With the 2023-24 NHL season winding down to a close, teams have begun to either clinch a playoff berth or be eliminated from contention entirely. For the Montreal Canadiens, unfortunately, their fate has been sealed with the latter for the third consecutive season. While many players saw significant improvements this season, such as the emergence of Nick Suzuki as a bonafide number-one centre, or the encouraging progression of Juraj Slafkovsky, the team was again pedestrian (29-35-12 as of Sunday, eighth in the Atlantic Division). Expectations have begun to increase from the fanbase, and the team will look to bolster their roster in the off-season with hopes of competing for the playoffs in 2024-25 and beyond.
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While they boast several enticing prospects (from ‘Montreal Canadiens are No. 10 in 2024 NHL prospect pool rankings’, The Athletic, 2/21/24) who are expected to be significant contributors in the near future (Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher), their current roster is filled with holes across the lineup that can potentially be filled via free agency. For example, Alex Newhook ranks as their fifth-highest scorer with 29 points despite playing in just 49 games. Apart from their compelling first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky, and top defenceman Mike Matheson, the team’s production has been wildly inconsistent. They lack a true top-six, relying on players such as Joshua Roy, Joel Armia or Brendan Gallagher for secondary scoring.
Given prospects typically face an acclimation period to the NHL (exemplified by Slafkovsky’s rookie season), the Habs should look to strengthen their roster through the free-agent market. While a plethora of pending unrestricted free agents (UFA) could possibly fit their needs, here are four that Kent Hughes and company should consider signing this off-season.
Jonathan Marchessault (Right Wing, Vegas Golden Knights)
Jonathan Marchessault has surpassed all expectations since signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets as an undrafted free agent. The diminutive sniper is the Vegas Golden Knights’ all-time leader in every major offensive category. The 33-year-old, who hasn’t played in his home province of Quebec since his Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) days with the Quebec Remparts, would add the necessary scoring touch the team currently lacks outside of Suzuki and Caufield (who has seen his own goal-scoring production dip from last season). Sporting a career-high 41 goals, Marchessault would come at a steep price given his consistent production.
A seven-time 20-goal scorer, a benchmark he has reached in every full season of his career, he would slide into the top-six likely alongside Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. Dach and Newhook would certainly benefit from playing with an established veteran presence who has proven he can still produce with age, unlike several Canadiens forwards such as Gallagher or Josh Anderson. A medium-term deal would be the most likely scenario given his age. Oh, and he’s just one season removed from a Stanley Cup victory and a Conn Smythe Trophy as the Playoff MVP.
Dakota Joshua (Center, Vancouver Canucks)
Dakota Joshua has been one of many breakout players across the league in 2023-24. Despite playing in just 58 games, he has 16 goals (which would place him tied for third on the Canadiens with Armia and Slafkovsky) and 29 points — both career-highs. Due for a significant pay raise from his current cap hit of just $825,000, he serves as an enticing option for secondary scoring and has been much more productive than the likes of Gallagher, Anderson, and Rafael Harvey-Pinard.
The Michigan native has only taken 76 shots on goal, meaning he is currently shooting at an extremely high 21 percent. While most likely an unsustainable mark, the Canadiens are in a position to take a flier on a player like Joshua given their lack of production from their usual middle-six forwards and there being expectations to improve upon this season. At just 27 years old, the Vancouver Canucks breakout forward will be in the prime of his career for the next several seasons and deserves a long look from Kent Hughes and company.
Matt Roy (Defenceman, Los Angeles Kings)
Perhaps it may be strange seeing two players with the last name Roy in a Canadiens uniform, but Los Angeles Kings defenceman Matt Roy would serve as a much-needed steady presence on the right side of the blue line, especially given the majority of the team’s defensive corps is young and inexperienced. Coupled with the fact that David Savard’s contract expires following the 2024-25 season, Roy — who is four years younger than Savard — would be a timely replacement, especially as right-handed defensive prospects such as Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux continue to develop.
The Detroit native won’t blow anyone away on the stat sheet — though he has recorded at least 20 points in three consecutive seasons, including a career-best nine goals in 2022-23. He has also boasted a plus rating in each full season of his career, topping out at a plus-23 in 2021-22. His defensive prowess is proven by his 192 blocked shots this season, which is a mark that would lead the Canadiens (14 ahead of Kaiden Guhle) and currently sits seventh-best in the NHL. Being a defensive defenseman, he won’t command as much on the open market as other more offensively-inclined rearguards. He deserves consideration from Canadiens management should the price be no object.
Jake Guentzel (Left Wing, Carolina Hurricanes)
It’s no secret that star winger Jake Guentzel will command serious money in free agency this summer. Guentzel, who will turn 30 in October, has flirted with point-per-game production dating back to 2018-19. His 2023-24 production of 72 points in 63 games is a career-best pace, and has an astounding 20 points in just 13 games as a member of the Hurricanes. His current contract, which he signed with the Pittsburgh Penguins, sees him receive an average annual salary of $6 million. He will undoubtedly top that mark this offseason, and has historically had similar production to the likes of Brayden Point, current teammate Sebastian Aho, and Clayton Keller. While Keller makes a team-friendly $7.1 million annually compared to his production, Point and Aho both receive north of $9 million — a comparable mark for Guentzel.
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The Nebraska-born forward also has an even 58 points in 58 career playoff games, including 42 in just 37 games during the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup victories in 2016 and 2017. While he clearly comes with an expensive price tag, he has proven by his consistent point production that he comes as advertised, even without a centre such as Sidney Crosby. Should Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and company make wise use of their additional $4 million in cap space compared to last season, fans could be blessed with a chance to see him suit up in a Canadiens jersey in 2024-25.
While an abundance of quality players will hit the free agent market come July 1, the Canadiens possess a set of specific needs which they need to address in order to further progress their rebuild. With expectations rising for 2024-25, these four players all provide services that the Canadiens severely lacked this season and can be significant contributors to the team’s progression as they exit their rebuilding phase.