Montreal Canadiens: Looking Back on Montreal’s Expansion Draft History
By Scott Cowan
Well, less than 5 years after the Vegas Golden Knights took the stage in the last NHL Expansion Draft, another one is already upon us, something Montreal Canadiens fans are no stranger to. Ever since being formally introduced as the NHL’s newest team a few months ago, the Seattle Kraken have taken the league and its fans by storm (no pun intended), in what should be a busy off-season for GM Ron Francis. In that same sense, Habs GM Marc Bergevin has his work cut out for him after Montreal’s improbable run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2020-21.
With trade rumors a plenty as numerous top-flight players see their future come into question, Seattle has as many, if not more pieces at their disposal than even Vegas did, surprising given the Knight’s initial success over their first four seasons. Now, in spite of the expectations that have been placed upon them, the chance of the Kraken being able to duplicate Vegas’s success is unlikely, though I’m still excited for the future of the NHL’s newest franchise.
Leading on from that, one of the main things Bergevin will have to take note of this off-season is Seattle, making sure their tentacles don’t get hold of one of the many core pieces that made up this Canadiens playoff run. With franchise cornerstone Carey Price now exposed after waiving his NMC clause, fans will be holding their collective breaths come Wednesday night for the result. Having experienced the NHL’s continued Expansion since its earliest days in 1967, Montreal has seen their fair share of players find new life in untested markets. So, with that being said, here’s a look at some of the Canadiens past history, with the NHL Expansion Draft.