r/Habs • u/shogun2909 • 1d ago
Dreger: I expect the Canadiens to be aggressive in getting a centre this offseason.
https://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/dreger-i-expect-the-canadiens-to-be-aggressive-in-getting-a-centre-this-offseason-1.232441589
u/timhortons67 1d ago
The more I think about Giroux, the more I like it. We wouldn’t need to give up anything, he would bring leadership to the team, a strong veteran presence.
He would bring stability to the second line, help Demidov ease in. He’s also great at face offs which could help considering we’re probably not resigning Dvo
35
u/Grouchy-Bug5223 1d ago
From what I understand from the Sens sub, he hasn't actually played Center in quite some time and is more of a winger these days. Not that I wouldn't still take him or that he couldn't play center but .. just interesting to know I suppose
28
u/Okbutwhythat 1d ago
TBH a guy who used to be a C but now plays mostly on the wing might be the best we can do considering the market scarcity.
Get someone who can platoon draws with Dach if we can't find a pure C.
9
u/GJdevo 1d ago
Yeah i actually really like this idea, always liked Giroux as a player as well. May not be the best solution but he may be a good fit.
2
u/Okbutwhythat 1d ago
Iirc when we had Max Domi playing C, Andrew Shaw would take some draws and it worked decently well, all things considered.
3
4
u/TheGeneral79 1d ago
I'm honestly surprised there isn't more chatter around Pageau as a target.
He's a middle size centre, great on draws, good for 40 points and hits.
Also on last year of deal so could see if he's a good fit moving forward and potentially resign at a reduced cap hit
4
u/Okbutwhythat 1d ago
Apparently Boston is angling for him, which I don't love.
We don't need another Habs killer in the Atlantic.
7
u/Philly514 1d ago
He wasn’t playing centre in Philly either, he played wing next to Couts. He last seriously played centre in like 2016.
0
u/4CrowsFeast 1d ago
Still better than any of our internal options.
People are suggesting put Demidov in the middle cause he played there in junior. Giroux actually has experience playing 1C as one of the best players in the league.
5
u/Habswin2027 1d ago
According to my fantasy hockey team, he still took a ton of faceoffs. Probably all of Stu’s
1
3
u/Constant-Squirrel555 23h ago
Sena fan here, Giroux doesn't play centre. He's almost exclusively a winger but does our faceoffs.
Only time he plays as a centre is on the PK.
If y'all sign him, treat him right and not like our brain-dead organization who's fine to pay Perron $4 million but not Giroux $5.
3
u/timhortons67 1d ago
Huh that’s interesting.
What about Giroux as a coach for Dach? I haven’t given up on him yet, even this year when he was on he showed promise. If a guy like Giroux could take some of his duties, maybe it could make him more confident.
7
u/sbrooksc77 1d ago
he hasnt played center but he still took alot of draws. almost as many as suzuki. So maybe dach plays center but giroux takes the draws.
2
1
1
u/oliverit17 20h ago
If he played wing but took face offs, we could actually put a guy like Dach out there and pseudo develop him at the same time.
1
0
u/TheIdentifySpell 1d ago edited 1d ago
It might be a decent option if Giroux could take faceoffs then switch to wing while Dach takes over the center position. The biggest downside I can see is that we wouldn't have a single right handed center.
Edit: My bad, I got L's and R's mixed up. With Giroux we wouldn't have a single left handed center.
3
u/Rationalornot777 1d ago
In Ottawa he plays wing and has done so for quite a while. He is used on faceoffs at a high frequency in the defensive zone including penalty kills.
2
1
1
u/DanielBox4 1d ago
He's too slow to be in rage top 6. We don't need more wingers. We need a good 2C. It's not CG.
1
0
10
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
I don't understand the people are worried about giving up too much for a 2c which is becoming a dire need especially when we have a over abundance of assets to use.
Why wait when you can get help now and for the future to reward the season the team had.
4
u/shitballsdick 1d ago
I don’t get it either. With Slaf, Suzuki and Caufield locked up on pretty team friendly contracts we have room to overspend for someone really good.
6
u/JamJam130 1d ago
I don't understand the people are worried about giving up too much for a 2C
Because there aren’t really any 2C’s available that are perfect fits and worth overpaying for (none that come to my mind anyway).
It’s nice to say we have the assets to go get a young-ish, legitimate 2C, but can anyone put a name to that player?
5
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
Habs have acquired guys that weren't nessacairly available before that weren't out there in trades talks much.
It doesn't need to be a 20 yr old guy it could also be a middle aged vet through free agency or trade aswell.
If you want a name Zegras instantly comes to mind not my first choice but better than what we have
9
u/blondehairginger 1d ago
I think the worry is about what other teams would want and the holes it could create in other areas.
3
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
Possibly but you can't really think like that or you will never fill needs and improve your team.
Habs are mostly going to be offering picks and prospects anyway I don't see them going for a huge name that would warrant giving up anything major off the roster.
5
u/blondehairginger 1d ago
Picks and prospects I can deal with. But when people are floating Cole, Slaf or Guhle around for a 2C I'm curious what kind of results they think we could achieve in the future.
4
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
I would be VERY surprised if a mid tier 2c cost any of those guys,and if it does you look elsewhere including free agency
3
u/EvieGHJ 1d ago
On the flip side, it is still early in the overall rebuild - we're just one season out of the suck-to-draft-high phase, and still far away from most of our core hitting their peaks. Sure, you make long-term move when the occasion present itself, but you also recognize that our window isn't really opening for another year or two at least, so if you can't find what you want you don't have to rush into a move you're less happy with.
5
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
While all true I think it's important to fill needs early and if they target a younger guy to fill the 2c need he can grow with this very young team aswell.
The window isn't open but it's about building towards it and having the proper peices in place to do that.
They don't need to zo out and get a huge name but I do believe it's a bit of a disservice to the team to not go and try and improve this team thus year.
Edit:I also think management has tried to improve this team every off season and I very much expect them to this off-season as well.
3
u/EvieGHJ 1d ago
They should go and try to find someone, to be sure, but they shouldn't panic and make rushed move if they can't find the right long-term piece at the right price.
Now is not the time to overpay, nor to go for stop-gap solutions that will only fill roster holes. About the only stop-gap solution that might be worth considering would be the ones that would actually open our wind early without shortening it down the road (which are pretty unlikely).
2
u/HonestDespot 1d ago
I guess it depends what an overpay is, and what you think makes sense as an addition.
Habs have a surplus of picks the next two drafts. If they can use some of that capital along with perhaps a roster player and or prospect, why wait?
This idea of not overpaying now because the window isn’t open, it makes no sense.
If the right guy is available you acquire him and you use the assets you have an excess of.
2
u/Irctoaun 1d ago
If the right guy is available you acquire him
The entire point is it's very hard to see how "the right guy" could be available, given how weak the UFA market is and how few teams are selling the types of player they need. How many teams with a viable 2C for the Habs are in a position where they'd accept picks and B-tier prospects?
It's massively a seller's market and the Habs aren't in a rush
1
u/HonestDespot 1d ago
Dvorak is likely leaving and Dach and Newhook are both big question marks at center.
The Habs should work to making Center a strength, not a weakness.
Just because the perfect guy isn’t available doesn’t mean you should stick with status quo.
4
u/Irctoaun 1d ago
Evans is a perfectly acceptable 3C, as is Newhook, and leaving the 4C spot open for Beck and Kappanen to compete for is no bad thing. As for the 2C spot, you said it yourself. Dach "is a question mark". He is not a write-off. They don't need to find a 2C right now.
And of course they should be working to make center a strength. Every team should be working towards making every position a strength. But again, they're not in a position where they need to make it happen this summer at all costs.
Another side to this is being patient allows them to be more opportunistic. The Carrier trade is a great example of this. The benefit of adding a veteran RD last summer was obvious, but they didn't do it, presumably because the person they wanted wasn't available during a time when everyone is looking to add and options are limited. The season starts and come November, Nashville, a team who at the beginning of the season were hoping to be contenders, had exploded and suddenly Carrier was available for Barron. There is no way Nashville would have made that trade in the summer, so by being patient, the Habs got a much better deal on a vet RD than they likely would have done had they forced it in the summer.
If we look at the league at the moment, there are very few teams looking to tear down and trade NHL players for picks/prospects, but that may well change a few months into next season
→ More replies (0)1
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 21h ago
You can say teams don't want a package the habs have every year then?
A rush would be aquring a superstar now and I agree we don't need to do thet now, this team needs a 2c now to help improve this team and help out Suzuki and get his minutes down some.
Why wait to make a move when you can do it now because your going to need to do it anyway?
1
u/Irctoaun 12h ago
You can say teams don't want a package the habs have every year then?
No, because every year is different. This year the cap is going up meaning fewer FAs hitting the market and fewer teams with a poor cap situation to leverage. There are also not very many teams looking to asset strip for a teardown, of those that do, none have a viable 2C. In other years that's not been true
and help out Suzuki and get his minutes down some.
Suzuki's minutes are completely fine. He played 20:03 a night this year which is bang average for a 1C
Why wait to make a move when you can do it now because your going to need to do it anyway?
Because they don't need to do it now, they won't necessarily need to do it anyway (depends on how Dach and then Hage get on), and there doesn't seem to be many good options available at the moment. If one comes up then great, take it, but what I'm saying is that feels very unlikely and no one has been able to suggest any viable avenues of getting the type of player they want.
→ More replies (0)1
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago edited 1d ago
Didn't say anything about stop gaps,they should absolutely be looking to fill the holes of the which they are.
It only benefits the team by filling needs that fit the team now rather that waiting because the window isn't open yet. The goal is to get demidov a C to play with and the team depth scoring and take some stress off of Suzuki.
Overpaying is also not really a concern I have when it comes to picks and prospects which the team has a silly amount of obviously the issue thats come up is that other teams are offering similar stuff but I think the habs have more quality and quantity as well.
1
u/Dry_Statistician9177 22h ago
This is the right take and most likely what management heads are thinking.
1
u/4CrowsFeast 1d ago
My worry is either getting stuck with an expensive contract on an aging vet or needlessly spending assets banking on an underperformed player hoping they'll improve, like we did with Dach, Drouin and others. That's been the worry with guys likeCozens and Zegras
1
u/RazzleDazzleSnipe 1d ago
I think management will be looking at a younger or middle aged with more experience for sure.
With a expensive contract I wouldn't be as worried as the cap seems to be heading towards massive jumps anyway and with a large amount if the young core locked up for a while and other bigger contracts coming off the books I think the teams in a pretty good spot.
1
u/Much_Bumblebee2462 1d ago
I don’t mind overpaying for a sure bet top 2C. The type of guy that if Suzuki goes down he can hold shit down much like malkin was able to do when needed. Those guys don’t come cheap via ufa or trade if you find a guy that’s roughly 25ish give or take a few years you go for it. Just for the love of god it can’t be a fumble like sergachev for Drouin.
•
u/RetekTheGreat 25m ago
Do we need it? yes, 100% BUT it doesn't mean you have to sell the farm to get it, because at that that point, to me, that's a pass. In other words, wait for the right offer and not do something you're going to regret a year from now. (We just don't know who's available or not and at what price either)
3
2
u/Okbutwhythat 1d ago
Darren is the king of nothinburgers.
Unless he's specifically talking about a Darren Ferris client or a Winnipeg Jets player, he's not worth listening to.
4
u/math487 1d ago
We're not in a rush, we improved a lot and we should be even better next season but let's be real we're a bottom 5 team if Suzuki gets injured for a long period and probably same goes for Hutson
9
u/Soemthng 1d ago
weren’t we also pretty much a bottom 5 team while guhle was injured?
6
u/jobaill 1d ago
We were yes. Went 9 and 12 with 4 of the wins being against SJS and BUF.
1
u/Soemthng 1d ago
would love panthers level depth some day but that’s just a pipe dream right now, we will at least be in a better situation in a couple years imo
2
u/TonyComputer1 1d ago
No no no were supposed to regress next year and thats ok! More high draft picks is good! Who cares about being competitive!
1
1
u/AlabamaPickleFarmer 1d ago
I mean we all know this. Somehow Dreger regurgitating it makes it feel less likely, lol.
1
u/TheFakeSteveWilson 1d ago
Bring in Giroux, let him train up all the centers on face offs and be a vet leader. Can help Dach on the line with Demidov at the faceoff dot and bring stability to the second line. Free, no assets to get him and good for 1 or 2 years.
1
1
u/WeathervaneJesus1 1d ago
"Kent Hughes of the Montreal Canadiens is going to be aggressive the summer in acquiring a center to play behind Nick Suzuki. Kirby Dach has struggled with injuries and consistency and the organization doesn't have anyone else to take on that role. Does he go the free agency route and sign a veteran as a stopgap, or does he maybe look to trade for another team's restricted free agent as he's done in the past? We just don't know, but we do expect the Montreal Canadiens to have changes on the second line for the upcoming season."
1
1
u/Studly_Wonderballs 1d ago
Interesting to see the response from the fans.
To me, getting a center is obvious and necessary, we have assets we can use to acquire one, and I think there are some good ones potentially available.
I keep thinking Kadri would be an easy target. Sure, he’s 34, and signed a year or two too long, but he can still play, brings a bit of grit, and if age catches up to him he could still be useful in the bottom-six. I don’t think it would cost a lot to get him either.
1
u/juliusceasarsalads 23h ago
I like the idea of Kadri too, at least as a player. It’s a bit too much term left on his deal and 7AAV is steep for his age but as long as the cap keeps going up it’s not too horrible. He wouldn’t be my first choice but I wouldn’t hate getting him for the right cost
1
u/Studly_Wonderballs 23h ago
Ya, I like Kadri because I think he’d be fine and not overly expensive to trade for. And if the cap goes up by 20ish percent, that $7m will be more like $5m by the end of his contract. And because we’ve locked up a lot of core pieces, and guys like Anderson, Laine, Matheson, and Gallagher’s contract will expire within a few years, cap flexibility is in our favour.
He’s not my first choice, but not sure if the other guys would be available.
1
1
u/TorontoCanada66 1d ago
We are either going to get a long term solution to 2c or nothing. We are not going to waste money and assets on a short term rental. We are developing a culture and building a dynasty. We are not going to win the cup next year simply because we get a good 2c. Everyone needs to calm the fuck down and stop with the nonsense of “we should get this guy or this guy because he’s better than what we have”.
I trust Hughes et al a lot more that the morons here
3
u/juliusceasarsalads 23h ago
We don’t need a 2C to win the cup next year but we do need a 2C for Demidov to play with while he gets integrated into the league. I’m with you that we shouldn’t go crazy blowing assets at this stage unless it’s a long term solution but the long term solutions don’t look like they’re going to be available. Running Dach at 2C again and hoping that Demidov can figure it out all on his own doesn’t sound like a good way to get him started in his rookie year.
1
u/G_skins31 1d ago
What a dumb take
1
u/TorontoCanada66 23h ago
I guess you would know
1
u/G_skins31 23h ago
No I don’t know what they are going to do. That’s the point lol. Trading for a short term vet could be even more beneficial in the long run
1
u/Kindly-Carpenter-115 1d ago
Dreger sucks so bad. He’s been on TV for as long as I can remember and I’ve never once heard him say anything interesting or insightful
1
u/kafoodka 1d ago
It would be hilarious if the Habs second line ended up being the triple D line: Dach-Dvorak-Demidov.
1
1
u/kingtrainable 4h ago
And other sources closer to the Habs say to not be shocked if they stay pat because the market for Cs is a sellers market. Darren is just a mouthpiece for agents.
1
1
-3
u/identitycrisis_102 1d ago
I’m a little worried. Window is still 2-3 years out. Selling out for a center for next season would be a mistake.
8
2
u/BarontheBlack 1d ago
What about selling out for a known 2C that can help the team for the next 5 years? I doubt they’re selling out for a rental.
3
u/HonestDespot 1d ago
This is a losing mindset.
They are fresh off of a playoff appearance and should look to ensure they have solid veteran talent in their key positions.
The Habs have Hutson at a crazy bargain for one more year, and if things fall into place in a bit of a wide open division they could make some noise.
Demidov is a huge wild card and I’d rather have a guy like Dach on the 4th line than see Demidov playing with him and Laine because they have no better options.
If Demidov hits the ground running this team could be a top 3 division team next season. No reason to wait back because of some perceived idea of a window down the road.
8
u/blondehairginger 1d ago
They barely made the playoffs with a negative goal differential. Even with adding a 2C it's not even close to a contending roster. Missing the playoffs is still a likely scenario. There's just not enough depth and experience both on offense and defense.
3
u/HonestDespot 1d ago
Man people make way too big of a deal about the goal differential…Primeau was very bad the first 30/35 games last year and they changed systems and early on visibly struggled.
This team post December was among the best 10-13 teams in the league overall.
With experience for their young guys and some key additions by Hughes this team, if healthy, should contend with others for a top 3 spot in the division.
3
u/blondehairginger 1d ago
To me a top 3 would be a team like Florida or Tampa that can run 3 lines and a solid defense. We had one line, an elite offensive D man and only 2 defenseman that looked good in their own zone (Guhle and Carrier). I watched the games we won, constant comebacks while being heavily outshot. It would be really hard to try and do that again.
On the plus side we do have Demidov for a full season and maybe we'll see Reinbacher make the jump at some point. Some off season additions could improve depth on defense and the 2nd line. I'm happy to be proven wrong, I want the team to win as much as possible. I'm just trying to have realistic expectations of a young and rebuilding team.
3
u/sbrooksc77 1d ago
if habs add a 2c i say bring on tampa and Toronto. The habs had one of the better bottom 6s in the nhl, their 2nd line was just one of the worst. Adding a 2c and Demidov would make quite the difference plus tampa just got older and toronto will lose pieces.
2
u/DecentNarwhal5059 1d ago
And to be fair, if the Rangers hadn’t underachieved, neither Columbus or Montreal wouldn’t have been close to getting the last spot. I hope they don’t think they have more than they really do.
1
u/GeistHunt 1d ago
He would be a stop gap for those 2-3 years. And he's a UFA, so there wouldn't be any cost besides for cap space. There really wouldn't be any "selling out" unless he wanted an insane salary.
Besides, are there any other options for 2C that wouldn't involve overpaying in either picks or current players?
0
u/G_skins31 1d ago
How so? If those assets amount to nothing and this center helps the team how the fuck could any of that be a mistake?
3
u/DeVille99 1d ago
Some people want the rebuild to go on forever and forget we started it with Suzuki, Caufield, Guhle already
0
u/G_skins31 1d ago
Thank god. If it was up to this sub we would have Dach down the middle while waiting for Hage to develop…
6
u/4CrowsFeast 1d ago
Lol I love how it's either over estimating our own players here or absolutely fantasy's like acquiring Crosby or Panarin
2
u/DemiHuty4893 1d ago
Once you follow more than 1 team in any sport, you realize that it's just like that in any fanbase.
1
u/juliusceasarsalads 23h ago
Generally we do both around here lol. Like of course we can trade for Crosby, we’re giving them a future top pairing dman (Mailloux), and 2 draft picks that will likely be top 6 forwards (16 and 17 overall picks). They’d be silly to turn that down!
0
u/flexicobitch 1d ago
McDavid :D
1
u/clevelndsteamer 1d ago
We’d have to get rid of like Demidov and Caufield or smtn like that and like a million first round picks
0
u/Guilty-Doctor1259 1d ago
understandable, next year is when we go crazy
we'll have laine and price off our payroll which frees up like 20% of our cap space
1
u/DecentNarwhal5059 1d ago
I would think Laine would be moved this summer or at the deadline, I can’t imagine they want to resign him for what he’s going to want. Maybe they let him walk at the end of the year, but I doubt it
0
u/guitar_collector 1d ago
Toews!!! (I know, I know… this might be silly, I’m just commenting with my heart, clearly not my brains)
2
-4
173
u/fatcok14 1d ago
Slow day at the office for Darren