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Canadiens Extend Jeff Gorton, Kent Hughes

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11:53 a.m.: Montreal has officially announced the deals. They’re both five-year extensions, per Eric Engels of Sportsnet.

9:33 a.m.: The Canadiens are closing in on contract extensions for front office cornerstones Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. Gorton, the team’s president of hockey operations, and Hughes, their general manager, were in the final years of their current deals.

Gorton and Hughes are both in the early stages of their fourth full season in Montreal. Gorton was the first of the duo to be brought into the organization, stepping in as the top hockey decision-maker in the organization in November 2021 after the club fired previous GM Marc Bergevin. He was the interim GM as well for a few months before hiring Hughes later that season.

They inherited a sticky situation – a club in the early stages of a rebuild despite coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance in 2021. Hughes immediately got to work accumulating assets, trading away veterans Tyler Toffoli, Ben Chiarot, Brett Kulak, and Artturi Lehkonen in the handful of weeks between his hiring and the 2022 trade deadline. The following offseason saw them retool further, acquiring Kirby Dach but surrendering Alexander Romanov in a three-team deal while also swapping aging puck-moving blueliners Jeff Petry and Mike Matheson for each other.

Things have been quieter on the trade front since, but they’ve been busy drafting hopeful franchise cornerstones in the first round – Juraj Slafkovsky first overall in 2022 and Ivan Demidov fifth overall in 2024 being the ones so far to establish themselves as NHLers. Their depth picks have already reached heights as well, with 2022 second-rounder Lane Hutson coming off a Calder Trophy and now a fresh eight-year extension. Even with those names aging out, they boast a universally recognized top-five prospect pool and still retain a good amount of draft capital moving forward.

While still early in the life of Montreal’s young core, initial indications are that Gorton and Hughes have pulled off an accelerated rebuild. They have blue-chip prospects at every position – particularly with goaltender Jacob Fowler working his way up from a 2023 third-round pick to being the reigning NCAA Goalie of the Year – and are coming off their first playoff berth since their Cup Final loss.

Undoubtedly, Gorton and Hughes’ asset management has opened the door for Montreal’s playoff window to begin as quickly as it did. In the past few years, they’ve pulled off one of the more impressive asset flips in recent memory – acquiring a first-round pick to take on Sean Monahan’s contract from the Flames before acquiring another from the Jets when they traded him to Winnipeg two years later. They began conservatively and targeted with their additions last year, acquiring high-priced winger Patrik Laine for barely any assets and upgrading their blue line by swapping youngster Justin Barron for the more experienced Alexandre Carrier a few weeks into the season. Only after reaching the postseason has Montreal really pressed the gas on their rebuild, making one of the biggest deals of last summer with the Noah Dobson sign-and-trade.

In all of that, they’ve also assembled one of the more enviable salary cap pictures in the NHL. Amid rapidly rising market values for players and an aggressively rising cap for the next few years, Montreal has no cap hits above $10MM on its roster while having the vast majority of its core signed through the remainder of the decade. Up front, there’s captain Nick Suzuki at a $7.875MM cap hit through 2029-30, Cole Caufield at $7.8MM through 2030-31, and Slafkovsky at $7.6MM through 2032-33. Their defense has Dobson at $9.5MM through 2032-33, Hutson at $8.85MM starting next season through 2033-34, and Kaiden Guhle at $5.55MM through 2030-31. At present, the only RFAs who will really cash in over the next few years are Zachary Bolduc next summer and Demidov in 2027.

Of course, they still have to finish the job. Montreal’s forward depth remains a concern, particularly in the second-line center slot. That’s a question they’ve been looking to answer long-term since assuming their posts. Nothing about their track record suggests it’ll be a rushed decision, nor does it have to be with multiple core contributors not even at their 23rd birthday yet.

With all that in mind, it’s no surprise that the Canadiens are moving quickly to get these deals done early in the season. Gorton had received interest from other clubs looking to fill GM vacancies last summer, including the Islanders, but the Habs denied him permission to interview.

He’s a seasoned executive, spending previous tenures at the helm of the Bruins and Rangers. For Hughes, though, it’s quite a success story. This post is his first front-office job at any level after working on the other side of the coin as a player agent for Quartexx, a career he held since 1998.

Canadiens Sign Lane Hutson To Eight-Year Extension

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The Montreal Canadiens have gotten their young defensive star locked up for the foreseeable future. According to a team announcement, the Canadiens have signed Lane Hutson to an eight-year, $70.8MM ($8.85MM AAV) contract extension.

Shortly after the announcement, PuckPedia broke down the structure of Hutson’s new extension:

  • Year 1: $1MM salary, $11MM signing bonus
  • Year 2: $1MM salary, $11MM signing bonus
  • Year 3: $1MM salary, $9.5MM signing bonus
  • Year 4: $1MM salary, $6.5MM signing bonus
  • Year 5: $1.2MM salary, $6MM signing bonus
  • Year 6: $1.2MM salary, $6MM signing bonus, 10 team no-trade clause
  • Year 7: $2.2MM salary, $5MM signing bonus, 10-team no-trade clause
  • Year 8: $7.2MM salary, 10-team no-trade clause

The news is somewhat of a surprise, given last week’s update from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Friedman noted that while both parties were close on terms and salary, there was a disagreement regarding “philosophy” concerning a Retirement Compensation Agreement (RCA). This agreement was the Canadiens’ attempt to maximize Hutson’s after-tax earnings while keeping his salary below $10MM.

In our update regarding Hutson, PHR’s Josh Erickson broke down an RCA, writing, “An RCA agreement allows a player to defer up to 49% of their salary – delaying earnings but retaining more of them. The deferred money isn’t taxed at its usual rate, which can exceed 50% in Canada for top NHL earners. Whatever is deferred is split in half, with one half going to a refundable deposit with Canada’s tax agency and the other half going into the trust. After an American player (i.e., Hutson) retires and returns to the United States, they receive the deposit back with no tax deducted. In contrast, withdrawals from the trust are taxed at American federal and state rates, which are often lower than the rates the player would pay in Canada.”

In their announcement, the Canadiens didn’t allude to the inclusion of an RCA in the new extension, and we’ll likely never know. Still, today’s agreement indicates that it wasn’t as much of a hangup as previously believed.

Objectively, Hutson’s most obvious comparable would be New Jersey Devils’ defenseman Luke Hughes, who signed a seven-year, $63MM deal shortly before the start of the 2025-26 season. Impressively, the Canadiens were able to keep Hutson’s salary lower than Hughes’ (albeit minimally), while gaining another year of him on the roster.

Still, this contract is more of a gamble than Hughes’ is. Despite winning the Calder Memorial Trophy last season as the league’s top rookie, Hutson only has 92 games of NHL experience (including playoffs) compared to Hughes’ 161.

Regardless, Hutson made the most of his only full season in the league. He tied Larry Murphy’s all-time assist record for rookie defensemen (60), and tied Phil Housley with 66 points, the fourth-most in NHL history for a freshman blueliner. Further, Hutson finished 9th in voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, joining Rasmus Dahlin, Thomas Harley, and Jake Sanderson as the only under-25 defenseman to finish top-10 in voting.

Unfortunately, although his offensive prowess is palpable, Hutson brings a lot of question marks on the defensive side of the puck. He finished last year with an 88.7% on-ice save percentage at even strength, despite starting 66.7% of his shifts in the offensive zone.

Meanwhile, although he spent much of the year next to Jayden Struble, his primary defensive partner was Kaiden Guhle before he suffered a longer-term injury. According to MoneyPuck, when paired with Guhle, who is his defensive partner this season, the two combined for a 48.1% xGoals%, which was middle-of-the-pack production on a playoff-caliber Canadiens lineup.

Another cause for concern would be Hutson’s size. While height and weight have become less important for forwards, they remain significant qualities for most teams’ defensive cores in the league. Hutson stands at 5’9″, 162 lbs, which may make him more susceptible to injuries, especially if Montreal lines up against a heavy-hitting team such as the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Regardless, Montreal now has three of its top-four defensemen signed to long-term contracts. Even after Hutson’s contract takes effect, the Canadiens will have approximately $28MM in cap space, leaving them plenty of room to sign Mike Matheson and keep their defensive core intact for the foreseeable future.

Photo courtesy of Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Maple Leafs Claim Cayden Primeau, Sammy Blais Off Waivers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have added a pair of depth options off the waiver wire. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Maple Leafs have claimed netminder Cayden Primeau from the Carolina Hurricanes and forward Sammy Blais from the Montreal Canadiens.

Primeau’s tenure with the Hurricanes will end after having never appeared in a regular-season contest. Carolina acquired Primeau from the Canadiens this summer for a 2026 seventh-round pick. Despite signing him to a one-year, $775K contract a few days later, he’ll now play out that contract with Toronto.

After a promising 2023-24 campaign in which Primeau managed an 8-9-4 record in 24 games with a .910 SV%, he took a nosedive last year. Despite holding a 2-3-1 record in 11 games, he produced a disastrous .836 SV% and lost his job as the Canadiens’ backup to Jakub Dobes. Fortunately, Primeau revived some of his value with the AHL’s Laval Rocket, earning a 21-2-3 record in 26 games with a .927 SV%.

The Maple Leafs’ desire to add Primeau is fairly straightforward. The team will use Anthony Stolarz as the primary starter to begin the year, but has a question mark behind him with Joseph Woll taking an indefinite leave of absence. Dennis Hildeby has likely earned the role given his impressive preseason performance, and Primeau may start the year as their third-string option behind him, unless the team converts James Reimer’s PTO to a contract.

Meanwhile, Blais rejoins head coach Craig Berube in Toronto after winning a Stanley Cup ring with him in the 2019 playoffs. He’s a high-intensity forward and is coming off an impressive year with the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, scoring 14 goals and 40 points in 51 games, with another six goals and 19 points in 23 games in the Calder Cup playoffs en route to another championship run.

Latest On Lane Hutson

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While there isn’t a significant gap between the Canadiens and pending RFA defenseman Lane Hutson in extension talks, the two sides are expected to pause dialogue for a while after what Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet described as an “emotional” recent round of negotiations on Monday’s 32 Thoughts podcast.

The base-level framework of a deal isn’t a point of contention. Both sides are amenable to a max-term, eight-year deal. They aren’t far off on the cap hit, either – both are within the range of $9MM per season, although Friedman believes both player and team have a little more to give to get to that point.

The hangup is instead on the “philosophy” of how Montreal is trying to get Hutson the most after-tax dollars while keeping his cap hit below eight digits, Friedman reports. Late last week, Marco D’Amico of RG took a deep dive into what mechanisms the Habs have to limit his cap impact, aside from his relative lack of leverage as a pending 10.2(c) RFA who can’t sign an offer sheet and isn’t arbitration-eligible. In there, he mentions a Canada-specific tool to lower the amount of cash Hutson loses to taxes – a Retirement Compensation Agreement (RCA) trust. However, it appears Hutson’s camp isn’t sold entirely on those benefits being as major as Montreal is trying to sell in talks.

An RCA agreement allows a player to defer up to 49% of their salary – delaying earnings but retaining more of them. The deferred money isn’t taxed at its usual rate, which can exceed 50% in Canada for top NHL earners. Whatever is deferred is split in half, with one half going to a refundable deposit with Canada’s tax agency and the other half going into the trust. After an American player (i.e., Hutson) retires and returns to the United States, they receive the deposit back with no tax deducted. In contrast, withdrawals from the trust are taxed at American federal and state rates, which are often lower than the rates the player would pay in Canada.

In any event, it’s likely the Habs are on track to operate without an eight-figure AAV on their books for the foreseeable future, barring a UFA splash. The only deal they ever signed in franchise history with a cap hit north of $10MM was Carey Price’s eight-year, $84MM extension in 2017. They just traded the final year of that contract to the Sharks to remove themselves from LTIR and to provide San Jose with added cap clearance over the floor. Price hasn’t played in over three years and will not play again due to a knee injury.

A $9MM cap hit is directly in line with what Ducks defender Jackson LaCombe just landed on his extension and is what Luke Hughes landed from the Devils as a 10.2(c) RFA this offseason. Hughes is the more direct comparable – while LaCombe’s stats are less impressive, he’s far older and the contract buys out six years of UFA eligibility. An eight-year extension for Hutson would only swallow up three of them.

Whether the Habs can continue to develop Hutson’s all-around game to make him a true cornerstone No. 1 remains to be seen. Still, the diminutive 21-year-old is coming off one of the more impressive rookie seasons in recent memory. The 5’9″ lefty took home last year’s Calder Trophy after recording a 6-60–66 scoring line in 82 games, tied for sixth in the league among defensemen and the most by a first-year rearguard since Brian Leetch’s 71 points in 1988-89.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/5/25

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With final rosters due Monday evening, teams are down to their final few rounds of cuts. We’re keeping tabs on all of today’s demotions here as clubs near their final 23-man roster to open the season:

Chicago Blackhawks (per team announcement)

D Nolan Allan (to AHL Rockford)
F Ryan Greene (to AHL Rockford)
D Taige Harding (to AHL Rockford)
F Gavin Hayes (to AHL Rockford)
D Kevin Korchinski (to AHL Rockford)
F Paul Ludwinski (to AHL Rockford)
F Martin Misiak (to AHL Rockford)
F Oliver Moore (to AHL Rockford)
F Samuel Savoie (to AHL Rockford)
F Aidan Thompson (to AHL Rockford)
F Dominic Toninato (to AHL Rockford)
D Cavan Fitzgerald (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
F Brett Seney (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
G Mitchell Weeks (released from PTO to AHL Rockford)
D Ty Henry (to OHL Erie)

Dallas Stars (per team announcement)

F Justin Hryckowian (to AHL Texas)
F Cameron Hughes (to AHL Texas)
F Arttu Hyry (to AHL Texas)
D Vladislav Kolyachonok (to AHL Texas)

Minnesota Wild (per team announcement)

F Hunter Haight (to AHL Iowa)
D Matt Kiersted (to AHL Iowa)

Montreal Canadiens (per team announcement)

F Owen Beck (to AHL Laval)
F Florian Xhekaj (to AHL Laval)
D Adam Engstrom (to AHL Laval)

New Jersey Devils (per team announcement)

D Ethan Edwards (to AHL Utica)
D Mikael Diotte (to AHL Utica)
D Topias Vilen (to AHL Utica)

Ottawa Senators (per team announcement)

F Stephen Halliday (to AHL Belleville)

San Jose Sharks (per team announcement)

F Cameron Lund (to AHL San Jose)
F Quentin Musty (to AHL San Jose)
F Colin White (to AHL San Jose)

Seattle Kraken (per team announcement)

F Oscar Fisker Molgaard (to AHL Coachella)
F Ville Ottavainen ( to AHL Coachella)

St. Louis Blues (per team announcement)

F Aleksanteri Kaskimaki (to AHL Springfield)
F Dalibor Dvorsky (to AHL Springfield)
F Otto Stenberg (to AHL Springfield)
D Leo Loof (to AHL Springfield)
D Theo Lindstein (to AHL Springfield)

Vancouver Canucks (per team announcement)

D Victor Mancini (to AHL Abbotsford)
D Tom Willander (to AHL Abbotsford)

Joe Veleno Considered Standout Of Canadiens Preseason

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  • 306-game NHL veteran Joe Veleno has been a standout player of the Montreal Canadiens’ preseason and training camp, wrote both Sportsnet’s Eric Engels and The Athletic’s Arpon Basu. Basu wrote that it is “safe to assume” that Veleno’s performance this training camp and preseason has earned him a spot on the team’s season-opening NHL roster, which would be a crucial development for Veleno, who signed a one-year, $900K contract in Montreal in July. Veleno was bought out of his last contract by the Seattle Kraken, and appeared to be at a crossroads regarding his NHL future. The 2018 first-rounder appeared to lose his grip on a regular NHL role in Detroit and Chicago, just one year after scoring a career-high 12 goals and 28 points. Now it appears Veleno has found a strong fit with his hometown Canadiens, and could end up filling some of the role occupied last season by Christian Dvorak.

Summer Synopsis: Montreal Canadiens

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With training camps now upon us, the bulk of the heavy lifting has been done from a roster perspective.  Most unrestricted free agents have found new homes, the arbitration period has come and gone, and the trade market has cooled.  Accordingly, it’s a good time to take a look at what each team has accomplished this offseason.  Next up is a look at Montreal.

The Canadiens were hoping to be in the mix for the playoffs last season and a late-season surge not only allowed them to do that, but it also allowed them to sneak into the postseason, perhaps a little earlier than anticipated.  While they were quickly dispatched by Washington in the opening round, their movement this summer suggests that they’re expecting to take another step forward in their rebuilding process this season.

Draft

2-34 – F Alexander Zharovsky, Ufa (MHL)
3-69 – F Hayden Paupanekis, Kelowna (WHL)
3-81 – D Bryce Pickford, Medicine Hat (WHL)
3-82 – G Arseni Radkov, Tyumen (MHL)
4-113 – F L.J. Mooney, U.S. U18 (NTDP)
5-145 – G Alexis Cournoyer, Cape Breton (QMJHL)
6-177 – D Carlos Handel, Halifax (QMJHL)
6-189 – D Andrew MacNiel, Kitchener (OHL)
7-209 – D Maxon Vig, Cedar Rapids (USHL)

It’s not very often that a team trying to emerge from a rebuild trades two first-round picks instead of adding to its prospect cupboard but the Canadiens did just that, dealing the 16th and 17th selections (forward Victor Eklund and defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson) as part of a draft-day swap that saw them add a top-pairing defenseman, a move we’ll get to shortly.

They also made a pair of moves on the second day of the draft, trading up for their first two selections, including two second-round selections to get Zharovsky.  The winger showed lots of raw offensive skill in Russia’s junior league last season before making his KHL debut in the playoffs.  He’s likely at least a couple of years away from being considered to move to North America but if he develops as planned, he could be a top-six piece down the road.

Paupanekis was the other player they moved up for.  A big center who showed some flashes of offensive upside with a capable defensive game, they’re hoping that he could be a bottom-six option down the road.  Pickford was picked in his second year of eligibility after averaging nearly a point per game in the regular season while adding 24 points in 18 playoff contests.  He’s eligible to turn pro next season and could be an intriguing offense-first blueliner in a few seasons.

The rest of Montreal’s selections qualify as longer-term projects.  Mooney is the headliner from the list, a player whose skill level is pretty high offensively with a ceiling higher than many drafted ahead of him.  However, he’d also be one of the smallest players in the NHL if he makes it which undoubtedly contributed to his drop on draft day but midway through the draft, Montreal felt it was worth the gamble.

Trade Acquisitions

F Zachary Bolduc (from Blues)
D Noah Dobson (from Islanders)
D Gannon Laroque (from Sharks)

The Canadiens swung arguably the biggest trade of the summer to bring Dobson in from New York.  Included in the swap was an eight-year, $76MM sign-and-trade contract, making him the highest-paid skater in franchise history in terms of AAV.  Clearly, Montreal feels that his drop in points to 39 (down from 70 the year before) is something that isn’t going to be continued while they’ll be counting on him to take a step forward in his defensive game as well.  If all goes according to plan, they’ll have a right-shot top-pairing defender locked up through his prime years, checking off a key part of their rebuilding checklist although with Lane Hutson in the fold, he may not get as many prime offensive chances as he did with the Islanders.

Bolduc comes over in a one-for-one swap with St. Louis that saw a pair of 2021 first-round picks get moved for each other.  Bolduc had a strong second half last season, ultimately coming up just short of 20 goals while also bringing a bit of physicality to their bottom six.  Montreal will be expecting him to pick up where he left off and fill a similar role with them this season.  As for Laroque, he was acquired merely as a contract matcher in the swap with the Sharks.  He didn’t play at all last season and wasn’t invited to camp this year, suggesting his playing days are likely done.

UFA Signings

F Alex Belzile (one year, $775K)*
F Sammy Blais (one year, $775K)
D Nathan Clurman (one year, $775K)*
D Marc Del Gaizo (one year, $775K)*
G Kaapo Kahkonen (one year, $1.15MM)
F Joe Veleno (one year, $900K)

*-denotes two-way contract
^-denotes re-signing

As has been the case under GM Kent Hughes, Montreal largely stayed on the sidelines when it came to free agent additions this summer.  Their most expensive signing – Kahkonen – is likely to start in the minors (assuming he clears waivers), a sign of how little they spent here.  Veleno, bought out by Seattle back in June, is someone who should break camp with the Canadiens but is likely ticketed for a limited role to start the year.  Blais is on the borderline for a roster spot while the others are all ticketed for the minors.

RFA Re-Signings

G Jakub Dobes (two years, $1.9MM)
F Sean Farrell (one year, $775K)*
D Jayden Struble (two years, $2.8MM)
D William Trudeau (one year, $775K)*

*-denotes two-way contract

Struble’s first two seasons were nearly mirror images of each other.  There were times when he flashed top-four upside and other stretches where he struggled to simply get in the lineup.  This bridge deal allows both sides more time to see if there’s a full-time spot for him in Montreal while it’s front-loaded, yielding a cheaper qualifying offer two years from now.

Dobes started the season in the minors but a late-December recall saw him get off to quite the start, winning his first five games, including several against some of the better teams in the league.  On the flip side, he struggled more down the stretch and with fewer than 20 games played (including playoffs), he’s still rather inexperienced.  Montreal will be hoping that he can shoulder a bit more of the workload after Sam Montembeault was among the league leaders in games played last season.

Departures

F Joel Armia (signed with Kings, two years, $5MM)
F Alex Barre-Boulet (signed with Avalanche, one year, $775K)*
F Christian Dvorak (signed with Flyers, one year, $5.4MM)
F Brandon Gignac (signed with Kloten, NL)
F Rafael Harvey-Pinard (signed with Penguins, one year, $775K)*
F Emil Heineman (trade with Islanders)
D Noel Hoefenmayer (signed with Sochi, KHL)
G Connor Hughes (signed with Lausanne, NL)
G Gustav Lindstrom (signed with Djurgarden, SHL)
D Logan Mailloux (trade with Blues)
F Michael Pezzetta (signed with Maple Leafs, two years, $1.55MM)
G Cayden Primeau (trade with Hurricanes)
G Carey Price (trade with Sharks)
D David Savard (retirement)
F Xavier Simoneau (NHL rights relinquished but signed AHL deal with Laval)

*-denotes two-way contract

In the NHL, the center market is often a market of its own.  The contract given to Dvorak is a good example of that.  He has yet to record 40 points in a season but his defensive game and faceoff ability coupled with a scarcity of available options yielded this deal, one that agents will undoubtedly be trying to use as a benchmark moving forward.  Armia was another longer-term bottom-six piece in Montreal who is moving on.  While he hasn’t produced enough offensively to live up to his first-round draft selection, he has carved out a viable career as a strong checker.  Filling their roles defensively could be challenging for the Canadiens this season.

Heineman was the other piece in the Dobson swap.  He got off to a strong start in his first full NHL season before being hit by a car in Utah, landing him on IR and upon his return, his production dropped.  Nonetheless, the Isles feel he still has another level to get to.  Still just 23, Heineman has been traded three times now for quality players, Sam Bennett, Tyler Toffoli, and Dobson.  Pezzetta was a regular on the roster for the past few years but played sparingly overall, being healthy scratched more than 50 times.

Savard was another fixture on Montreal’s penalty kill and was eighth in total blocked shots last season.  However, he was struggling as the season went on and knew by the playoffs that he was nearing an end to his playing days.  Dobson is his replacement, though he’ll play a much bigger role overall.  Dobson’s addition also was enough security to part with Mailloux in the Bolduc trade.  Mailloux has shown himself to be a strong offensive defenseman in the minors and even in his brief taste of NHL action.  His defensive game is an area of some concern and the Blues will be hoping to help him take some steps forward on that front as he looks to be a full-time regular for them this season.

With Price entering the final year of his contract and an early-September bonus paid, the Canadiens gave up a fifth-round pick to send him to the Sharks, allowing themselves to get out of LTIR.  He hasn’t played since a five-game stint late in 2021-22 and won’t play again.  Primeau was the backup heading into last season but struggled mightily, leading to his clearing waivers and Dobes coming up.  However, he finished strong in the minors which was enough for Carolina to send a seventh-round pick for him to add to their goalie depth.

Salary Cap Outlook

The Price trade significantly altered Montreal’s cap situation for the upcoming season.  Instead of being several million deep into LTIR and facing a certain bonus overage penalty for the fourth year in a row, they have over $4.5MM in cap space, per PuckPedia.  While they’ll want to keep a significant chunk of that for bonuses (around half of that), that should still allow them to bank ample in-season flexibility to cover injuries and, if they’re in a push for a playoff spot, try to make a late-season addition or two.

Key Questions

What Will Laine Bring To The Table? Patrik Laine’s first season with Montreal was certainly eventful.  He suffered a knee injury in the preseason, causing him to miss nearly two months.  Upon returning, he became a power play dynamo, finishing fourth in the league in power play goals scored with 15 (two off the lead) despite missing 30 games.  However, he only managed five goals at even strength and as the season went on, his playing time and role dropped amid concerns about his five-on-five play.  The end result was a career-low ATOI.  Now healthy, he’s entering a contract year and it feels like he’s a big Wild Card heading into the season.  Can he re-establish himself as a legitimate top-six threat at even strength and position himself for a long-term agreement?  Or will he continue to be primarily a power play gunner, something that would have him staring down a significant dip in pay from his $8.7MM AAV.

How Will They Fill The 2C Role? While Montreal made a big move to add Dobson on the back end, they weren’t successful in adding an impact center, something they and many other teams struck out on.  As a result, they enter the season with largely the same options and questions as before.  Can Kirby Dach stay healthy and take a step forward in his development?  While Alex Newhook has started on the wing two straight years, he has finished down the middle each time.  Can he be a full-time option and push for that spot?  Recently, Oliver Kapanen has seen some preseason action in that role but he has just two assists in 18 games thus far in his early NHL career.  Can one of them step up or will that be a weak spot again this season?

What Type Of Impact Will Demidov Have? The Canadiens were able to get Ivan Demidov out of his KHL contract late in the season, allowing him to get into a couple of regular season games and their five playoff outings, showing flashes of the upside that made him the fifth overall pick just a year ago.  Can he have a similar type of impact as fellow countryman Matvei Michkov and give Montreal a second offensive line, something they’ve been lacking for a while?

Photos courtesy of Wendell Cruz and Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images.

Hutson Might Be Willing To Leave A Bit Of Money On Table In Extension

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With new contracts handed out in recent days to Luke Hughes and Jackson LaCombe, some attention has shifted to Canadiens blueliner Lane Hutson.  While he still has one year left on his entry-level contract, the belief is that there is mutual interest in getting something done before the season begins.  In a recent appearance on Daily Faceoff’s The Sheet (video link), David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period suggested that the blueliner appears to be willing to leave a bit of money on the table, similar to what several of his teammates did in an effort to give themselves a chance to continue to add down the road.  However, that discount might be capped at a few hundred thousand per season on a long-term pact.  With both Hughes and LaCombe checking in at $9MM, it stands to reason that Hutson could very well land close to that number on his next deal as well, whether that comes now, in-season, or next summer.

No Long-Term Injury Concern For Ivan Demidov

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In one of the more violent preseason contests in recent memory, the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens combined for 150 PIMs yesterday evening. Unfortunately, after multiple fights broke out between Hayden Hodgson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, and Jan Jenik, it was Montreal’s sensation, Ivan Demidov, who would leave the game with an injury after a malicious slash from Senator Nick Cousins.

Fortunately, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, there doesn’t appear to be any long-term injury concern for Demidov. The Canadiens may hold him out of the team’s next contest on Saturday, again against Ottawa, though he should be ready to start the season on time. The odds-on favorite to win the 2025-26 Calder Memorial Award has recorded three assists in three preseason contests with Montreal.

Understandably, the Canadiens’ admonishment of Cousins’ actions was clear. In an article from Sportsnet’s Eric Engels, head coach Martin St. Louis was quoted as saying, “There’s no need for that. It’s an exhibition game; both teams are trying to get ready for a long season. I don’t think there’s any need for that in the game.”

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Max Pacioretty Retires, Joins University Of Michigan’s Coaching Staff

at CDT | by 8 Comments

Tuesday: Pacioretty has indeed retired with the University of Michigan announcing that the long-time NHLer has been hired as a special assistant to head coach Brandon Naurato.  Pacioretty released the following statement:

After 17 seasons in the NHL, I’m excited to begin this next chapter with Michigan Hockey. I’m so thankful for the teammates, coaches and fans who have been a part of my journey. Hockey has given me so much, and now I have the opportunity to help develop the next generation of players. Michigan has a tradition of producing elite talent, and I can’t wait to share what I’ve learned to help these guys grow on and off the ice. Just as important, this next step allows me to be closer to my family and spend more time with my kids. I’m going to be coaching my four boys in youth hockey and that’s something I’ll really cherish as a dad.

Monday: One of the NHL’s better goal-scorers from the 2010s has reportedly hung up his skates. According to Nick Alberga of TheLeafsNation, instead of giving it one last shot in the NHL, veteran Max Pacioretty has chosen to hang up his skates and take a job at his alma mater, the University of Michigan.

Given that much of the conjecture surrounding Pacioretty this offseason was his desire to play close to Southeast Michigan, that effectively left his options down to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Although reporting from earlier in the summer indicated the Red Wings as his preferred destination, the team seemingly filled the void on the opening day of free agency by signing James van Riemsdyk.

Still, the New Canaan, CT native will get his desired outcome, albeit in a different role. Alberga didn’t allude to the exact position Pacorietty is taking in Ann Arbor, though it’s a fair guess to assume it’s with their hockey program.

Despite failing to find another job in the NHL, there’s very little for Pacioretty to feel ashamed about in his 17-year career.

He was originally selected with the 22nd overall pick of the 2007 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens. He immediately shifted to the University of Michigan after being drafted, scoring 15 goals and 39 points in 37 games during his freshman season. The Canadiens felt that one season of growth was enough in the NCAA and signed Pacioretty to his entry-level contract after his impressive one-and-done campaign.

In the first three years of his professional career, Pacioretty split his time between Montreal and its then-AHL affiliate, the Hamilton Bulldogs. From the beginning of the 2008-09 season to the end of the 2010-11 campaign, Pacioretty scored 20 goals and 49 points in 123 games with the Canadiens, and 25 goals and 72 points with the Bulldogs in 82 contests.

Since the beginning of the 2011-12 campaign, Pacioretty hadn’t looked back. He exploded offensively, scoring 33 goals and 65 points in 79 games, nearly tripling his production from one year prior. Rewarding his success, the Canadiens signed Pacioretty to a six-year, $27MM extension the following offseason.

Over the next six years, despite some injury concerns, Pacioretty became a consistent scoring winger in Montreal and was named the team’s captain ahead of the 2015-16 season. Throughout that stretch, he crossed the 60-point threshold four times, scoring 173 goals and 334 points in 424 games. Additionally, although the Canadiens managed only one quality postseason run with Pacioretty on the roster, he scored 10 goals and 19 points in 38 postseason games with Montreal, averaging 19:29 of ice time per game.

Unfortunately, he would not play out the rest of his extension with the only organization he had ever known. The Canadiens traded Pacioretty to the Vegas Golden Knights on July 13th, 2022, for Nick Suzuki, Tomáš Tatar, and a 2019 second-round pick. He signed a four-year, $28MM contract with the Golden Knights one day later.

His first three years in Vegas were impressive, scoring 78 goals and 157 points in 185 games after the team’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural campaign. He continued his quality scoring in the postseason, registering 15 goals and 30 points in 36 postseason contests for the Golden Knights.

Again, due to growing injury concerns and the need for additional cap space, the Golden Knights traded Pacioretty for the second time in his career, this time to the Carolina Hurricanes, along with Dylan Coghlan, for future considerations. In one of those unfortunate cases from the 2021-22 season, Pacioretty only managed five games with the Hurricanes due to two torn Achilles tendons.

Working his way back the following offseason and through much of the 2022-23 campaign, Pacioretty signed a bonus-laden one-year contract with the Washington Capitals. After returning to game action in early January, Pacioretty finished the year with four goals and 23 points in 47 games, with an additional assist in four postseason contests.

In what would become the last contract of his career, Pacioretty signed another bonus-laden deal, this time with the Maple Leafs. He struggled with injuries throughout the year, managing only five goals and 13 points in 37 games. Still, he was one of Toronto’s better performers in the playoffs, scoring three goals and eight points in 11 games, including the game-winner that allowed the Maple Leafs to move to the second round.

Pacioretty finishes his career with 335 goals and 681 points in 939 games, averaging 17:16 of ice time per contest. All of us at PHR congratulate “Patches” on a successful career and wish him the best as he moves to his next role at the University of Michigan.

Photo courtesy of Jean-Yves Ahern-Imagn Images. 

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