Heading into the summer, the Montreal Canadiens had a clear hole at centre ice. Behind captain Nick Suzuki , they are weak down the middle, especially after the loss of Christian Dvorak in free agency. Jake Evans is a reliable fourth-line pivot, but after him, there are a lot of question marks at centre. Kirby Dach is currently projected to lead the team’s second line. However, he has suffered significant injuries in each of the past two seasons, and it’s unclear what type of player he will be this year. Then you have Alex Newhook , who failed to capitalize on his opportunity at centre after Dach went down this past season. Finally, Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen will be fighting to earn a roster spot out of camp and could be options on the third line.
Montreal ideally doesn’t want to start the season with this current group up front. Rumours can attest to this, as Kent Hughes has reportedly been aggressively trying to improve his roster even after the additions of Noah Dobson and Zachary Bolduc . Let’s take a look at some options for the Montreal Canadiens to improve the centre ice position via trade.
Potential Montreal Canadiens Centre Trade Targets
Gabriel Vilardi
Gabe Vilardi is coming off a 61-point campaign in only 71 games. At only 25 years old, the former LA Kings first-rounder would be an ideal fit for Montreal’s young core. He is naturally a centreman but has played a lot on the wing as well in Winnipeg. Vilardi is currently an RFA and will likely be demanding a hefty pay raise on a long-term deal from Winnipeg. The Jets have the cap space to sign him as well as their other RFAs, including Dylan Samberg . However, Kyle Connor and captain Adam Lowry both have expiring deals next offseason, while Cole Perfetti is set to become an restricted free agent. Therefore, the Jets may be hesitant to give Vilardi the dollar amount he is seeking on his next deal. The Jets are a deep team up front with some prospects ready to take the next step, such as Brad Lambert , Colby Barlow , and Brayden Yager. As a result, they may view Vilardi as expendable.
At 6’3″ and 215 pounds, Vilardi brings more than just scoring to a Habs lineup that lacks size up front. Montreal may have to move on from some cap to make this deal work, as they wouldn’t make the trade without signing Gabe Vilardi long-term. However, Vilardi would be a perfect fit in Montreal, besides the fact that it would still leave them without a left-handed centre option.
Jared McCann
As far as left-handed centres are concerned, Jared McCann is likely one of the best available. McCann has scored at least 20 goals in each of his last four seasons, including a 40-goal campaign. The 29-year-old has two years left at an affordable five million a season. McCann is a bit older than the Habs current core, but would add some firepower for Montreal in the short term. At 6’1″, he would be the team’s tallest centre after Kirby Dach.
Seattle is a team starving for offensive talent, but they are deep down the middle. Matty Beniers and Shane Wright have solidified the team’s centre ice position for the future. They also have veteran Chandler Stephenson at centre. Therefore, they may want to trade from a position of strength to improve other areas of their team.
Jean-Gabriel Pageau
JG Pageau isn’t the most exciting name on the trade market. He’s been a career third-line two-way centreman. At only 5’11”, he isn’t the biggest player either, nor does he fill the Habs need of a left-handed centre. However, he did post a respectable 42 points on a New York Islanders team that struggled offensively. Long story short, Pageau isn’t the ideal fit for Montreal, but he is a realistic and safe option as a backup plan.
Pageau is in the final year of his deal at five million annually. It likely wouldn’t take Montreal much to acquire him now or even at the deadline. If Montreal strikes out on some of the bigger fish, Pageau could be a solid low-risk option. You know what you’re getting out of him, which is a hard-working, responsible centreman who can score 30-40 points. Pageau would likely begin the year as the team’s third-line centerman. The risk of Kirby Dach faltering or getting injured is too high and would put Montreal in a very vulnerable position. While not ideal, adding Pageau gives Montreal some stability and insurance in the short term.
Main Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
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