Given their cap situation and a meh free-agent market, do the Habs prioritize a second-line centre or a right-shot defenceman to play with Lane Hutson?
Lloyd Eidelman, Thornhill, Ont.
Those definitely have to be the top two priorities for Canadiens GM Kent Hughes this summer. Since the Canadiens are still hoping David Reinbacher can become the right-shot defenceman they hoped he would be when they selected him fifth overall at the 2023 NHL Draft, I’d say a second-line centre is the No. 1 priority.
While Oliver Kapanen had a successful regular season as a second-line centre with 22-15-37 totals — finishing sixth among all NHL rookies in scoring — the 22-year-old was held pointless in seven playoff games and was made a healthy scratch 12 times. The playoffs showed that the Canadiens need a more-experienced second-line centre to play with Ivan Demidov, who had 3-6-9 totals in 19 postseason games after leading all rookies in scoring during the regular season with 19-43-62 totals.
Canadiens second-line centre Oliver Kapanen celebrates his goal against the Jets with Mike Matheson. Kapanen had a successful rookie season with 22-15-37 totals in the regular season, but the 22-year-old was held pointless in seven playoff games. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
Will the Habs make a big trade with a player or two and draft picks to get a second-line centre?
Bryan Hendry
If they don’t, it won’t be from a lack of trying.
Who might the Canadiens be willing to give up and trade to fill the need of acquiring a quality centre?
Ed Helinski, Auburn, N.Y.
The Canadiens have already shown they’re willing to trade Russian prospect Alexander Zharovsky. The 19-year-old winger was reported to be part of a deal the Canadiens came very close to completing with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the NHL trade deadline this season in exchange for winger Matthew Knies. The Canadiens were reported to be willing to give up another prospect and two first-round draft picks, along with Zharovsky, in exchange for the 23-year-old Knies, who is 6-foot-3, 232 pounds and had 23-43-66 totals in 79 games this season. The 6-foot-2, 176-pound Zharovsky was named the KHL’s rookie of the year this season after posting 16-26-42 totals in 59 games with Ufa Salavat Yulayev.
If another team is willing to give up a second-line centre to the Canadiens, they’d almost certainly want at least one other centre back in return. Michael Hage, the No. 21 overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft, and Kapanen would likely be at the top of their list.
The Canadiens have already seen what Kapanen can do in the NHL during his impressive rookie season, which makes me think they’d be willing to give up Hage, who had 13-39-52 totals in 39 games this season at the University of Michigan and has said he will return there next season.
In what scenario are Samuel Montembeault, Alexandre Carrier and Alexandre Texier on the Canadiens’ roster next season?
Rodman on X — @rodrick_roy
The fact the Canadiens didn’t even dress Montembeault as a backup to Jakub Dobes in the playoffs was a sure sign that his days in Montreal are over and he will be traded this summer.
The Laval Rocket could have really used goalie Jacob Fowler in the AHL playoffs — losing to the Toronto Marlies in the division semifinals — but instead he was dressed as Dobes’s backup for the Canadiens and only played 8:23 in the NHL playoffs.
As for Carrier and Texier, I expect them both to be back with the Canadiens. Carrier has one more season left on his contract with a very affordable US$3.75 million salary-cap hit, while Texier signed a two-year, US$5-million contract extension with the Canadiens in January that kicks in next season.
Do you think Zachary Bolduc has played his last game as a Hab?
Croz on X — @crossleyc
Definitely not.
The 23-year-old showed that his game is built for the playoffs, posting 3-4-7 totals in 19 games while ranking second on the Canadiens in hits with 47, four behind defenceman Kaiden Guhle.
Bolduc will only get better as he gains experience and gets more comfortable with the system Martin St. Louis uses and the style the coach wants him to play. Bolduc brings a good mix off offensive ability and physicality at a young age.
Being a French Quebecer and playing for the Canadiens is never easy, but I thought Bolduc handled the situation very well during his first season with the team after being acquired from the St. Louis Blues last summer in exchange for defenceman Logan Mailloux. I see a bright future for Bolduc with the Canadiens.
Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher celebrates his empty-net goal during third period against the Detroit Red Wings in Montreal on April 8, 2025. John Mahoney / Montreal Gazette
With recent rumors surrounding Brendan Gallagher, I’m wondering if the Habs will trade for Jake DeBrusk from Vancouver as part of a package. Hoping the Habs will get a second-line centre in Mason McTavish, Dylan Larkin or Nico Hischier.
Devon#gohabsgo on X — @Dancevon
I don’t think there will be a lot of demand for Gallagher on the trade market since the 34-year-old has one season left on his contract with a US$6.5 million salary-cap hit after scoring only seven goals this season and being a healthy scratch for 16 of 19 playoff games.
That’s a reason why the Canadiens have given Gallagher’s agent, Gerry Johansson, permission to speak with other teams in an attempt to facilitate a trade. Gallagher does have a connection to Vancouver, having grown up there. He also played junior with the WHL’s Vancouver Giants and his summer home is in Tsawwassen, B.C., leading to speculation he could end up with the Canucks. Gallagher also said he’d be interested in playing in Vancouver.
But it would take a lot more than Gallagher to get DeBrusk, who had 23-19-42 totals this season. DeBrusk is 29, while Hischier is 27 and McTavish is 23, so the Canadiens would likely have more interest in the latter two if they were available in a trade.
Larkin initially said the only three teams he would waive his no-trade clause for were the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights and Florida Panthers.
Do you see Brendan Gallagher as an eventual NHL assistant coach or even head coach?
Richard Lozeau
Gallagher has a passion for the game — like St. Louis — so it wouldn’t surprise me if he eventually decided to get into coaching.
But Gallagher has a daughter who will turn 2 in February and his wife, Emma, is pregnant with their second child and is due very soon. I expect Gallagher would want to spend time with his young family after he hangs up his skates rather than commit immediately to the gruelling schedule of a coach.
Why did the Habs let Pacal Vincent leave the AHL’s Laval Rocket and go to the Seattle Kraken to become an assistant coach. I think the Canadiens should have had him up to the NHL.
East coaster on X — @Eastcoa69170851
After two seasons with the Rocket, Vincent must have realized he wasn’t going to get a chance in the NHL with the Canadiens so he took the job with the Kraken.
St. Louis has one more season left on his contract and Hughes said last week that he expects to start discussions this summer on an extension. St. Louis is also comfortable with his two assistants, Trevor Letowski and Stéphane Robidas.
When Alex Burrows stepped down as an assistant coach two summers ago for family reasons, St. Louis decided not to replace him behind the bench. Instead, St. Louis brought in Roger Grillo as a coaching consultant who watches games from the press box.
Vincent certainly won’t miss the AHL bus trips, like the nine-hour journey from Laval to Cleveland.
Canadiens’ David Reinbacher checks Isles’ Calum Ritchie during game in Elmont, N.Y. this past season. Reinbacher could make the team coming out of training camp this fall, Stu Cowan writes.(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) Bruce Bennett / Getty Images
Rank these in order from most likely to happen to least likely:
Habs hold on to their first-round pick in this year’s draft.
David Reinbacher breaks camp with the Habs this fall.
Kirby Dach receives a qualifying offer.
An additional assistant coach is hired.
Metal is humanely but permanently relocated to a storage space deep in the bowels of the Bell Centre.
Paul Starke
LOL.
I think Reinbacher making the team next season is the most likely to happen, followed by the Canadiens keeping their first-round draft pick. A qualifying offer for Dach would rank third.
The fact Vincent took the Seattle job makes an additional assistant coach the least likely, beating out Metal being put in storage.
When your season is over do you closely follow the remaining playoff games or are you shut down until the fall?
Jim LaPlante
Once the Canadiens are eliminated I don’t follow the other playoff games as closely, but I definitely watch them.
It’s actually a nice break getting to watch the games as a hockey fan instead of constantly taking notes and trying to figure out what angle I’m going to take and what questions I’m going to ask players and St. Louis for a postgame column when the Canadiens are playing.
If you have a question you’d like to ask for the weekly Habs Mailbag, you can email it to montrealcanadiens@postmedia.com