Top 5 defensemen the Canadiens should target in free agency

Alec Martinez would bring championship experience to the Habs

Alec Martinez has spent his entire career playing in either Los Angeles or Las Vegas, and he’s accomplished just about everything one could ask for in a professional hockey player. If the Canadiens want to sign someone not just to supplement their blue line this summer but also to serve as a pristine role model, it’s Martinez. He’s someone who has never been an elite player but one who has made a living as a role player and helped teams win championships. 

Most hockey players are role players, and the case is no different for the Canadiens, where not everyone will be like Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield. Martinez epitomizes such a player, and a young team would learn a lot from him even if he was in town for half a season. 

Like the others on this list, he wouldn’t be getting in anyone’s way for too long. And since Martinez will be 37 for the 2024-25 season, there is a chance he, too, could serve as an extra or a rotational asset instead of a full-time skater. 

Thanks to his age and the fact he could win a fourth championship this season, Martinez could retire at the end of the year. But if he doesn’t, and if the Habs are looking for one more blueliner, he would make a solid addition.