The Montreal Canadiens have put together quite a strong prospect pool and their NHL roster is looking pretty solid also, but Alain Chainey believes they need to beef up a bit.
An issue that was very real in the past for the Canadiens was the fact that they had more players under six feet tall than not. Right now, the Canadiens have a decent blend of players, Juraj Slafkovsky and Kirby Dach provide the size in the top six. While Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Alex Newhook are all under six feet tall.
So, with all that said, it would be ideal to seek some more size to be added to the top six. Suzuki and Caufield aren't the biggest, but they have more than proven they belong on the Habs top line. As for Newhook, the jury is still out and if not, then he could slide down to the third line without issue.
The teams that look best in the playoffs are generally bigger and play with a physical edge that wears down the opposition. If the top two lines are going to have smaller players, then having guys like Brendan Gallagher and Rafael Harvey-Pinard might be an issue that needs to be resolved. At some point having all that heart is great, but it might not be enough when a bigger player starts throwing his weight around.
The defence is well balanced, but the offence is loading
On the blueline, the group, minus Lane Hutson are all six feet tall or bigger, so Hutson is relatively well insulated. Jordan Harris is under six feet tall and he doesn't exactly play physically, but when all is said and done, I don't expect that Harris will still be in Montreal. The rest of the guys who are likely to play for the Habs' defence are all on the bigger side.
Some defensemen will need some time to establish themselves in Laval or make the jump to Montreal. But one thing is certain, some big, strong defensemen in the group will insulate the smaller players. Logan Mailloux, Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj can be added alongside Guhle.
Josh Anderson will be relied on quite a bit to add grit into the middle six, and when Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch are ready they will keep the opponent's honest. A trade to add another middle six player with some size, who will stick up for the team might be a great idea. But it can't be underestimated that the team already plays with a pack mentality, so they will for sure stand up for one another.
I believe adding size makes sense, but adding size that isn't just there to bully the opposition is the move that is needed most.