Canadiens and Jackets offseason preview, Dubois to Habs and Primeau backup, Jackets to get younger and add top 6 Center.

 Offseason plans, The Jackets and Habs were riddled with injuries this year and both finished in the bottom of their respective divisions, but if the Jackets can get the top spot, get younger and add a Center and Defensemen, while Montreal could look to get better in the middle six, give Primeau to backup role and get Dubois I think both could at least challenge for a playoff spot in next years playoff race. 

Columbus Blue Jackets

Significant Pending UFA: 

C L.Pederson 3-3-6 27GP

LW,RW J.Luoto 1-0-1 7GP

LD/RD G.Bayreuther  2-12-14 51GP

G M.Hutchinson 2-6-0 REC 4.29 GAA .875 SV%

Significant Pending RFA:

RW M.Olivier 5-10-15 66GP

RW T.F Wolansky 1-0-1 9GP 

RW C.Meyer  0-1-1 14GP

RD M.Bjork 3-8-11 33GP 

LD T.Berni 1-2-3 59GP

LD/RD J.Christiansen 0-4-4 24GP

Current draft capital for Blue Jackets in 2023: 9 

1RD COLU, LA

2RD COLU

3RD COLU, CAL  

4RD COLU, WIN

5RD BOS 

7RD COLU

Why did the Blue Jackets miss the playoffs: the Blue Jackets had a awful season but going into the year they were coming off a year where they had extremely high hopes to turn this team around after signing Johnny Gaudreau in free agnecy, so what happened, while I think you can chalk this up to a blueline that was young and inexperienced and the insane amount of injuries that this team had to endure through the season that had the playing banged up from game 1 all the way through to game 82.

Now I think this team at the beginning knew making the playoffs was going to be difficult after they missed the playoffs last year but I think they had the intent to play meaningful games down the stretch and be very competitive this year, and I even had them sneaking into the playoffs, but the first and hardest problem they ran into this year that help cause them to miss the playoffs again this year we’re the injuries. Now if a team has a few injuries they can usually recover from it, and even if they lose a star player for significant time they can over come it, but for Columbus this year it was the shear amount of injuries they had to deal with this year. 

Now in net Korpisalo missed the start of the season recovering from his injury last year and didn’t play the first month, while Merzlikins only got into 30 games this year for Columbus, on the defensive side, 4 of their top 7 defensemen going into this season were barely able to get into game action this year, as Boqvist only played in 46 games, Blankenburg got into 36, Bean played a measly 14 games while their best defender in Zach Wereinski who can be a very good offensive driver had a season ending injury just a few weeks into the season and only played a grand total of 13 games this year, so the injury bug bit the Jackets D-Corp extremely bad this year, and on the forward group, Voracek who was a good veteran only played in 11 games this year and was dealt as a cap dump to Arizona, Danforth who was a good 3rd line forward only played 6 games, Chinakov only played 30 games before he was sent to the minors toward the end of the year, Nyquist who was having a good season only played 48 games with Columbus this year and after being dealt, only played the final week and a half of the regular season with Minnesota, and then two good top six forwards in Jenner and Laine both also missed some substantial time, as Jenner got into 68 games and Laine had a great 55 games played this year. 

So with the shear amount and volume of injuries this season, the Jackets could never really get going, as having their best defender in Wereinski out for the season early and Laine who is one of their offensive leaders not being able to play at lengths due to the injuries were crushing losses for the Jackets, and then throw in half of their D being injured all season long, their good depth and young players on the forward group being injured this year, and having to sometimes role with their 3rd and 4th string goalies in net is no recipe for success, so while the Jackets could have made do with a few injuries I don’t think too many people are surprised that they were a bottom dweller this year with the shear amount of injuries that they had to go through this year. 

And the other thing I think that caused the Blue Jackets to lose their momentum this year was that they had iced a pretty young blueline. Now the injuries helped the Jackets ice a pretty young team because they had to call up minor league guys such as Berni, Bayreuther and Bjork to play consistent NHL minutes night in night out this year, but even before the injuries derailed the Jackets season, they were icing a pretty young defensive core this year. 

Now Wereinski is relatively young at 25, Gavrikov is also not to old and Gusbranson was their oldest defensemen at age 31, but if you look at the other 4 that were supposed to be regulars, they didn’t have much experience either, as Peeke is 25 and was coming off his first full NHL season, Boqvist is only 22 and had played about half of the last three seasons, Bean is 24 and only had played 2 full NHL seasons before this year and Blankenburg who is 24 was in his rookie year getting into his first full season of his career before all the injuries derailed that. 

So if you take a look at the defence, it is a lot more inexperienced then the forward group which had guys like Laine, Jenner, Gaudreau, Nyquist and Voracek, and although if they were completely healthy all year this season they probably wouldn’t have finished 2nd last in the goals against department, but they probably still would’ve been a bottom 10 or 15 team in that category, so all of the young guys on that blueline probably was another big factor as to why the Jackets missed the playoffs this year. So in my opinion it was the lack of experience on the blueline and the insane amount of injuries the Jackets had to endure that made them miss the playoffs this year and be the lowest team in the eastern Confrence, but as they get healthier for next year, I think there are some ways they can improve in the offseason. 

5 ways of how the Blue Jackets can improve in the offseason. 

.1) Who will be 1B for the Blue Jackets behind Merzlikins.

Now the Jackets do still have a pretty decent starting or 1A goalie in Merzlikins who hasn’t been fantastic over the past few seasons but has shown that he can be a good enough goalie and he is still signed for a couple more seasons, but with Korpisalo being dealt by the Jackets before the trade deadline, they are going to have to find another goalie who can play behind Merzlikins. 

Now like I said earlier, due to injuries Merzlikins only got into 30 games this year, and putting up the worst numbers of his career with a 4.23 GAA and a .876 SV% in 30 games this season, but he has shown in prior years that he can be a good goalie, and with a better defence and being a bit healthier next year, I think he could definitely be a good starter or at least 1A again for Columbus, but behind him is where the questions lie. Now after coming off of injury, Korpisalo was able to be a solid backup or 1B behind Merzlikins, but then he was moved at the deadline which leaves the backup role in Columbus wide open, now they picked up Hutchinson from Vegas and Gillies from Arizona at the deadline, and both finished out the season playing with Columbus, but both are more third sting goalies and pending UFA’s so I would expect either to be back next year, and young goalie Greaves is right now a 3rd or 4th sting goalie so I don’t see him as the answer either, but at the moment I see two options for Columbus. 

The first would be to promote Tarasov to fill time backup duties, now I think this has got to be a possibility as Tarasov could be the Jackets future NHL starter and has looked good at times, but in 17 NHL games this year only had a 3.91 GAA and a .892 SV% and I think he could still benefit from a year or two down in the minors developing, so if that is the case, then I could see the Jackets go after a backup in free agency or via trade, now there should be some suitable options for Columbus this year, as guys in free agency like Nedeljkovic, Hill, Varlamov or Reimer I think could be good tandem goalies with the Jackets and help shore up the backup position next year, and I do think there could be one or two options via trade as well to help improve the goaltending position in the short term as well. So in my eyes, the Jackets should have Tarasov in a year or two be the tandem with Merzlikins, but for the short term with Tarasov maybe playing another year or two in minors, they go out and grab a goalie who can tandem with Merzlikins and help that team get better for next year. 

.2) Get some young players in the lineup, whoever they draft with the top 5 pick, Jiricek and full seasons of Sillinger, Marchenko and Chinakov. 

Now the Jackets were able to get some of their younger players in the lineup last year with all of their injuries that they dealt with, but even as they will be a lot healthier next year, I still think that the team could definitely benefit from giving some of their younger players more playing time next year, including whoever they take top 5 in this years draft. 

Now this year the team had a ton of good veterans going into the year but due to the injuries the team suffered throughout the year the team had to call upon some of their younger players at various times and I think keeping some of those young players on their roster next year would help that team a lot. Now the Jackets so have a couple guys who played parts of this year and I believe should be consistent top 9 forwards next year. Now one was Yegor Chinakov who after playing his first full season 2 years ago only got into 30 games this year before suffering a injury and eventually going to the minors, but had almost the same point total as his first year with 13 points and in my eyes he should definitely in a couple of years time be a consistent top 6 player for the Jackets, but I think he could be a good 3rd line Center next year maybe with Jenner, and I think if he continues to improve like he did last season, he should be a incredy important forward for the Blue Jackets next year, the next one is Sillinger who had a fantastic rookie year two years ago as he put up 31 points in 79 games, but last year was only able to muster 11 points in 64 games and he also went through injuries and after that the Jackets sent him to the minors to continue developing, but I do think eventually Sillinger should be a top line Center with the team, but I would expect him to have a bounce back season next year and maybe Center the 2nd line as I think he could have some good success there, so I feel Sillinger should be a full time NHLer next year, as well as Marchenko.

Marchenko had been playing in the minors until mid way through the season when he joined the Jackets and he fit in really well and had a rather productive season, putting up 21 goals and 25 points in 59 games and I think playing in the top 6 on maybe like the wing of line 1 or line 2 could help Marchenko grow next year and maybe he could put up a solid 30 goal season next year as he definitely showed his scoring abilities this year, but I also think the Jackets could put two rookies in the lineup next year starting with Jiricek. Now do to the immense number of injuries on the blueline this year, Jiricek actually got into 4 NHL games and even though he didn’t have a point, he didn’t look too much out of place, and he looked dominant in his first pro season putting up 38 points in 55 games and I think following this strong season, the 2022 6th overall pick will become a regular next year on the Jackets blueline, and even though my thoughts would be that he plays majority of next year on the 3rd pair, I think he could be a solid defender and maybe even challenge for Calder nomination if he plays the entire year, but don’t be surprised if Jiricek plays consistently next year, and the other guy I could see play for the Jackets would be the player they draft with their 1st round pick. 

Now the team is guaranteed a top 4 pick in this years draft and that means they have a extremely good likelihood of drafting one of Bedard, Fantilli or Carlsson, who I feel are the three best prospects in the draft and who should all be NHL players next year, and I think if the Jackets were to land on of them, they would immediately be a top 9 forward in Columbus, so in my eyes they should take some strides to be better next year if Sillinger, Marchenko and Chinakov play full seasons next year and Jiricek and possibly whoever they draft top 5 are every day NHL players next year, and if they let the younger players play they should definitely take some significant strides.

Eric Hartline USA Today Sports

.3) Bring in one or two top 6 Center’s to help their team. 

Now the team is pretty deep on the wing, and they have some pretty good prospects coming up from the minors for the blueline, but a position they could stand to improve upon would be the Center position, because even though they do have a couple of good young Center’s such as Sillinger, they could use a Center who can help the team in the top six over the next couple of seasons and be a really good veteran presence to a younger player like Sillinger. 

Now since the Trade deadline the Jackets have been linked to multiple players who could be good top 6 Center’s for their team, and I think getting a top six Center would improve this team immensely, as their top 3 Center’s this season were Jenner, Roslovic and Sillinger, and Roslovic and Jenner are more 3rd line Center’s, and while I do believe that the team envisions Sillinger to be a top 6 Center long term, I just don’t think that he is ready for the responsibility at the moment, so acquiring a solid top 6 Center who has proven to be a good top 6 Center over the past couple of years and can center a line of Gaudreau and Laine until Sillinger is ready would be the ideal type of player to get in the offseason.

So who could they try and target, well there has been some strong belief that the Jackets were talking with the Flyers prior to the deadline about possibly acquiring top 6 Center Kevin Hayes and that even though the trade never went down before the trade deadline, some do think they will talk again in the offseason and possibly make a trade around the draft. Now Hayes has shown this year he can be a really good Center and point producer, as he hit 50 points with one NHL squad for the first time in his career and was one point back of his career high of 55 points he got in the 18-19 season when he split time between NYR and Winnipeg, but definitely I think playing with good friend Gaudreau in Columbus and centering what could be a extremely talented line would be good, and it doesn’t seem like he fits in long term with Philly, so I think Columbus acquiring him would be a good move of their part, but they could go after someone else, as they have also been linked to other players as well such as Matt Duchene in Nashville who I think could also benefit from a change of scenery and go back to the team who he helped upset the Lightning a couple years ago, and there are probably other players on their radar as well, so whichever direction they wind up going, it seems extremely likely that they could benefit from adding another top line Center who could help them Center line one and help coach a guy like Sillinger to be a lethal top 6 Center, so whether it is Hayes or Duchene or someone else entirely, expect the Blue Jackets to try and improve upon their Center position at some point in the offseason. 

.4) Bring in a veteran top 4 defensemen to replace Gavrikov. 

After moving on from Gavrikov at the deadline, it sounds like the Jackets feel like they could use another top 4 defensemen to help replace him, and even though they have some pretty good young defenders, getting a more veteran top 4 defender could actually help this team out a lot.

Now the Blue Jackets have a pretty young blueline with guys like Blankenburg, Boqvist, Peeke, Jiricek, and Bean all most likely being regulars on the blueline next year and even Wereinski is a pretty young player, so I don’t think it is too surprising if the Blue Jackets want to acquire a more veteran defender who can play top 4 minutes next year and help replace Gavrikov in the lineup, and it even sounds like the Blue Jackets would be willing to part with the Kings 1st round pick they got for losing Gavrikov in the first place

So they could get a substantially talented player if they were to get that person via trade, and I could see guys that they could try and target be players like, Edmundson in Montreal, Provorov in Philly, Grzelyck in Boston, Girard in Colorado as i think All for of these players could actually be really good 2nd pair defensemen with the Jackets as all have a good defensive game and all 4 of them are not overly old but they also aren’t like rookies either and do have a couple of years under their belt so I could see anyone of these for players be trade targets for the Jackets, and if they wanted to keep all the players they have and look to acquire someone via free agency then I think a couple guys that they could target would be guys like Orlov in Boston, Graves in New Jersey, or Dumoulin in Pittsburgh as they are all pretty good defenders and can play pretty good defensively and know what it takes to win especially in the playoffs, so if they are looking for defenders in free agency those would be the guys I think they would be looking at in my opinion. So the Jackets seem to be in the market for a top 4 defender that they can use to replace Gavrikov and would even be willing to move the Kings 1st round pick if they can get that defender, and whether it be via trade or free agency, I do think they will address the defensive position in the offseason as I do think they could use a more experienced player to help mentor the younger defensemen and I think it would benefit their team long term. 

Aaron Doster USA Today Sports

.5) Move at least one of Jenner, Roslovic or Boqvist. 

Now the Jackets could be on the lookout for a defender and Center, and that does make a few players expendable, as Boqvist hasn’t fit in particularly well in Columbus and could use a fresh start, while Captain Jenner was a name brought up at the deadline and one that could be brought up again in the offseason, and with Roslovic having a year left on his deal, the Jackets who need a top 6 Center could move him to get some draft capital back. 

Now I think all three of these players could be moved as with the depth the team should getting in the forward group this year and also them looking for a top 6 Center, that makes both Roslovic and captain Jenner expendable, while with Boqvist on the blueline, his injuries have been a problem in his short two year tenure with Columbus and has sort of fallen out of favour, and with young guys like Blankenburg and Jiricek surpassing him on the depth charts that sort of makes him expendable for the Jackets. 

Now first off is Roslovic, and I definitely believe that he is the most likely guy of the three to be moved. Now Roslovic grew up in Columbus and was a Columbus boy so when he was able to get traded with Laine to Winnipeg it was a homecoming for him, and although he played well in the year he was traded, getting 34 points in 48 games in the shortened season, the past couple of seasons haven’t been overly productive for him, as he has played mostly in a middle six role with the Jackets and last year put up 22 goals and 45 points in 81 games, and put up around the same amount of points this year, getting 11 goals and 44 points in 77 games this year, and although those aren’t terrible season by Roslovic, they aren’t the point per game pace he had in the shortened season, so I do think there is a serious chance he gets traded this offseason, as he does have a $4 Million dollar cap hit and is entering the final year of his contract and with some of the younger players starting to come up and be everyday NHL players I just don’t envision Roslovic having a spot on the Jackets roster next year. 

Now for Jenner I could see him remain with the Jackets as either a 2nd or 3rd line Center with the Jackets as he is still a really good middle six forward and the teams captain, but I do think with the team looking for another Center and his name popping up at the deadline he could be a trade target. Now Jenner has 3 years left on his contract at a reasonable $3.75 Million dollar cap hit, and he has actually been quite a productive player as since he had his career high 49 points back in 15-16, he hadn’t been a overly productive player until last year when he had 44 points in 59 games which was a 61 point pace, and then this past year he put up 45 points in 68 games and was on pace for 54 points and both years would’ve topped his career high, so he has definitely shown he can be a really good depth scorer in Columbus and at a cap hit under $4 Million dollars i think a lot of teams would be willing to acquire him, so I do think he has to be at least considered to be traded, and as for Boqvist this was his second season with the Jacekts after being dealt by Chicago to Columbus in the Seth Jones trade and his time in Columbus has been riddled with injuries, as in his first year he only got into 52 games putting up 11 goals and 22 points, and then this year he had 5 goals and 24 points in only 46 games so I think he is still a good defender and should definitely still be a solid 2nd pair defensemen but with guys like Blankenburg and Bean as well as young defender Jiricek all able to play the right side next year I just feel there isn’t a spot for Boqvist and a team who could use a good young defender could try and trade for him as he still has 2 years on his contract at a $2.6 Million dollar cap hit and will still be a RFA at the end of it, and I do think the Jackets could get a decent return for him.

So in my eyes if the Jackets could move at least one if not more of Jenner, Roslovic and Boqvist, the team acquires a veteran top 4 defensemen to help their young guys and a top 6 Center who can be a stopgap player until their young guys are ready, have young guys like Marchenko, Jiricek, Sillinger, Chinakov and whoever they draft have consistent NHL minutes next year, and also find a backup goalie for Merzlikins I think this team could take major strides next year and as long as they can stay healthy, I see no reason why they shouldn’t be able to compete for a playoff spot next year. 

If you liked this blog post, then check out my YouTube video on the Blue Jackets offseason here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AK3J6GRftZE&t=236s

Montreal Canadiens 

Significant Pending UFA: 

C,LW,RW S.Monahan 6-11-17 25GP 

C,LW J.Drouin 2-27-29 58GP

LW,RW P.Byron 0-0-0 0GP

C,RW A.Belzile 6-8-14 31GP 

C C.Tierney 3-7-10 36GP 

LW,RW A.Richard 3-2-5 13GP 

LD C.Schueneman 0-1-1 7GP 

Significant Pending RFA:

LW C.Caufield 26-10-36 46GP 

RW/LW D.Gurianov 7-10-17 66GP

LW R.H Pinard 14-6-20 34GP

LW/RW M.Pezzetta 7-8-15 63GP 

RW,LW J.Ylonen 6-10-16 37GP

C M.Stephens 0-0-0 0GP 

LD N.Beaudin 0-0-0 0GP 

Current draft capital for the Canadiens in 2023: 11

1RD MON, FLO

2RD MON

3RD MON 

4RD MON, PIT, VGK

5RD MON, CAL 

6RD MON

7RD MON

Why did the Canadiens miss the playoffs: the Canadiens did better this year then last year as a team and there were definitely some improvements that I think made this team a bit more competitive this year, but being in a extremely tough division and Confrence, still being a rather young team, and another year where the injuries bit them in the but were all reasons why the team wound up missing the playoffs. 

Now the first problem I would say would be the fact that they are in probably one of the toughest divisions and conferences in the NHL, and although I know that isn’t a huge excuse to how they did so bad, I do believe it is a viable one. Now if you looked at the Atlantic this year, you had Boston having one of the best seasons ever, Florida, Tampa and Toronto are all still extremely good and competitive, Buffalo and Ottawa took strides this year and showed they are starting to come out of their rebuild and even though they didn’t do fantastic toward the end of the season, Detroit is also showing some good promise and could take a step forward next year as well, and then you look over at the Metro and there is usually 5-6 teams who deserve to make the playoffs year in year out, so the fact only 4 got into this year was quite surprising so with 12 teams really ahead of them this year in rebuilds and competitiveness, I just don’t think they ever had a chance to make the playoffs this year and even though there always seems to be that surprise team, they just weren’t able to compete with all of those top end teams this year and although I think they should be able to think about making the playoffs in the next year or two, just the sheer amount of competitive teams in the east this year really didn’t give the Canadiens much chance to make the playoffs this year. 

Next up I would say is the fact they still have a relatively young team in Montreal as even though they had a mix of veterans and younger players, they are still a rather young team that still needs to learn how to win. Now if you look at there team, most of their star players are on the young side as even though they aren’t rookies, guys like Dach, Suzuki and Caufield are all on the young side as are bottom six forwards Evans, Pezzetta and Pinard, then for most of the season there entire defence was made up of young players, as guys like Xhekaj, Guhle and Harris were getting there first chance to play full time minutes and even young defender Justin Barron got a decent amount of time this year on the blueline so with so much young and inexperienced talent on the blueline I don’t believe it is surprising the Canadiens finished 4th lowest in the Goals against department, and even Montembeault who was the Canadiens backup was getting his first real role as backup in the NHL, so having a lot of young players on the forward group, a extremely inexperienced team defensively and a backup goalie who hasn’t played a extremely decent amount of time at the NHL level is a recipe for disaster, and although I think all of these guys did well and learned a lot, it just wasn’t enough to keep the Canadiens competitive enough to keep in reach of a playoff spot this year.

And lastly would be the injuries that once again plagued the Canadiens. Now I think a big reason why the Canadiens were dead last in the NHL last year was due to the fact that they suffered a boatload of injuries, and although they started out well this year, I think injuries once again play a role in them being last in the Atlantic, if you look at the forward group, Slafkovsky only played 39 games in his rookie year, Gallagher was in and out of the lineup and only mustered 37 games, Monahan only had 25 games in his first year with Montreal, Hoffman played in 67, Anderson in 69, Evans in 54, but the two big blows was Dach only getting into 58 games in his first season with Montreal and Caufield who was one of the better goal scorers in the NHL only played in 46 games, so lots of injuries on the forward group, defensively Guhle only played 44, Harris 65 and Xhekaj in 51 in their first NHL seasons, Matheson only got into 48 games, and Edmundson played in 61 games this year so most of their regular defensemen missed a decent amount of time last year and there always seemed to be one or two guys out at a time, and even in Net Allen did play in half of the games last year but was out on multiple occasions which ment that Primeau was forced into action at some points last year as well, so with so many players injured it did give guys like Pinard, Ylonen and Barron some NHL time this year but with good players missing significant time they just couldn’t ice a healthy roster all season and I think that was the biggest reason as to why they missed the playoffs this year.

So once again to recap, I think with the competitiveness in their division and conference it made it a enormous uphill climb to make the playoffs, then having a younger roster means there is also the chance for mistakes and I think having a younger team made them have some miscues as well although I think it was a good learning experience for them, and the injury bug continuing to hurt them this year I think was the biggest reason why they finished last in the Atlantic for a second year in a row, but although they didn’t make the playoffs, they did take strides and I think they could be only a couple years away from challenging for a playoff spot, and there are a few things I think they can do to improve their team for next year. 

How the Canadiens can improve in the offseason.

Isaiah J Downing USA Today Sports

.1) See if they will wind up making the trade for Dubois. 

Now over the past year there have been multiple rumours that Jets forward Dubois wants to go to Montreal long term and with Dubois now eligible to take his qualifying offer and walk to free agency next year, there is a lot of talk that instead of keeping him in Winnipeg for one year and risking letting him walk via free agnecy in 2024, that the Jets will try to swing a deal most likely with Montreal to get something for him and allow him to sign a long term deal in Montreal a year earlier, but the question is do the Canadiens want to give something up to acquire him or wait a year and get him for free in free agency. 

Now for Dubois he has actually been a very productive top 6 forward ever since joining the Jets and has been putting up consecutive good seasons, as his first year with the Jets, finishing up the shortened season he only got into 41 games and put up 20 points, but the following year he was able to bounce back as he got a career high 28 goals and hit the 60 point mark and looked really good as the Jets 2nd line Center, and then this past season he had a great year, putting up 27 goals and a career high 63 points in 73 games and showed how good of a player he can be and is showing that 3rd overall potential, but with Dubois wanting to go to Montreal his time with the Jets is coming to a close. Now I don’t believe the Jets are just looking at Montreal for a trade, because even if he took his qualifying offer and went to free agency in 2024, there would probably still be a lot of teams who could benefit from having a year of Dubois as their 2nd line Center but given the fact most teams know he doesn’t want to sign a extension with anyone but Montreal, the Jets could get a decent return for him but not a overly fantastic one, so even though knowing that he wants to go to Montreal would give the Canadiens the leverage in working out a trade, the Jets could also get maybe a bit more of Dubois and the Canadiens work out a extension, and I think that even though the Canadiens could wait until 2024 to get him, I think having him for the extra year might be better and more likely then now I do think we see Dubois moved to Montreal this offseason. 

Now the price I would guess wouldn’t be too much to give up as with the Panthers pick that the Canadiens own most likely to end up in spot 29-32 in the draft, I could see that being moved for Dubois maybe with one decent prospect like a Trudeau, Struble, Mysak or Simoneau as i think these guys are by no means the Canadiens best prospects but they also seem to have possible NHL futures, so I think if the Canadiens move those two and then sign Dubois to a 6-8 year extension with a AAV of $7-8.5 Million I think the Canadiens would be happy with that, and so I think it is now a matter of when and not if the Canadiens acquire Dubois in the offseason, and I wouldn’t expect it to be a big price tag the Canadiens have to give up and I would also think a long term extension would come right after the trade and this would make Dubois the Canadiens number 2 Center for the foreseeable future. 

.2) Move Hoffman, Dvorak and Edmundson, and consider trading one of Gallagher or Anderson.

Now the Canadiens will have some veterans that will finally be leaving via free agency with the likes Drouin, Monahan and Byron, but could the Canadiens also move out a couple of veterans who still have some term on their contract, such as winger Mike Hoffman, Center Dvorak, Defensemen Edmundson or guys like Gallagher or Anderson who are signed to longer term deals. 

Now of the five players I have listed I think the most likely trade target has to be Joel Edmundson, as Edmundson is a solid veteran top 4 defender who has had multiple injuries over the past few years, as he only got into 24 games 2 years ago and put up 6 points and this year he did a lot better and even though he was at some points injured he did get into 61 games and put up 13 points which tied his career high with the Canadiens. Now Edmundson I think would be a solid addition to many teams top 4, especially some of the younger teams as I think Edmundson could be a good mentor for some of the young players and with Edmundson entering the final year of his deal and having a reasonable $3.5 Mill dollar cap hit I think there would definitely be some teams who could use that and I think the Canadiens could get a pretty decent package back for him, so as much as he likes playing there and the Canadiens like having him, I do believe he will be gone in the offseason. Next is Mike Hoffman who is also entering the final year of his deal at a $4.5 Million dollar contract but unlike Edmundson his contract isn’t so great, as Hoffman has not been very productive since joking Montreal as he played in 67 games in each of his two seasons with Montreal, and had 15 goals and 35 points in his first year and last year he had 14 goals and 34 points so this is a far cry from what Hoffman used to have as he had been a consistent 20 goal scorer and 50 point player with Ottawa and Florida, but with him entering the final year of his deal and maybe the Canadiens willing to retain some money on him, I think there could be some interest in Hoffman as a sort of 3rd line winger for a cup contender so I would definitely say that if they can retain enough salary to make it work then I would definitely think Hoffman will be moved in the offseason.

Next is Christian Dvorak, now Dvorak was acquired from Arizona 2 years ago to replace the loss of Philip Danault who left via free agency in the offseason, and in Arizona Dvorak was a good 2 way forward as he had some really defensive skills and also usually put up around 30-40 points per season, but he hasn’t done great in Montreal. Now Dvorak in his first year with the team only got into 56 games but did have a solid 11 goals and 33 points and he went into last offseason as possibly being a trade chip for Montreal, but he stayed and last year he got into 64 games but only had 10 goals and 28 points which was the first time in his career he had under 30 points in a year, and so I think moving him elsewhere could benefit him, getting his $4.45 Million dollar cap hit off the books could help the Canadiens and if they do bring in Dubois then Dvorak would be stuck as 3rd line Center and I think young players like Evans and and maybe even Beck would fit does roles better, so in my eyes I do see Dvorak being dealt at some point in the off-season especially if they acquire Dubois. And lastly with Gallagher and Anderson, now both have been rumoured to be on the trade block and both have longer term deals, both have 4 years left on the contract, Gallagher has a $6.5 Million dollar cap hit and Anderson has a $5.5 Million dollar cap hit and both are good middle six veteran wingers who can still produce some very good point totals, now I think the Canadiens like both players and could look to keep them but I think there might be a team who offers a big empeigne package that at least one of them moves, and while I’m leaning more towards Anderson being the more likely one to be dealt, I think there is a pretty good chance that Gallagher is the one moved, so in my eyes guys like Hoffman, Dvorak and Edmundson should all be moved in the offseason at some point and don’t be too surprised if a guy like Anderson or Gallagher also winds up moving at some point in the offseason. 

.3) Move a young prospect or two to get a young player further along in their development.

Now while the Canadiens didn’t do to well this season, they do have a lot of good young prospects who should be able to help round out there roster, but they may actually have too many prospects as they have the same sort of problem that LA does in the sense that not all of their prospects will be able to get consistent NHL minutes with the Canadiens, so the question then becomes do the Canadiens consider moving one or two of those prospects, especially if they can get a young player who could help at the NHL level now. 

Now as we have talked about the Canadiens are a young team with a lot of good young players, but they may have too many as I don’t think all of their good young players will be able to carve out long term spots on the team, so I think the Canadiens might be open to moving some of them for good young players who are already NHL ready, now I don’t expect end of their high level prospects to be moved like Slafkovsky, Beck, Mesar, Roy, Kidney, Hutson, Mailloux or Primeau but some of their lower level prospects like Norlinder, Trudeau, Fairbrother, Heineman, Mysak or Simoneau who I think do have futures as NHL players but with them not only having to leapfrog the prophecy’s ahead of them but also the players at the NHL level, I do wonder if any of those six will get traded and maybe go to a place where they would be able to get more playing time, and I think some of these players could be used in a deal to get a guy like Dubois or if the rumours are true then maybe a guy like Hart in Philly, but they could look for a young player who is NHL ready and can help them now and maybe move those prospects for that sort of help, as I could see a guy like Holtz in New Jersey, Lafreniere in NYR, Heinola in Winnipeg, Boqvist in Columbus or Rathbone in Vancouver as i think all 5 players could use fresh starts and all are pretty young players who do have some NHL experience, so if the Canadiens could move maybe two of those prospects for a good young player like on of those five I think they would do it as it would make their team competitive for next year and it would also give guys like Trudeau or Heineman a better shot to be regular NHL players which it doesn’t look like they would be in Montreal. 

David Kirouac USA Today Sports

.4) See if Primeau should be a NHL level goalie at the start of next year.

Now the Canadiens still have a good young goalie in Cayden Primeau who still looks like the goalie of the future, but after not having a fantastic showing in 3 NHL games this season, does it make sense for the Canadiens to trade a guy like Montembeault and have Primeau be backup next year, or could he actually benefit from another year developing in the AHL and could they run with someone else in goal. 

Now in goal the Canadiens were able to run with Montembeault and Allen this year while Primeau was the third stringer and continued to develop in the AHL, and now at this point in time do the Canadiens feel like Primeau is ready for a full time role at the NHL level or should he remain developing in the AHL. Now Allen’s new extension kicks in this year as he will be under contract for the next 2 years at $3.85 Million dollars and Montembeault still has 1 year on his deal at a small $1 Million dollar cap hit, so if they wanted they could run it back with that tandem but it would mean that Primeau would once again have to man the fort in the AHL, now Primeau still has 2 more years on his contract at a pretty good $.890 Thousand dollar cap hit, and in the AHL his numbers aren’t overly bad as he has averaged between a 2.00-3.00 GAA and has consistently put up a .909 SV% so in the AHL he definitely looks like a good defensemen it at the NHL level it is a whole other story, as he hasn’t looked overly good and in 3 games this year only put up a 3.46 GAA and a .852 SV% and at the NHL level he hasn’t yet been able to really break through so the question becomes do they believe he is NHL ready and have him as the backup next year, or do they keep him developing in the minors, now I think at some point he will have to be thrust into the backup role for Montreal and I could see it be next year, as Primeau I think being backup behind Allen and learning from him could be very good for his confidence and with the team most likely not making the playoffs next year, I think they could make do with Primeau learning to be a NHL goalie and if I was the Canadiens I feel like that would be the route I would go, and if he is backup I think the team would be open to moving Montembeault as he could be a good backup to some teams and I think the team could get a decent Packagefpr him and if they wanted to improve even more then maybe they bring in a guy like Hart to be the starter and move Allen as well, but if I was the Canadiens I would say that they would move Montembeault at some point in the offseason and run next year with a Primeau-Allen tandem and hope that with Primeau learning from Allen he can show the potential that he had shown in juniors and the minors. 

.5) Bring in some decent top 9 forwards and top 6 defensemen to help the young guys. 

Now as we said earlier, veteran guys who haven’t played well over the past few years like Drouin, Dadonov and maybe even Hoffman could be gone in the offseason, and with that new found cap space could the Canadiens try and target some more productive middle six wingers to help the team continue to improve and help the younger players grow. 

Now like we said the Canadiens could be moving on from a lot of middle six forwards this offseason such as Drouin, Monahan and Byron via free agency and possibly Dvorak, Hoffman and maybe one of Anderson/Gallagher via trad but with these veterans going could the Canadiens look to free agency to round out there roster. Now they could be adding some young guys into the roster next year such as Beck and having a full year of Slafkovsky and the team could also look at bringing in a guy like Dubois via trade, but I think getting maybe one or two top 9 wingers to help finish rounding out the team would be a good move. Now looking at free agency I think 5 guys the Canadiens could go after would be Athanasiou who could be a really good speedy 3rd line winger for that team, Zucker who is a looser player but can still produce quite nicely and I think would instantly make that middle six better, Conor Sheary might be another guy as he is a pretty good middle six forward who found his stride last year in the Caps top six and had a really good offensive season, JVR who I feel could be a extremely talented goal scorer in the Canadiens 3rd line and could put up 20 goals being a good depth scorer for the Canadiens or Gustav Nyquist who showed how well he can play in the playoffs with Minnesota and I think could definitely help mentor some of the younger Canadiens, but I wouldn’t be at all shocked if the Canadiens went after one of these players to help fill out their top 9, and even on the defensive end, if they move Edmundson they could use maybe a good 3rd pair defensemen and a guy like maybe Shattenkirk or Mayfield who would make pretty good 3rd pair defensemen playing with a younger player or Clifton who could be a good 3rd pair scoring defensemen for the Canadiens, so I do think they could benefit from adding another defensemen and I think if they are able to get a couple guys in free agency, that middle six will become lethal this year.

So just to recap, in my opinion if the Canadiens can move on from Dvorak, Hoffman, Edmundson and maybe Gallagher/Anderson, move a couple of assets to bring in Dubois and sign him to a long term extension to be their 2nd line Center, maybe use one or two prospects who maybe won’t be able to play long term with the Canadiens as they are boxed out, and use them to bring in a young player who can help them now like Lafreniere, Holtz or Heinola, then have Primeau backup Allen next year and move Montembeault, and finally try and add a few players via free agency such as a 3rd pair defensemen and a couple of top 9 forwards and I get the feeling this team could take some serious strides next year and while I am not overly confident they would be able to get into the playoffs, I do think that the team would at least be able to play some meaningful games into February and maybe March next year and maybe not finish as low as they did this year. 

And if you like this blog post, then check out my YouTube video about Montreal’s offseason right here. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O8cgGRFhQms