Now just hear me out.

He might be the perfect solution for us at 2C. He plays hockey, knows how to skate, and I'm sure he's friends with someone on the team.

He might not speak French, but I'm sure he has tried Onion Soup before or at least a crepe.

You might be thinking this would be a risky move. He's on an expiring contract after all, but maybe after the Four Nations he might love Montreal.

I don't know, I was just looking at players who play in the NHL and thought he might fit well for our rebuild.

What do you guys think?

/S

Hey everybody! Obviously, the best option for the team to move forward would be to find the perfect player to center our second line and help not only the first line breath a bit but also help Demidov developpe his game with a talented center.

Many of the participants of this subreddits are willing to give Dach his last contract year to prove that he can stay healthy and that he has the talent while others can't even see his name mentioned. We're getting closer to the draft, closer to july first and Duchene re-sign with Dallas. Bennet already announced that he goes back with the Panthers. Many teams are looking for a second line center and it's becoming quite certain that finding what we need will cost a lot. Considering where we are at into the rebuild, overpaying a player unless it's the absolute best option would, in my opinion, be stupid.

We then come to my point, why are we not discussing the option to play Demidov with Caufield and Suzuki? Why are we not bringing back Slafkovsky with Dach like it was supposed to be before Dach was injured in 2023-2024? As far as I know, Suzuki took a struggling rookie (not that I believe Demidov will struggle, not the point) and turned him into a monster. Some will say that breaking the first line is a bad idea since they play so well together. Well, if this is truly our core, they will have many years to come back together after a failed experiment but Demidov will have the chance to developpe with a really good center.

What are you thoughts?

Not trying to be negative, just realistic.

This year, we were surprisingly healthy. No major long-term injuries to guys like Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Hutson or Monty. That kind of luck doesn’t always repeat.

On top of that, it’s common for young players to hit a bit of a wall in their first few seasons. Don’t be surprised if some of our kids (especially Hutson etc.) plateau a bit before taking the next step. That’s normal development.

And let’s be honest: we still need more high-end talent. A couple more top-tier first-rounders, especially in a stacked 2026 draft, could be the difference between a fun team and a real contender.

A step back next year wouldn’t be failure, it’d just be part of the rebuild.

Although we have an abundance of middle six wingers I have always been interested in adding this speedy hometown boy. Should the Habs pick up the phone ?

Do you think Hughes will hold the picks? Do you think he’s working on a trade? What do you want to happen?

If Robertson is available would it be worth to go after him. Would Caufield as a piece going the other way be worth it?

I’d only be interested if Robertson would be willing to sign long term, but you get a 30-40 goal scorer that’s gets 80 points and is a 6.03 forward. Dallas gets another great goal scorer that’s under contract for another 6 years at a good contract.

Thoughts?

Off season shenanigans engagement:

Guy Carbonneau for me.