What will the Montreal Canadiens do in free agency?
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Hockey fans jonesing for something, anything to quench their thirst for content, know that on Tuesday, it begins.
Free agency.
Draft day is over, the Montreal Canadiens brain trust of Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton (the two-headed HughTon collective) will now turn their attention to the free agency market to fill holes, shed weight, plug gaps, sand edges and do any other maritime woodworking reference that works on the roster before opening day.
Weekend feeding frenzy
The Habs made waves on Friday by trading their two first-round picks and Emil Heineman to the New York Islanders for sought-after defenceman Noah Dobson.
Then, over the weekend, the Habs added 10 draft picks.
Most analysts believe that few of the draft picks will play meaningful minutes in the 2025-26 season. They are long-term prospects.
“[The Habs] got a little bit of size in the third round, but for the most part, after getting Noah Dobson on Friday, you’re really looking at a draft where it’s almost secondary and, for the first time under Ken Hughes and Jeff Gorton, the draft was secondary to them acquiring just what seems like a very stud defenceman,” said TSN 680 radio host Jonathan Still.
Fun fact: Second-round pick Alexander Zharovsky is a childhood buddy of Habs rookie Ivan Demidov.
Free agents leaving?
With respect to all-energy, all-work, fan fave Michael Pezzetta, the Habs have two meaningful unrestricted free agents: Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak.
“Are they going to be able to bring them back at a cheaper price, or will they go to the open market and try and bring in a centreman that could potentially play on the second line with Ivan Demidov and Patrick Laine?” asked TSN 690 Radio host Sean Campbell.
Heineman leaving means Montreal is down a forward, so any assumptions that Armia will no longer spend his days in a bleu-blanc-rouge sweater may be hasty.
“Could Armia come back to the Montreal Canadiens?” asked Still. “It seemed like kind of a fait accompli that that would be the end of his tenure with Montreal, but he spoke multiple times throughout the year about how much he wanted to come back.”
Names, tantalizing names
Who can we get? That’s the question the HughTon collective is asking.
“Montreal hopes not to be done,” said expert analyst Pierre LeBrun. “They’d like to, as we know, add to their top six upfront. It’s been hard to find a No. 2 centre but they’re opening that to, perhaps, a winger.”
“They still need to fill a hole at centre,” said Still. “Could a player like, maybe, Nick Bjugstad be someone that they could look at? Someone who’s a little bit more of a depth player because it doesn’t feel like they’re going to have a chance to take a big swing at one of the centres out there, considering how many teams want a second line centre.”
Be prepared to hear the following names, among others:
Centre Nick Bjugstad, Utah Mammoth
Winger Jordan Kyrou, St. Louis Blues
Winger Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg Jets
What about Dach?!
A question that arises as soon as anyone starts talking about the Habs’ future is: What can we get out of Kirby Dach?
“That is a big question, and for the Canadiens, are they planning on Kirby Dach to be the second line centre?” said Campbell. “That was the plan when they acquired him a couple of years ago. That was one of Kent Hughes’ big moves. However, it’s been injury after injury and a little bit of disappointment along the way for Kirby Dach.”
The Habs acquired Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks in 2022.
He played 58 games in the 2022-23 season before getting injured, playing just three games the season after.
In 2024-25, he played 57 games with 10 goals and 12 assists before getting injured in February and requiring knee surgery.
“When he does come back this year, this might be the biggest season for Kirby Dach’s career,” said Campbell. “If the Canadiens don’t go and acquire in free agency a legitimate second-line centre, it will likely be Kirby Dach’s job to lose. However, what’s the patience going to be like from management, from coaching staff, to be giving them that opportunity? It’s a huge question mark.”
Je t’aime, Montreal
As opposed to years past when Montreal was not considered a top destinations for players, recent additions suggest that the HughTon collective could lure talent that may have looked elsewhere in the past.
“I think Montreal is an attractive place, especially where they are in their organization and development,” said Campbell. “I think if you are watching the Montreal Canadiens from outside, and you’re a free agent and you’re a player, you look at the Canadians saying, ‘That looks like a fun place to play.’ ... I believe this is a destination that people want to go... Winnipeg, it’s tough to sell. Buffalo is tough to sell. Columbus is tough to sell. There’s a reason. People want to come to Montreal. It’s an organization on the rise.”
“There is some game-breaking talent on the Montreal Canadiens at a very young age that this organization, certainly in my lifetime, have never had,” said Still. “I think that it’s very clear that if you’re a player around this league, they might not be a finished product, but you might want to get on the train a little bit early before it leaves the station because it seems like this team is going very much in the right direction.”
Free agency starts Tuesday, July 1. Enjoy.