Team: 2022-23 Montreal Canadiens

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 24, 2022

Published: Apr. 24, 2022

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

There are three main priorities I can identify for Montréal this summer.

First, Martin St-Louis. I’d like to have him back on a one-year deal despite the recent cooldown since I really like his approach with veterans like Petry & Gallagher and him giving young players a chance is so refreshing after years of old-school coaches. I don’t know if he’s the solution, but he clearly isn’t the problem and I’d link the team’s recent performances to the lack of material to work with after the noticeable holes left by Lehkonen, Chiarot, Kulak & Toffoli.

Second, the draft. Habs have a dire need for a legitimate star player and the last star to come out from a high pick is Carey Price almost two decades ago. They have to draft intelligently like a normal NHL team and draft the best player available at their spot regardless of position. Don’t overthink it, don’t trade down, and most importantly don’t feel the need to trade it for Lafrenière or Dubois.

Third, Jeff Petry. I’d really love to keep Jeff Petry if that’s possible given the progressive deregulation of COVID measures in the province that makes it easier for his family to come back. Hughes and Gorton stated they would only trade Petry if it’s a trade that benefits them, which is understandable because willingly signed an extension with the team and has a contract to honor (although under different circumstances). He bounced back very nicely after a disastrous start to the season, and I bet they’d be many teams interested in a still impactful Top 4 RHD with that kind of track record.


Thoughts about some players

Josh Anderson
After that super-hot streak on the top line, he finally looked like the player he was acquired for but lacked consistency (*acts surprised*). It’s obvious that he’s not the guy to pair with Caufield & Suzuki, but I still don’t think the team is at the stage to trade big assets for a top-line winger either unless there’s a Buchnevich-like offer they can’t afford to decline, so Anderson is the default top line winger unless Kapanen doesn’t work out.

Joel Armia
A head-scratching move from this past offseason was Armia’s extension. The team already had an NHL-ready Jesse Ylönen who could have slotted in for much cheaper. Although I did like his complementarity with Christian Dvorak by the end of the season, Armia is just one Mike Hoffman away from being a buyout candidate if I were in charge. I’d pair him with Dvorak and another dynamic winger to start the season and hope he somehow bounces back.

Jonathan Drouin
Drouin had another Drouinesque season – started the season great, put up acceptable offensive numbers but still isn’t it. I wouldn’t be totally opposed to keep him for his last contract year and try him on the top line with Suzuki and Caufield, but I still think that a change of scenery for another disappointing player would benefit both parties.

Brendan Gallagher
His 30-goal & top 6 threat days seem to be behind him, but I still believe Gallagher can be a crucial player for this team, just in a different way. St-Louis talked about how they worked to “reprogram” him as they don’t want him to be the only one to go in dirty areas and do the dirty work, especially at that age and injury history. They want him to play a more cerebral game and it kinda seems to pay off as he’s producing significantly more since coming back from injury than he did at the beginning of the season. They’re stuck with that contract anyways, so I’m all in for experimentations.

Jordan Harris
Jordan Harris really doesn’t look out of place, but he sure hasn’t very noticeable either - his RAPM numbers pretty much support that. I think it’s best for him to start next season in Laval (unless he has a stellar training camp) and maybe call him midyear after some bodies are traded away.

Mike Hoffman
Another head-scratching signing since day one and was nothing more than just a desperate move to live up to the expectations set by the Finals run which was doomed anyways without Shea Weber and Carey Price. If the Habs can get any return for him that’d be awesome, but if not, he’s 100% a buyout in my book.

Carey Price
Price hasn’t had a memorable comeback so far with a .862 SV% and -3.5 GSAX, which makes Jake Allen a near untouchable on this roster. He has a full control on his future anyways, with a buyout proof contract and a full NMC. There’s really no other option than just sit, wait, and hope for the best in Price’s case.

Jakub Zboril
I’d be willing to bring him on a one-year deal in FA in some kind of Sami Niku type of move (I really don’t get why they stopped using him) as Zboril has shown flashes of being NHL capable. I bet many teams would be interested in him on a league-minimum deal, but the Canadiens have the extra cap space to spare if it’s buriable deal. However, this would require a solid backup option, and therefore I brought back a known entity in Chris Wideman on this roster.

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