Is Marc Bergevin Still Looking to Improve the Montreal Canadiens Lineup?

The Montreal Canadiens season is set to begin on January 13th, 2021. Could we see another acquisition to improve the team’s performance in their division, or is there more at play?

The Montreal Canadiens were one of the busier NHL teams during the offseason. Following their elimination by the Philadelphia Flyers, general manager Marc Bergevin sought to rectify several key needs in the acquisitions of Jake Allen, Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson and Tyler Toffoli.

While this offseason has put the organization right up against the salary cap, it appears they may not be done. Per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Marc Bergevin is seeking to further strengthen the Montreal Canadiens lineup ahead of their upcoming season. However, a move being made with just over 10 days to go before training camp begins could be a sign of more than just strengthening the lineup.

Freeing up Cap Space is a Necessity

Following the signings of both forwards Tyler Toffoli and Brendan Gallagher, the Montreal Canadiens have found themselves nearly right up against the salary. With a projected cap hit of $81,116,309, the Montreal Canadiens have a mere $383 691 worth of leeway. In consequence, if Marc Bergevin were looking to add another player to the roster, it would have to be a contract that is both cap-compliant and with enough salary going the other way as well.

While it is possible Marc Bergevin is still looking to strengthen the Montreal Canadiens roster prior to the start of next season, it is just as possible that he is merely looking to free up space to make trades in the future upon seeing how his team performs.

Could we see a Resolution to the Philip Danault Contract Situation?

Since the beginning of the Montreal Canadiens offseason, there has been plenty of chatter regarding when Montreal Canadiens centre Philip Danault will sign a contract extension. Several interviews with the player himself have led many to believe that there is not much in terms of progress on that front. Although a year still remains on Danault’s $3,083,333 deal, progress appears to be nil.

Several weeks ago, Philip Danault was interviewed by the Athletic and stated, “Right now there are no negotiations,”  and that talks are essentially at “square one.” Furthermore, Danault was far from pleased with the changing of his role when the NHL returned to play in August. For almost the entirety of the last two seasons, Philip Danault has been on the de-facto first line of the Montreal Canadiens. However, with the impressive play of young forwards Nick Suzuki and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Danault was given a defensive role that saw his offensive capabilities dwindle.

Following the Montreal Canadiens elimination, Danault also mentioned:

"“I saw my role change in the playoffs, but with what I’ve already proven the last few years, my role shouldn’t change in Montreal because I’ve proven I can perform offensively and defensively.”"

This leads to a dilemma for the Montreal Canadiens organization. If Philip Danault is unwilling to see his role change whilst Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick  Suzuki continue to earn more ice time as their development progresses, Danault may not be willing to remain with the team. A predominantly defensive role not being on the table might hurt the Montreal Canadiens plan for their depth down the middle as he believes he would stop getting better if that were the case.

It is possible that a trade would be a solution to talks that have yet to progress, freeing up both sides from having to deal with talks in a shortened season where every game counts. However, it would be difficult to see if the Montreal Canadiens would get a return that strengthens their lineup.

The Likeliest Scenario: Future Depth Acquisitions

Excluding the likes of Carey Price and Shea Weber, who are 33 and 35 years of age respectively, the Montreal Canadiens are still a rather young team. This holds to be particularly true down the middle as the oldest centre on the team is Philip Danault at 27. The ages then drop to the 24-year old Jake Evans, who has yet to play a full season in the NHL, and the 20-year olds, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki.

Taking this into consideration, Marc Bergevin may be looking to improve the Montreal Canadiens by acquiring a veteran centre to replace Nate Thompson who was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers prior to last season’s trade deadline. There is also the possibility that the team’s depth could see be improved on the wing by acquiring a player such as Matt Martin, who has yet to be signed by an NHL team.