After an incredibly successful season that saw the Montreal Canadiens reach the Eastern Conference Final, it appears that management is looking to be active this offseason in order to round out the rest of their roster. The goal would be to add a second-line centre, a top-six winger, and a right-shot defenceman, though adding all three in a single offseason might be unlikely.
The most opportunistic approach would be to add two of the three during the offseason, and if the third is still a pressing issue during the season, the Canadiens could take a flier at the trade deadline on a rental. With this year’s free agency class being one of the weaker ones in the past couple of years, the Canadiens should prioritize adding players through trade, especially adding players in and around the age of the team’s core. However, if Montreal decides to add players in free agency, there are some names they should avoid.
Alex Tuch
Alex Tuch would be an intriguing target for the Canadiens. He is coming off yet another productive season, recording his third 30-goal season in four years, but at 30, he is a little too old to be an integral part of the Canadiens' core. The biggest reason the Canadiens should avoid Tuch in free agency is the money that he will be asking on the open market. He is looking to sign a deal around 10-11 million per season for seven years. Not only would that make him the highest-paid player on the Canadiens roster, but it would lock him at that number until the age of 37, where he likely would not be producing at the level he is right now.
The Canadiens have signed Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson to long-term team-friendly contracts, and signing Tuch at that dollar amount would not make any sense. There is also the fact that Tuch’s play took a massive dip in the playoffs, not recording a point in the series against the Canadiens. In Montreal, where everything is viewed under a microscope, if he has another underwhelming postseason while making 10-11 million, the media will not be too kind to him. As a player, Tuch makes sense, but the Canadiens could utilize that salary in a better way.
Darren Raddysh
Darren Raddysh was one of the best stories of this NHL season. He was an undrafted player who has played the majority of his career in the AHL. The Tampa Bay Lightning took a chance on him, signing him in July of 2021, and he has steadily improved, becoming an everyday NHL defenceman. This season, with the Lightning dealing with a plethora of injuries on their blueline, they needed someone to step up in their absence, and that player was Raddysh. He shattered his previous career-highs, scoring 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games, but at 30 years old, was his season a flash in the pan or the new norm for Raddysh?
Raddysh scored six goals in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, increasing his goal total by 16 this season, making it look more likely that this season was a bit of an anomaly. Reports are that Raddysh is looking for a long-term deal in the range of 7-8 million per season, and having just one season at elite production, it may be too big a risk for the Canadiens to take. Montreal still has David Reinbacher waiting in the wings, and after his late-season audition, he will likely have a chance to make the team out of training camp, making spending that type of money on a player with one season of great production not worth the risk. If Reinbacher fails to impress or worse, does not make the team out of camp, a right-hand shot defenceman could be something they prioritize at the trade deadline.
Boone Jenner
The only way the Canadiens think of adding Boone Jenner through free agency is if they fail at trying to add one through trade. This year’s centre free agency class is one of the worst in the last decade, with the premier options being Jenner, Jason Dickinson and Scott Laughton. None fit the bill as top-six centres, but if any would be intriguing to the Canadiens, it could be Jenner. He has been productive in his NHL career despite dealing with injuries. He has a 30-goal season and multiple with 20, but at the age of 32, he is likely more useful in a defensive role.
The Canadiens already have Phillip Danault and Jake Evans as their shutdown centres, while also boasting Suzuki, who is this year’s winner of the Frank J. Selke Trophy. Montreal’s priority this offseason will be trying to add a second-line centre, and while Jenner would have been an excellent option a couple of years ago, he is not the same player he once was. If the Canadiens fail to add a centre through trade this offseason, they are better off trying to figure out the hole within the organization than hitting the panic button and signing one through free agency just for the sake of adding one.
