Even though the 2023-24 season is only one-quarter of the way done, there is still a need for the Montreal Canadiens to look ahead to the offseason of 2024. The rebuild is far from over, and difficult choices are coming for general manager (GM) Kent Hughes and his staff. Who stays and who goes from the NHL club is one thing, but now he faces a challenge to look into the future and see which prospects are worth keeping.
Despite the sheer volume of prospects in the system, the Habs cannot miss out on any impact players, even if it is a long shot. In the summer of 2024, Hughes must decide if any of the seven prospects whose rights expire in the 2024 offseason are worthy of a contract or don’t fit into the Canadiens’ future. Here is a look at those players on the Canadiens reserve list whose rights expire in 2024 that could be a fit for Montreal in the future.
Canadiens Likely to Cut Ties
Montreal currently holds 11 draft picks, only four of which are in the top 90. With 46 of 50 NHL contracts currently used, and almost 40 picks and prospects to choose from that aren’t signed, it may seem like an impossible task.
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However, with five unrestricted free agents (UFAs), such as Sean Monahan, Tanner Pearson, Chris Wideman and Brady Keeper, likely to join as many as three restricted free agents on the UFA list or be traded ahead of next season, that 50 contract limit will have several more positions become available by June 2024. Despite that, there are those who will not remain with the organization.
Blake Biondi – Center
Blake Biondi is one of those unfortunate players who has been surpassed on a depth chart through no fault of his own. After a strong showing in the 2021-22 season with 17 goals in 46 games, Biondi required a double shoulder surgery that ended his 2022-23 season, limiting him to six points in only 17 games played. The 6-foot-1, 200-pound forward has the size Montreal covets and a net-front presence they crave, but his injuries, and more importantly, his skating deficiencies leave him on the outside looking in when it comes to NHL contracts. Had this been the Canadiens prospect system from 2017, he would be near the top of the prospect rankings for the club; however, in this deep pool, he falls below the threshold of being a keeper.
Petteri Nurmi – Defence
Petteri Nurmi, the Canadiens’ 2022 seventh-round pick’s rights expire in June 2024. While he is seen as a solid stay-at-home defender in his current league of Liiga, he is too far down the depth chart to be given one of the 50 coveted NHL contracts in Montreal’s system. This style of defender was what the former management team under Marc Bergevin wanted to build upon, but now, under Hughes, there is too little mobility or transitional ability to warrant keeping in the NHL pipeline.
Canadiens Can Still Find Roles
Ty Smilanic
With only one goal and five points in his first 14 professional games with the ECHL’s Trois-Rivières Lions, he isn’t forcing management’s hand to sign him immediately. That being said, the 2020 third-round pick has the size (6-foot-1) and the skating ability to have them take notice. While he is worth keeping in the fold, but only with a two-way American Hockey League (AHL)/ECHL contract and see if he can force his way back into the picture. At the very least, he offers the minor league system some depth.
Miguel Tourigny
With three goals and 12 points in 14 games with the Trois-Rivières Lions, Miguel Tourigny has demonstrated that he can translate his offensive game to the lower levels of professional hockey in North America. However, his size is still an issue for him defensively as his 5-foot-8 and 168-pound frame has difficulty defending. While he still holds value for the organization, it is more in terms of adding depth to the minor league system on an AHL contract. It would provide him time to develop, but the odds that he becomes more than an injury call-up for an occasional NHL game is low.
Jared Davidson
Currently, on an AHL deal, Jared Davidson has had difficulty becoming a regular in the Laval Rocket lineup. While his NHL rights will no longer belong to the Canadiens as of June 1, 2024, he could be retained by offering another two-way AHL contract.
Canadiens Keepers
Cederic Guindon
Guindon is a small-statured forward, who, listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, has added some size and strength, two things he will need to help him improve this season. His biggest strength, however, is his versatility, his ability to play at center or on the wing, not only at five-on-five but also on the power play (PP) or on the penalty kill (PK). His hockey IQ allows him to excel as he can read and develop plays well and has an excellent skating ability that allows him to react to those reads. He will need time in the AHL to develop, but he projects as an ideal middle-of-the-lineup two-way forward that coaches love to have on their roster.
Luke Tuch
If there is one player on this list who is a sure-fire keeper, it’s Luke Tuch. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound winger has faced challenges during his collegiate career, from losing a season to the COVID-19 pandemic to a rash of injuries, and the Canadiens’ 2020 second-round pick has not been able to stand out. However, now that he is finally healthy, he is having a breakout season.
“From day one he’s (Tuch) having a tremendous year. He’s playing to his identity, he’s moving his feet and creating space with physicality. He’s making plays, he’s been really really good for us. I’ve been really happy with him.”
– Jay Pandolfo, Boston University head coach
Tuch is on a point-per-game pace at Boston University with five goals and 13 points in 13 games. He is playing a crucial role on the Terriers’ top line as the player relied upon to forecheck, force turnovers, create traffic in front of the net and provide a power forward style to generate space for his linemates, namely, top 2024 prospect Macklin Celebrini. While he isn’t expected to be more than a middle-six forward, Tuch has shown what he can provide, and that style of player is a rare commodity in the Canadiens’ system.
There are dozens of other prospects the Canadiens must decide if they fit into their future plans, but those players’ NHL rights remain with Montreal for another year or more. That leaves Hughes the luxury of time in those cases. Some of them may even get offered a contract this summer as well, and with the space under the 50 contracts limit the GM has created for himself to maneuver. Yet with these prospects, the window is about to close, and Hughes will need to let some go to leave room for others who are seizing their opportunities.