The Montreal Canadiens certainly are going to try to find another center for their Top 6. However, the challenge is that there are not many available of that caliber this summer outside of Mason McTavish at this point.
If the Canadiens are unable to find another center, just getting another Top 6 forward would be a huge win for this franchise, as they need to add a little more scoring. One player who might have been able to fill that need was forward Jordan Kyrou.
In the recent trade board put together by SportsNet's Nick Kypreos, he mentions the Canadiens as a team that has shown interest in Kyrou and likely will be circling back.
"With Robert Thomas' name completely cooled off, Kyrou is now at the forefront. Look for the Montreal Canadiens, who have shown interest in the past, to revisit Kyrou again. The Penguins also have plenty of interest in this player."
Unfortunately, Kyrou was traded on Tuesday by the Blues to the Washington Capitals for the 16th overall pick, forwards Connor McMichael and Milton Gastin.
Montreal Canadiens continue to run out of options to upgrade their Top 6
Jordan Kyrou might not have been a clear answer to upgrade at center but he does have experience playing the position.
Since he began his NHL career in 2018-19 with the St. Louis Blues, Jordan Kyrou has taken less than 100 career faceoffs and only 31 over the past two seasons. However, he does have experience playing the position from his time in the OHL before being drafted.
It might have been worth exploring for the Canadiens, especially if they can't find any centers on the trade market. They could look to start Kyrou at center during training camp and the preseason on the second line.
However, if it doesn't work, then he just slides in as a wing on that second line with Ivan Demidov on the other side, or even moves up to the first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky moves down to the second with Demidov. The Canadiens still end up with an excellent scoring forward who can have a positive impact when on the ice.
The biggest concern was a dip in production this past season as he finished with only 46 points, which was his lowest total since 2020-21 when he had 35 points in 55 games. However, he is still in the prime of his career at 28 years old and is under contract for five more seasons.
Over the past few days, there have been many big moves made with players like Brady Tkachuk, William Eklund, and now Kyrou. The Canadiens can't wait much longer if they hope to address their Top 6 this summer.
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