Habs Center Crunch: What’s Coming?

The Montreal Canadiens have a glaring need at center—at least in the short to mid-term. The Kirby Dach experiment as a second-line pivot has effectively run its course, whether due to injuries, inefficiency, or both. That much is clear to everyone.

With that in mind, fans and media alike are calling for GM Kent Hughes to address the void. Fair enough. But before diving into trade speculation, it’s worth asking: what kind of center does this team actually need? Let’s break it down logically.

The Situation at Center

The Habs were staring down a major issue at the position, with Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak both pending UFAs and Dach out for the season—his long-term outlook still uncertain. That scenario would have left just Nick Suzuki and Owen Beck down the middle.

With Evans now re-signed and Beck showing promise, the most pressing need still appears to be a legitimate second-line center.

Right now, Suzuki, Evans, and Beck are all right-handed. Dvorak remains the lone natural left-shot center and happens to be the team’s best faceoff option, boasting a 57% success rate at the dot. That’s not an easy piece to replace.

Internal Solutions

The simplest move? Shift Alex Newhook to center. The problem? The experiment has been tried and wasn’t convincing. On top of that, he’s winning just 43.1% of his faceoffs—meaning the Habs would spend most of their shifts chasing the puck. They could send Beck to Laval or keep him on Newhook’s wing to take draws, but this still leaves Montreal without a reliable left-handed faceoff option.

Another option is to stand pat for now—keep Dvorak, let Beck finish the season in Montreal, and hope someone steps up. But who? Beck played just 9:43 in Buffalo and 7:49 against the Islanders—not exactly top-six deployment.

Calling up another center from Laval is another possibility, but there’s a catch: Beck has been Laval’s best centerman. The other options, like Florian Xhekaj or Lucas Condotta, project as bottom-six AHLers—not second-line solutions at the NHL level.

What Should They Look for in a Trade?

With the deadline looming, the Canadiens could look externally for help. But what kind of player should they target? Ideally, they need:

• A top-six center who can handle tough matchups
• Offensive production to complement Suzuki
• A left-handed shot to balance the lineup
• Strong faceoff ability

Then there’s the contract situation—Hughes has indicated a preference for players with term remaining. And given where the Habs are in their rebuild, spending significant assets on a rental wouldn’t make much sense unless the price is right.

Trade Targets

Several names have surfaced in trade rumours, some fitting the Habs’ needs better than others. Here’s a quick look at potential targets:

The Offseason Option

Montreal could also wait until the summer, when cap flexibility increases, and UFAs become available. If they go that route, these left-shot centers could be on the radar:

The Bottom Line

Trying to predict Kent Hughes’ next move is a fool’s game without access to the conversations happening behind closed doors. Every option remains on the table. The good news? With the trade deadline just hours away, we won’t have to wait long to see how the Canadiens address their center dilemma—if they do at all.