Canadiens on track to compete without making a splash in free agency – Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach, a player many fans were lukewarm about hoping to return in 2026-27, is for all intents and purposes the signing of general manager Kent Hughes this summer. Sure, Hughes signed rookies Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes to impressive extensions, but neither was a free agent. Dach was like that.

When Hughes re-signed Dach, although it was a one-year deal that would send the 25-year-old into unrestricted free agency next summer, he had a direct impact on his 2026-27 roster. Now, the extent to which he did it is uncertain, but there is little doubt that he did it. And, despite the fact that Dach has struggled from a health and productivity standpoint for most of his time here, it’s reasonable to assume that he’ll strive to be the best version of himself next season. Simply put, there is a lot on the line regarding his next contract, whether it comes with the Canadiens or another team. So, call it a win for the Habs, even if it’s a very narrow one.

No Mantha, No Problem

Critics of Hughes’ admittedly quiet season so far should stop to ask themselves, how likely is it that anyone the Canadiens could sign in addition to or instead of Dach, who wasn’t even a lock to receive a qualifying offer and return at all, would contribute at a high level?

There were rumblings that the Canadians were interested in Anthony Mantha.

Hearing it was not that serious and that no formal offer was made.

Mantha is going into great shape in New Jersey, who was looking for a top 6 this summer. https://t.co/pVpnQGD1rp

— Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) July 15, 2026

Will Mantha surpass Dach in the role of six in the Devils next season? It’s possible, especially since Dach has to play in the bottom six. So, right away, it wouldn’t be apples to apples. If anything, Alex Newhook, who played last season opposite Ivan Demidov on the second line and broke out in the playoffs with seven goals in 19 games, represents a direct comparison. After his playoff run, he should be given a chance to pick up where he left off in the second row. That should tell you all you need to know about what the Habs need.

No Top Six Help Room

It is easy for analysts that the Canadiens need to bring help to the six next season. However, the truth is, even if the Habs want to get secondary points, the only open spots on the wing, that is, where Mantha will play, will be at the same low level as where Dach will be playing (barring injury). Still, the Canadiens have deep goaltending in the form of Alexandre Texier and Zachary Bolduc. Not for nothing, though, after somewhat regressing from a 19-goal rookie season with the St. Louis Cardinals. Louis Blues in 2024-25 to hit 12 with the Habs, the latter is living proof of what Mantha would have really delivered if they had signed him instead.

Truth be told, what the Canadiens really need is depth at center, with Jake Evans, the fourth-line center, having played on Demidov’s line in the playoffs. Signing anyone to a different position would be tantamount to mismanagement, when the prospect seems to be on the way to earning spots in training camp, like David Reinbacher on the right side of the defense.

While the desire for more veteran leadership is understandable on such a young team, one that is too young to begin 2025-26 in reality, there is little evidence to suggest that Mantha can help solve that problem. Therefore, the criticism that Hughes may have dropped the ball, failing to bring him into the fold by giving him a deal like the one he signed with the Devils, is confusing.

Center Claude Giroux may be checking off a lot of boxes, but unofficially he was always slated to re-sign with the Ottawa Senators. At the end of the day, you have to give credit where credit is due. There was a similar test last summer, including one involving Giroux, who was in pre-free agency at the time. The Canadiens have done well without him, and should continue to do well, even in a stacked Atlantic Division.

Of course there is always room for improvement. However, Hughes has reason to not want to gamble on free agents past their early dates. That includes the 38-year-old Giroux, whose production has declined each season he’s played for the Senators.

Although it’s not set in stone as a guarantee, with organic growth the Canadiens are projected to improve 12 times this summer. Of course, there are some caveats. This is the same Dom Luszczyszyn Athletic who had Nick Suzuki’s current contract as one of the worst in the league heading into 2022-23. So, not everything he says should be taken as gospel, but there is something to be said about how the Habs have climbed the rankings each season since their last-place finish in 2022. Why can’t it happen again in 2026-27?

My take on the offseason where the NHL teams improved the most this summer. pic.twitter.com/UOhR53Pb14

— dom (@domluszczyszyn) July 16, 2026

It may not have happened because of organic growth, because Noah Dobson represented the biggest acquisition of last season, but that was because of a trade… for a top defenseman who fills a need. Mantha is not. So, why is there so much buyer’s remorse going back to Hughes being involved in shooting the team in the foot? He may have cap space, but, in a year when the free agency class wasn’t that deep, especially down the middle, signing someone is almost like buying a bag of ice in the Arctic. Newsflash: Your drink is already cold, but now you have plastic that you don’t need and there’s no trash to pick up.

Based on the unsigned players, free agency is no longer a viable option, not that it ever was unless the Canadiens could find a way to sign Mason Marchment for the right amount and time. So, the Habs find themselves in a position where, unless a trade opportunity arises, they’re doing as well as could reasonably be expected, having gotten Demidov and Dobes and even Dach under contract in the cheapest way to date. And, who knows, maybe Dach ends up being a chip in a trade to bring in someone more valuable. Still, rest assured, based on the names available early on, their ages, and the holes on the Habs’ roster that actually needed to be filled, the odds of that happening via unrestricted free agency were always low. Based on their spending so far, the smart money is on the Habs for 2026-27.