Montreal Canadiens Still Have Options To Add Veteran D Before Season Begins

The Montreal Canadiens will begin their 2022-23 season tonight when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs. After a lengthy preseason, thankfully the regular season is finally here and the games matter.

The Canadiens were tinkering with their roster throughout the offseason, and added Sean Monahan in a late summer trade. They also picked up Jonathan Kovacevic off waivers earlier this week to add some depth on the blue line.

But, are they done? Will they make any more moves before the season begins? They don’t have much time, but it is still possible they could acquire a veteran defender today before the puck drops on opening night.

Canadiens have options to add veteran RD

The Habs already added a right defenceman when they grabbed Kovacevic, but they could use another veteran defender. First of all, Kovacevic can’t really be described as a veteran defender to begin with. He is 25 years old but has played just four NHL games in his career.

The Canadiens could have four rookies on their blue line tonight, with Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Jordan Harris and Kovacevic all likely to draw into the lineup. That’s not ideal, even in a rebuilding season. You don’t want these young defenders being overwhelmed in October and stuck on the roster for months because no one else is available.

So, that is why the Canadiens should be on the phone with Jason Demers right now. The veteran right defenceman was just released from his professional tryout with the Edmonton Oilers. While that isn’t entirely encouraging, it is also worth noting that the Oilers have Evan Bouchard, Cody Ceci and Tyson Barrie locked up on the right side so Demers was likely offered a depth role at best.

With the Canadiens, he could be on their second defence pairing quickly. The Dorval, Quebec native is a veteran of 699 career NHL games and could provide the Habs with some reliable defence as well as veteran savvy to help guide along some of the Canadiens young defenders.

They could also look to claim Nicolas Meloche off waivers. The 25 year old right defender was the final cut from Calgary Flames camp, but played 50 games for the San Jose Sharks last season adding some physicality to the blue line.

The LaSalle, Quebec native would take some pressure off Xhekaj who is just 21 years old but may be asked to be the enforced for this team. Meloche isn’t a hugely experienced defender like Demers, but he was a regular last season and can be had for free off waivers later today.

It will be interesting to see if the Habs choose to make a move, or if they are set to go with the roster as it is right now. The team is going to need plenty of depth throughout the season as injuries occur, and they could add some for free today.

Want your voice heard? Join the A Winning Habit team!

Write for us!