The Montreal Canadiens head into the 2026 offseason in an enviable position: stable, competitive, and trending upward. According to ESPN’s Ryan Clark and Kristen Shilton, there are no glaring weaknesses demanding urgent attention, allowing general manager Kent Hughes to focus on refining a roster that appears close to taking the next step.
Montreal’s offseason priorities will largely center on contract decisions. Veteran forward Patrik Laine is set to become an unrestricted free agent, while Kirby Dach, Zack Bolduc, and Arber Xhekaj headline a group of restricted free agents requiring new deals. It won’t just be about retaining the already solid players and young core they have on great contracts, but also about how they add to that lineup to ensure the roster is deeper and better prepared to play a Carolina-style that overwhelmed them.
Part of that will be the Canadiens targeting improvements on the blue line. The team finished the regular season ranked 16th in goals-against average at 3.06 — respectable, but an area where added stability could make a significant difference. Adding a veteran defenseman to strengthen the third pairing is seen as a logical move, particularly one who can contribute to a penalty kill that ranked in the league’s bottom half.
Whether that is done via free agency (Rasmus Andersson, Darren Raddysh, John Carslon, Jacob Trouba) or via trade remains to be seen. The Canadiens are stocked with draft picks and an appetite to make a move. They also have a player like Brendan Gallagher who was made a healthy scratch several times throughout the playoffs and has one more season at $6.5 million on his contract. He could be dangled as a trade option. Gallagher does hold a no-move clause, but it seems likely he would be open to a move if the plan remains to keep him in the press box more often than not.
Eric Engels of Sportsnet writes, “To know that he’s probably played his last game in the only one he’s ever worn in this league — the one he’s bled for countless times through 990 games (regular season and post-season combined) — is sad, given his contribution to the team’s ascent to where it finds itself and where it’s going in the future.”
Canadiens Are No Longer In Rebuild Mode
This Canadiens team is no longer in rebuild mode. They are not yet fully complete and perhaps not a Stanley Cup favorite coming into next season, but they’re not far off. With the right additions and the continued development of their core, incremental upgrades and better support for that core are all they need.
Expectations are rising in Montreal. The loss stings, but the future is bright. Now, the pressure will be on to add to this group to ensure they aren’t just a consistent playoff presence but a force.
Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canadiens, Oilers, Maple Leafs & McKenna?
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