Offseason Checklist: Montreal Canadiens

Now, they face another contract discussion of similar magnitude with winger Ivan Demidov.  Since the Canadiens burned the first year of his entry-level deal at the end of the 2024-25 campaign (plus their playoff appearance), he’s now set to enter the final season of that pact in 2026-27.  That means he’s eligible to sign a contract extension as of July 1st.  Both Demidov and management have expressed a willingness to get something done on that front this summer.

But how much would a deal like that cost?  The 2024 fifth-overall pick led all rookies in points this past season with 19 goals and 43 assists in 82 games but there’s an expectation on both sides that he has another gear to get to.  As is always the case in these types of discussions, those expectations are factored into the price tag, making things a little riskier for both sides.  On top of that, the projected bigger increases to the salary cap are making price tags spike.  AFP Analytics projects that a seven-year extension for Demidov could check in around $8.3MM per season.  It wouldn’t be shocking for Montreal to push for an eighth year which could push the price point more towards the $9MM mark.  While they play different positions, would they use Hutson’s new $8.85MM AAV as a ceiling for Demidov?

With Demidov having another full season on his contract, this isn’t a must-accomplish item this summer.  But if they want to work out a true max-term eight-year deal, they only have until mid-September to get it done.  It took Hutson a few days into the regular season to get his eight-year extension in place last year but if the Canadiens and Demidov want to do the same, they’ll have to work something out a little earlier than that.

Add A Second-Line Forward

For years, there has been a consistent need in Montreal.  They have Nick Suzuki anchoring their center group and he’s coming off a 101-point year but they need that second center.  It’s not going to be Dach.  Alex Newhook seems to fit better on the wing than down the middle.  Oliver Kapanen had some success with Demidov during the regular season but when the playoffs came around, he was a regular in the press box with Jake Evans spending a lot of time on the second line.  Considering that he’s a checking center, it’s safe to say that need still exists.

The problem, as has been the case for several years now, is that demand for a top-six center greatly outweighs the supply of them.  Further adding to that challenge is that there isn’t really a top-six pivot available in free agency.  Maybe Claude Giroux would fit on a one-year deal if he doesn’t stay in Ottawa but pickings are slim.  Meanwhile, the trade prices for those available are justifiably steep.  If one becomes available at a price Montreal is okay with, that would solve the problem.  But odds being odds, there’s a better chance it doesn’t happen than it does.

While a second-line winger isn’t as good of a fit as a center, that might be the easier way to upgrade the top six.  That winger could fit on the first line and either shift Cole Caufield or Juraj Slafkovsky (who played well with Demidov at times in 2025-26) down, giving Demidov an upgraded linemate while opening up some options for the coaching staff.  We’ve seen them linked to Toronto’s Matthew Knies; a move like that is an example of what could work.  While that would leave them a little thin down the middle still, having two strong wingers mitigates that somewhat while they hope for Michael Hage to be ready to join the team late next season.

The UFA pool isn’t particularly deep here either but generally speaking, the supply of wingers on the trade market is greater than centers.  The acquisition cost will still be steep – especially with the prices being paid in recent days – but an imperfect upgrade is still an upgrade.  For now, the backup plan might be more realistic to try to accomplish.

Upgrade The Right Side Again

Two years ago, Montreal moved a younger defenseman in Justin Barron to pick up an upgrade on the right side on the back end, acquiring veteran Alexandre Carrier from Nashville.  Then, at the draft last year, they moved two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to the Islanders to pick up Dobson.  That’s a lot of work to upgrade that side.  It might not be done quite yet.

Those two were the only right-shot defenders on the roster for most of the season, resulting in several different rearguards shifting to their off-side.  It was Hutson at times, sometimes Kaiden Guhle, and sometimes depth blueliners Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj.  Predictably, the results were inconsistent.  Hutson fared the best among them but he wasn’t at the level he is on his natural side.  Shifting him back to the right shouldn’t be their preferred strategy moving forward.

David Reinbacher, the fifth pick in 2023, has had his development slowed by injuries.  While they’re still hopeful that he can be part of the solution relatively soon, at least one more part season in the minors might be best for his development before potentially taking Carrier’s spot (his contract expires next summer) might be ideal.

That creates an opening on either the second or third pairing, one that could be filled short-term or longer-term.  They likely would have had interest in Connor Murphy had he made it to the open market as he’d have also filled the box of being someone who could help on the penalty kill.  They don’t have to take as big a swing as they did last year but another upgrade on the right side of their defense corps would give them a boost.