Montreal Canadians suddenly under a gun. In a management-end season press conference, Jeff Gorton, executive vice president of hockey operations, said he did not end the unexpected playoffs to “everything that goes fast” (i.e., rebuild), but he did admit it was a stepping stone. Here is the code that continues to improve… Habs is hard to improve without a second-place center, Kirby Dach is a question mark.
The forward apparently suffered a knee injury (same knee) for the second time. This effectively forced the Canadians to eventually resort to fourth-tier center Jake Evans, as the team suddenly lacked the depth in the middle, which technically further infuriated the Christian Dvorak’s losses. They need another solution because all the respect for Evans is due, expecting him to surpass his weight throughout the season, it simply won’t work properly.
So, what do they do? Here are the top five:
5) Re-sign Dvorak.
The Canadians obviously reserve the right to re-sign Dvorak (or at least try) until top figures like Michael Hage are ready for the NHL. This may take several years.
From Dvorak’s perspective, he is 29 years old and likely has the eyes of a long-term agreement. From a Canadian perspective, Dvorak may have ended his four years in Habs, ending him with six goals and 13 points in the last 17 games, but he should be seen as the unfortunately no winner looking at his overall tenure (103 points in 232 games).
Canadians at least know the lineup with Dvorak (and without DACH) works because they are obviously the playoffs and gave the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals a nice fight in Round 1. But it’s a mistake to commit to Dvorak, especially as his salary and deadlines are likely to increase his salary and deadlines as he scores accumulate at the end of the season. A one-year deal may work and give Habs time to find a long-term alternative to DACH. Dvorak is not.
4) Set Dach’s position
Reports show that DACH will start healthy next season. One way, the ideal solution is the easiest: give him a job. After all, he was acquired for a position that played a problem in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft and then got a chance after his first season with the Canadiens…just missed two games outside of the next season due to a knee injury (and struggled to find his own form before suffering another).
Related: Host Canadiens steals the show, by getting Slafkovsky, Dach in the 2022 Draft
If Canadians don’t just put pressure on themselves, they don’t just enter the playoffs in 2026. They really don’t have time to waste time, hoping Dach will regain the relatively successful move three years ago. Seeing him still under team control (only becoming a restricted free agent in 2026), it’s a great option. However, they also need to hedge their bets and be more proactive in finding (other) alternatives.
They say one player’s injury is another’s chance. Ideally, someone like Oliver Kapanen makes the most of this, but the truth is that he didn’t show much offensive potential in 21 games last season with the Canadiens (and the playoffs). And, while they don’t have to cut the bait with the soon-to-be-22-year-old, it’s no longer an unparalleled situation.
Break It: Habs needs a second scoring line to achieve sustainable success next season. Kapanen found himself largely the same category as Dach, and they wanted to see Pan out but couldn’t rely too much on doing so.
At least it’s better than Alex Newhook finding his place. Newhook effectively relegated to Evans, which is understandable at least because of how his fate in the team got worse. After 34 points in 55 games in 2023-24 (acquired last summer), he has only won 82 games in the incredibly disappointing 2024-25.
This season is an opportunity for Newhook to take the next step and develop into a reliable top six striker. Dach’s injury was another opportunity he proved that he could contribute in the center if necessary. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in either way. However, his situation does come to another option.
2) Trading someone externally
Within the radius of two drafts and one calendar year, General Manager Kent Hughes proved that he could swing a big shot in the trade market to gain young, emerging talent. First, he traded Dach in 2022. Newhook in 2023.
Now, Hughes hasn’t done much in 2024, probably thinking his base covers the middle, while Newhook ended a nice season with Canadains and Dach and is ready to return from injuries. He might have to rethink things and add them to the plate again.
While it’s never going to be sure who fits the same profile, Hughes does have two middle first-round picks (Calgary Flames) to use. Back on the day, he made his first deal at the same location (and the third) in exchange for Dach. Instead, Newhook’s first and early days (and defender Gianni Fairbrother) costs. So, it’s very likely that he can swing something similar in 2025.
1) Sign an unlimited free agent
Most importantly, if anyone can use who, then “Huce wants to give up assets for a young player who is most certainly going to have a question mark”, would he rather end up shining in free agency and just signing a proven person?
There are undeniable shortcomings. You might acquire someone with a considerable amount of miles and look for some job security looks that they will actually be in a major recession with statistical decline. Technically, Dvorak falls into this category, and while one might say you should stick to the job you know, rather than pursuing others who may have adverse effects on chemistry, the truth is Dvorak no On-the-job.
The Canadian shouldn’t resign to the second-tier center, and at his peak he never scored over 40 points, especially when the center exited his peak as we spoke and may be seeking a decent tenure. If you are going to give someone, it should be someone you think is capable of contributing as a second-tier center (apparently).
There are actually two ways to go: go after a player who is still in his 20s and hope to make a lot of money (Sam Bennett of the Florida Panthers is less likely to be Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks) or follow a player in the mid-30s, and they might be more affordable.
For Canadians’ purposes, imagine that in their future plans you might want to open door 2. Choices include John Tavares, Matt Duchene, Claude Giroux, Mikael Granlund, and Brock Nelson. It is worth noting that Tavarez (35), Ducheen (34) still has an impressive season and there may be expectations that Habs doesn’t want to meet. Granlund (33) and Nelson (34) may be looking for more terms than available.
Giroux (37) is still out of the 50-point season, which may make sense, and there are several warnings beyond age:
- Every season he has been with the Ottawa Senators has collapsed over the past few seasons.
- He is 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, which is not ideal for many who think the team beaten by the capital in the first round.
Whether the assessments are accurate or embellished for engaging narratives, you’ll look at free agency again, which is known for having risky businesses. Regardless of your signature, if you sign anyone, you will take a risk. But, depending on the stagnation of Dach’s career, no matter which avenue you pursue, it’s true. And, despite the risk that may be higher, signing new players, the Canadian seems to be in a very suitable position in the direct free agent program. It’s about finding the best right now.
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