Montreal Canadiens Still Have To Answer These Three Enormous Questions This Offseason

The Montreal Canadiens 2022 NHL Draft will be reflected upon in future years as a pivotal moment in the franchise’s history. The decision to select Juraj Slafkovsky first overall could be the springboard for future success.

The big Slovakian winger will be compared to Shane Wright for many years, as fans were likely expecting Wright to be the first pick and the second part of a tremendous one-two punch down the middle with Nick Suzuki for many years to come.

But, if the left winger can become a perfect linemate for Suzuki instead, it could give the Canadiens even more value than Wright could have provided. Time will tell, but at least the Canadiens have answered the first huge question they were facing this offseason, who goes first overall?

That doesn’t mean the work is done. In fact, the Canadiens may have actually created more roster chaos and confusion with the couple of moves they have made this offseason. More on that in a minute.

The offseason really only got underway with the NHL Draft, but most of the offseason transactions are completed within a day or two of free agency opening. That will happen on July 13th this year, and by the 15th, NHL news is going to slow to a trickle.

So, the Canadiens do still have a lot to do, and really not a lot of time to pull it together. Within a week, dozens, if not hundreds of players will move to new organizations but the number of players that change teams in the two months that follow will be a minuscule number.

Yet, the Habs have some big questions to answer in that short offseason window. They answered one of their biggest questions with the selection of Slafkovsky, but plenty of answers reamain to be found. Let’s take a look at the three big questions still hovering over the Canadiens today.

What is going on with Jeff Petry?

The Montreal Canadiens received a trade request from Jeff Petry way back in November. Here we are about eight months later and he is still on the roster. Part of that was because he played awful for two-thirds of last season, and no one was interested in acquiring him.

Petry was in the first year of a four year contract with a $6.25 million cap hit. It looked like a bargain when he was helping the Canadiens make a run to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, but it looked like an albatross when he couldn’t complete a partner pass in October.

Finally, the trade deadline passed and Petry was still in Montreal. With a new, offensive oriented head coach in Martin St. Louis, Petry’s game came alive late in the season. He finished the year with 21 points in 28 games and we found out the bad start was in part due to the fact his family was staying in Michigan while he was playing in Montreal.

So, a draft trade seemed likely. Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes hasn’t been shy to say he would move Petry if the right offer came along. Apparently it hasn’t, because Petry remains in Montreal, though it seems like the player and team are headed for separation.

But when? If not on draft day, perhaps teams who strike out on John Kilingberg in free agency will circle back? If not, are the Habs going to be able to move him at all this offseason?

When Ryan McDonagh was traded, essentially for cap space, after playing a big role on three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals teams in Tampa Bay, it couldn’t have helped Petry’s value.

Will the Canadiens get anything of value for Petry this offseason? That is a question we should find an answer to by July 13th. Even if he isn’t traded then, he likely remains here to start next season.

Which forwards will start the season in Montreal?

The Canadiens began the offseason with too many veteran wingers on the roster. It would be fine if this team was a contender and looking to make a run next season, but they aren’t. They just finished in last place and can’t operate like the Tampa Bay Lightning right now.

The Canadiens have made two trades so far this offseason that involved acquiring forwards. Winger Evgeni Dadonov and centre Kirby Dach have entered the organization and no forwards have been swapped out. Sure, Mathieu Perreault and Tyler Pitlick are going to move on as free agents, but they played very minor role last season anyway.

Dadonov and Dach are going to play top nine roles next season. But who moves out to make room? If Juraj Slafkovsky makes the team, that adds three new forwards to the top nine. That’s great news, the team needs an injection of good hockey players, but how do they make space on the roster.

Right now, they have the following NHL regulars from last season on their roster: Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, Evgeni Dadonov, Kirby Dach, Mike Hoffman, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Paul Byron, Jake Evans, Ryan Poehling, Rem Pitlick and Michael Pezzetta. That is 15 and we haven’t included Slafkovsky.

As a rebuilding team, it would be nice to have space up front for players like Rafael Harvey-PInard and Jesse Ylonen who have played well in the AHL and deserve a longer look at the NHL level.

That isn’t the case right now. The Canadiens need to find a way to clear out three or four of the forwards mentioned above. Some of them, like Dadonov, Drouin and Byron, have one year left on their contracts and will be gone by the end of next season. But a few of them need to be gone before next season even begins.

How? Pezzetta is likely ticketed for the AHL again, but it would be ideal if the Canadiens could find a trade partner for Hoffman, Armia or Byron. You don’t want to lose a younger player like Pitlick or Poehling on waivers just because a past-his-prime winger is taking up space.

How do the Canadiens sort all this out? We will see, but that’s a question that needs to be answered long before October.