Marc Dumont
Now that the Montreal Canadiens are fresh off an encouraging playoff run that ended in the Eastern Conference Final, there’s going to be pressure to maintain the upward trend.
Such is life in a rebuild.
And make no mistake, the Canadiens are still very much a rebuilding organization, despite their recent success. Fortunately, Kent Hughes is well aware there are pressing issues that need to be solved, and the management group almost never rests on its laurels.
With that in mind, we can expect yet another busy offseason for the Montreal Canadiens.
Important Montreal Canadiens Offseason Dates
- The NHL buyout window has opened, and will remain open until June 30, at 5 pm.
The Canadiens do not have any obvious buyout targets, even though they do have a few aging players on the last year of their deal, such as Brendan Gallagher ($6.5M), Josh Anderson ($5.5M), and Phillip Danault ($6.5M). There’s not much financial incentive to buy out the final year of a contract, especially when weighed against the public relations cost that comes hand in hand.
- The first round of the NHL Entry Draft is scheduled for June 26, with the following rounds (2-7) scheduled for the following day, on June 27.
The Montreal Canadiens currently hold eight draft picks heading into the 2026 NHL Entry Draft: 28th overall, 61st, 93rd, 103rd (via Winnipeg), 125th, 189th, 221st, and 224th (via Carolina).
There’s a slight chance the Canadiens will want to hold onto their first-round pick, but if history is a healthy indicator, and it usually is, the Habs will not be making their way to the podium on June 26.
The draft crop is relatively weak at the back end, and the player selected 28th overall would likely need several seasons in the Juniors, not to mention some refining in the AHL, before he’s ready for NHL action.
The Canadiens aren’t ready to compete for the Stanley Cup tomorrow, but their window is on the cusp of legitimately opening. Dangling a first-round pick in a bid to acquire a player who can move the needle in the NHL immediately is in order for the Canadiens.
- Qualifying Offers must be submitted by June 29th.
There are only four restricted free agents that will require a qualifying offer (QO): Joe Veleno, Kirby Dach, Zachary Bolduc, and Arber Xhekaj.
With the help of AFP Analytics, we can project the value of the QOs, though I’m not convinced they’ll want to keep Veleno in the mix.
Regardless, the projections are as follows:
Veleno – $945,000
Dach – $4 million
Bolduc – $3.65 million
Xhekaj – $1.5 million
NHL salary arbitration is not yet scheduled, but it usually takes place in late July, and early August.
- NHL Free Agency opens on July 1.
The Habs will have enough cap space to sign a free agent, but it’s rarely Hughes’ favourite situation in which to acquire players.
Montreal Canadiens Shopping List Priority
The Canadiens would love to add a bona fide No. 2 centre to the mix, which is why they’ve been mentioned in almost every rumour involving a middleman, including Nazem Kadri, Dylan Larkin, and Robert Thomas.
We have to give credit to the team for doing its due diligence, but given that it’s one of the most sought after positions in the NHL, finding a legitimate No. 2 centre is more likely to occur via a trade, rather than free agency.
Speaking of trades, Jeff Gorton and Company will have to find a new team for veterans Brendan Gallagher and Samuel Montembeault. The Vancouver Canucks are rumoured to be the ideal trading partner for Gallagher, while moving a netminder will probably take a little more effort. There’s always a surplus of goaltenders in the NHL, and given that Montembeault’s numbers were quite poor last season, he’s far from a sought-after asset.
Goaltenders rarely fetch much value in the trade market, unless they’re young and excellent, but even then, the returns are quite limited.
