NHL Rumours: Montreal Canadiens Showing Interest in UFA Centre

Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. The pre-season is underway. Teams are starting to get a good look at what players will be pressing for roster spots and who will need more time to develop. While other teams may be realizing they still have to make some tweaks to their roster and look outside the organization for help. One of those teams might be the Montreal Canadiens.

All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.

NHL Rumours: Canadiens Have Expressed Interest in Signing UFA Centre

Rumour: On the Chris Johnston Show, Johnston mentions that the Montreal Canadiens are a team who have checked in on Jack Roslovic as someone to address their need at centre.

Analysis: While this shouldn’t come as a major surprise, as it’s no secret that the Canadiens are in the market for a centreman, Roslovic isn’t exactly the name that would come to mind as a major improvement. Sure, Roslovic is a quality player; however, the Canadiens are looking for someone who can fill the number two centre role, and Roslovic just isn’t a bona fide number two centre.

The other issue that would present itself for the Canadiens is that he is a right-handed shot. Yes, the Canadiens are in the market for a centreman. But they need one who shoots left. Currently, the only Canadiens centres that shoot left are Alex Newhook and newcomer Joe Veleno. Neither of which the Canadiens feel is a true number two centre. Newhook is better suited for the third line or as a winger, while Veleno will be battling to keep a regular place in the lineup. Adding Roslovic to the equation just wouldn’t make sense for the Canadiens.

This doesn’t mean Roslovic wouldn’t improve the Canadiens roster or isn’t a valuable player. Because he certainly is a proven NHL player. He’s put up multiple 20-goal and 40-points seasons. But is he a second-line centre on a good team? Not exactly. Is he an improvement over either Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook? You could argue it, but that alone is enough to deter the team from adding him. He isn’t the answer long-term, and the Canadiens aren’t exactly looking for stop gaps. They want someone to grow with the team.

Answer Will Likely Have to Come From Within

Again, Roslovic is a solid player and would be an excellent addition to any roster. But he doesn’t exactly fit what the Canadiens are looking for. He doesn’t move the needle for the group. If Kirby Dach stays healthy, surely he would prove more valuable than Roslovic, and he is already on the Canadiens roster. Cap can be saved to use elsewhere. He’s also younger and much bigger than Roslovic. Something the Canadiens certainly need in their lineup. While the Canadiens will continue to scour the market, they will most likely have to look within to find the answer to their centre woes.