The Montreal Canadiens' future chances of being the team to win the Eastern Conference just got a lot harder. The Carolina Hurricanes are the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The Buffalo Sabres showcased this season that they have a promising future. The Tampa Bay Lightning will always be competitive, and the Florida Panthers just got even better. The Panthers' move to add another star player in Brady Tkachuk should be eye-opening for the Canadiens. Their competition is getting better, and after a huge step in the right direction this past season for the Canadiens, Montreal should look to trade this year’s first-round pick in order to help the team right now.
Montreal needs a centre and they need it now
Looking at the Canadiens competition, most Stanley Cup contenders have their centre position sorted. Carolina has Sebastian Aho, Logan Stankoven, and the current Conn Smyth winner, Jordan Staal. Florida has Alexandre Barkov and Sam Bennett, along with a long list of dynamic wingers, that now also includes both Tkachuk brothers. Tampa has Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli. While the Canadiens have a top centre in Nick Suzuki and great depth with Jake Evans, Phillip Danault, and Oliver Kapanen, the second-line centre position is in need of an upgrade.
Kapanen did the job during the regular season on the second line, but down the stretch heading into the playoffs, he began to fade. He was mainly a healthy scratch during the Canadiens' run to the Eastern Conference final, as Montreal relied heavily on Evans on the second line, something that is not ideally suited to his game. While there is always the potential that Kapanen could take a step forward in his development going into his second season, that is not guaranteed, and with the Canadiens looking to become serious Stanley Cup contenders, it would be in their best interest to use this year’s first-round pick as a trade piece rather than using it to select a player.
Who could the Canadiens target?
The recent Tkachuk trade might have just set the value for the Canadiens if they choose to target a big-name centre like Dylan Larkin. Larkin gave his three-team trade list he would be willing to move to, and the Canadiens were not on it. However, with Florida making a big splash to acquire Tkachuk, three first-round and a second-round pick, that would likely take them out of the sweepstakes. The other teams on Larkin’s trade list were the Minnesota Wild and Vegas Golden Knights, but if the Canadiens can make a competitive offer, joining a team that includes fellow American stars like Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson could be enticing for the Detroit Red Wings captain. It would take a lot more than the Canadiens’ 2026 first-round pick to get the deal done, but it would definitely have to be a piece of the package.
Another name heavily linked with the Canadiens is Anaheim Ducks centre, Mason McTavish. The Ducks 2021 third-overall pick has fallen out of favour in Anaheim and is looking for a fresh start. It is expected that he will be traded before the start of next season, and with Montreal in need of a second-line centre, he would make perfect sense for the Canadiens. After coming off the most productive season in 2024-25, McTavish saw his role diminish last season, recording the lowest point total of his career (41). At 23 years old, McTavish fits perfectly with the Canadiens timeline, and his gritty, heavy forechecking style would be a perfect match for the Canadiens second line. Winning puck battles along the boards will only give someone like Ivan Demidov more chances to create in the offensive zone. McTavish would be a cheaper option compared to Larkin, and the Canadiens could use this year’s first-round pick to get the ball rolling to acquire the Ducks’ centre.
It is not time to panic for the Canadiens, but with Florida getting better, and the reigning Stanley Cup champions, Carolina, being two teams Montreal will have to go through to get to a Stanley Cup Final, it might be time for the organization to be more willing to move off their picks in order to upgrade their roster right now.
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