Fix the blue line
Adding Shane Wright and Joshua Roy to the top six would give the Canadiens some very cheap, elite talent for the next three seasons. Moving out Armia and/or Hoffman would save them plenty of cap space as well.
Spending that cap space on the blue line would be the best investment.
If Petry is traded, the Canadiens will enter the offseason with veterans Joel Edmundson and David Savard locked up. They also have Alexander Romanov, though he is a restricted free agent and need a new contract.
Then there is Justin Barron and Jordan Harris, but they haven’t cemented themselves as fixtures on an NHL blue line just yet. They have both looked quite good in a short stint, but let’s not rush them into top four roles.
Kaiden Guhle, Mattias Norlinder, Arber Xhekaj and maybe Jayden Struble are on their way to the pro ranks next season, but rushing them into NHL roles isn’t going to be the best thing for their development.
Investing in a few short term veterans on the blue line would make a lot of sense. It would help the team compete next season, but also allow the young defenders to develop with the Laval Rocket for the season.
Specifically, the Canadiens could use help on the right side. If they enter next season with Romanov, Edmundson and Harris on the left side, that is fine. But if Petry gets his wish and it traded, the team has Savard and Barron as right defensemen.
Kris Letang has been rumoured to be of interest to Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes, who was Letang’s agent before taking over the Habs. The veteran right shooting defender has 60 points in 67 games for the Pittsburgh Penguins this season, but if a free agent this summer.
Convincing the 35 year old to sign a lucrative two-year contract would help the Canadiens compete for a playoff spot next season, but also not block young defenders like Barron and Logan Mailloux for several years.
Signing another right defender like Justin Braun or Erik Gudbranson on a one-year deal to play third pairing minutes and guide a youngster like Harris would be a sound investment as well. They are still capable of playing steady minutes at even strength and can help out on the penalty kill as well.