As Montreal Canadiens’ VP of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and General Manager Kent Hughes predicted before the season began, the Habs are indeed “in the mix“—playing meaningful games in March. Those who doubted their intentions should now repent.
However, being in the mix presents its own challenges. Montreal has five pending Unrestricted Free Agents (UFAs), and according to top NHL insiders, several are generating interest from teams looking to bolster their playoff rosters:
- Jake Evans: Having a career year offensively and regarded as the NHL’s top penalty-killing forward.
- Joel Armia: Underrated by fans but heavily relied upon by coaches.
- Christian Dvorak: Strong in the faceoff circle and, like Armia, valued more by coaches and teammates than the public.
- Michael Pezzetta: Limited playing time but could add grit to a playoff team.
- David Savard: A veteran right-shot defenseman, shot-blocking machine and former Stanley Cup winner—a coveted asset at the deadline.
The Dilemma
So where does that leave the Canadiens? After a slow start that had them near the bottom of the standings, they’ve fought back to within three points of a playoff spot. In January, Gorton hinted at potentially rewarding the team for its resilience:
“We have a plan and we’re not going to deviate from trying to build a team trying to win for a while”, said Gorton. “We’re not going to trade young players that we feel are going to be part of that. Kent and I just spoke about it this morning, after a week of scouting meetings. If there’s an opportunity to help these guys, they deserved it, we’ll see what happens […] leading up to the Four Nations break. If we can help them along, we’ll look for that.”
Adding to the complexity, Kirby Dach’s season-ending knee surgery leaves the Canadiens even thinner at center. While rookie Owen Beck has filled in admirably, his limited ice time in Montreal’s 4-2 win over Buffalo suggests the coaching staff isn’t ready to lean on him in high-pressure situations.
Likely Strategy
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Hughes has made it clear that he won’t be giving away his UFAs—teams will need to step up to acquire them. Additionally, Montreal is looking for “hockey trades,” seeking players with term rather than accumulating more draft picks or long-term prospects.
Given what we do know, here’s what to expect:
1- Sellers
LeBrun reports that teams have inquired about a package deal involving Evans and Armia, which could yield a better return than moving them separately. Furthermore, contract negotiations between Evans and the Canadiens appear to be at an impasse. With that in mind, Hughes will likely move Evans and possibly Armia.
2- Status Quo
While some players may be moved, others will stay put. Savard, despite slowing down, is more valuable to the Canadiens—especially with Kaiden Guhle injured—than whatever modest return he’d fetch. Likewise, with Dach out for the season, keeping Dvorak becomes essential, particularly if Evans is dealt.
3- Buyers
Montreal isn’t expected to make blockbuster moves, but Hughes has expressed interest in reinforcing the NHL roster rather than depleting Laval’s playoff-bound squad. Expect the Canadiens to seek a modest acquisition, potentially a center with a year or two remaining on his contract.
No shortage of calls coming in on Jake Evans based on what I'm hearing around the league. Montreal's post-break resurgence obviously makes things interesting. As mentioned before, Habs have told teams they are ok keeping Evans if asking price isn't met. Could go either way.
— Pierre LeBrun (Bot) (@notpierrevlebrun.bsky.social) 2025-03-02T18:00:53.550Z
Conclusion
As discussed in yesterday’s column, the Canadiens can’t rely solely on the hope that Dach will eventually become a reliable top-six center. A decision must be made.
While it would have been nice to see Dylan Cozens board the team plane from Buffalo, trades of that magnitude typically happen in the offseason. With that said, all it takes is one phone call. Make no mistake—the Canadiens will be active at the deadline.
The single worst decision that the Canadiens organization could make is the complete status quo. They would lose valuable assets for nothing to show for, and it wouldn’t reward the current players for their efforts. The real question is, will they lean more toward buying, selling, or standing pat? The answer may very well be a mix of all three.
