Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes planned on improving his team’s top-six this summer. So much so that whenever a top-six player was rumoured to be available, there were instantly rumblings about the Canadiens trying to get them; Martin Necas, Trevor Zegras, Rutger McGroarty, the list goes on. It seems the plan might have changed now following the draft results. Before you tell me I’m crazy, please read on.
Why Would the Plan Have Changed?
The Canadiens have known for a long time who they wanted with their first pick; they had been keeping tabs on Ivan Demidov for well over a year. He was their man and after the first round on Friday night Hughes speaking to the media said:
“We looked at a lot of different things, whether it would be picks, whether it be players, some of it was influenced from who ended up being there at five right because we don’t want too much duplication in terms of what our roster looks like so, had the draft fallen a different way, we may have done something different.”
This sounds like Montreal believes Demidov will be coming over after his contract is done at the end of the 2024-25 season. Furthermore, when co-directors of amateur scouting Nick Bobrov and Martin Lapointe spoke to the media, a reporter asked if they believed the Russian prospect would be ready for the NHL when he came over. Lapointe looked over to the journalist and replied: “What do you think?” in a tone that left very little to interpretation.
However, Hughes and Jeff Gorton mentioned in the team’s post-mortem wanting their team to be in the mix for longer, to fight for a playoff spot. While the drafting of Demidov is an immediate morale boost it doesn’t make the Canadiens’ top-six any better in the short term. To achieve the desired result in the upcoming season, this team will need more than the return of Kirby Dach to health.
What Could the Solution Be?
TSN insider Pierre LeBrun has already said Hughes plans to be aggressive in free agency this summer. Why would he be? Because of the bump to the salary cap announced taking it to nearly $88 million. Right now, the GM doesn’t necessarily need that money for his core since both Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are locked up for a long time. The pending restricted free agents will not break the bank either, so why not use some of the available money on short-term help up front?
Related: Canadiens Have Bigger Storms to Chase than Lightning’s Stamkos as UFA
This weekend, Steven Stamkos’ agent Don Meehan and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois have confirmed the longtime Lightning would be testing free agency. The last time Stamkos was this close to becoming free as a bird, he re-signed with Tampa Bay a couple of days before free agency opened. Perhaps some of you will remember what else happened on June 29, 2016. That’s right, P.K. Subban became a Nashville Predator and Shea Weber became a Canadien. Busy day that one, it’s also the day Taylor Hall was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the New Jersey Devils for blueliner Adam Larsson. Anyhow, with under 24 hours before free agency opens, it appears Stamkos will be up for grabs.
Why would he want to join a rebuilding team? Stranger things have happened, Stamkos has already got two Stanley Cups to his name, and if his former teammate Martin St. Louis, now head coach in Montreal, gives him a call and asks him to help rebuild the Canadiens, maybe, just maybe, he’ll be up for it. I can imagine the Canadiens’ head coach using the style of play he wants his players to use as a selling point. He would have to tread carefully though, a former teammate becoming a coach can sometimes cause events of a cataclysmic proportion, and the Canadiens should be very aware of that.
Of course, Stamkos could tell St. Louis that he doesn’t fancy moving his family somewhere with such a harsh climate and dealing with the French factor. But some have been known to leave their family behind for a short time, and the head coach can attest to that (from ‘Family rightfully the top priority for Canadiens’ Martin St. Louis,’ The Gazette, March 18, 2024).
There will probably be plenty of suitors after Stamkos come noon tomorrow, but if the 34-year-old would like a last kick at the can with a chance to mentor talented forwards and who knows, maybe get an inside look at coaching, Montreal could be an attractive option. If it’s not Stamkos though, I feel like Hughes will still try to bring in some short-term help as a placeholder until the team’s prospects are ready to join Suzuki and company.
