and filling his hole at centre internally and free agency isn’t all that viable of an option here, that leaves the trade market (yet again). Following Laine last summer and Dobson this one, no one should be surprised.