3 former Canadiens who Kent Hughes should not bring back in 2024
Numerous former Canadiens players will be available in NHL free agency this summer, but Kent Hughes would do well not to bring a few of them back.
The Montreal Canadiens will see plenty of familiar faces in free agency once July 2024 hits, but it doesn’t mean they need to fill gaps in their lineup with older faces. It’s not that the players listed in today’s article aren’t serviceable because all three of them should either re-sign with their current teams, depending on current cap space, or they’ll serve a purpose on one of the NHL’s other 30 franchises, and yes, I said 30, not 31.
So, who has worn a Canadiens uniform in the past that shouldn’t don one for the 2024-25 season? One of them was forced to struggle through a subpar campaign with a not-so-good team this past year, while the other two earned a trip to the postseason.
The final name listed may excite fans if he returned for a second stint in Montreal, and to be honest, he wouldn’t be a bad signing. But considering how general manager Kent Hughes is trying to build the Habs, that player wouldn’t be the best option at the moment.
Mike Hoffman, F
It shouldn’t surprise any of us if Kent Hughes rolled with looking for sound depth scoring options this summer, but Mike Hoffman is one player he should forget about. To his credit, Hoffman wasn’t a bad option for the Habs during his first run with the team, when he logged 69 points and 29 goals in 134 games between 2021-22 and 2022-23.
Hoffman also played good hockey during his previous stops in St. Louis, Florida, and Ottawa, and he should play a sound role as a depth forward regardless of where he lands if that team is already in good shape from a scoring standpoint.
The issue with returning to Montreal is that Hoffman’s overall production has slowly declined since the 2018-19 season when he put up 70 points and 36 goals with the Florida Panthers. No, Hoffman wasn’t bad in the years that followed with the Blues and later, the Canadiens, and you can’t blame him for his meager 23-point outing with the Sharks.
But at this point, especially heading into his age-35 season, it’s tough to count on Hoffman to return to anything remotely close to what he was during his days in Florida. At best, he factors in as a bottom-three forward heading into 2024-25. The Habs would also ideally look for potential depth scoring options that can give them more than Hoffman would likely bring.
Nick Cousins, F
Nick Cousins is a journeyman who saw just 58 games in Quebec during the 2019-20 season, and he’s most recently been helping the Florida Panthers try and break the elusive barrier to winning the Stanley Cup. Overall, Cousins has been solid in Florida, even if his 42 points in 148 games played doesn’t look impressive on the surface.
But he’s stood out as a solid lower-liner for a hard-hitting team, evidenced by his 217 body checks in that span. Cousins is also a good puck mover who is no stranger to helping his team set up shop in the offensive zone - something evidenced in his 52.7 Corsi For Percentage at even strength.
No, Cousins wouldn’t be a bad pickup for the Habs, but if we’re talking about the lower lines, the Canadiens have younger players with more upside than Cousins. Forwards logging lower-liner minutes like Rafael Harvey-Pinard, Jesse Ylonen (currently an RFA), and Michael Pezzetta are better overall options.
This isn’t saying the Canadiens shouldn’t bring in an older or more experienced lower-liner, as they could use the experience, but someone like Sam Lafferty would factor in as a better player here. Either way, if Hughes ended up signing someone like Cousins, it should be for nothing longer than a one-year deal.
Tyler Toffoli, F
Over two years in Montreal, Tyler Toffoli logged an outstanding 37 goals in 89 contests and 70 points total. He also recently enjoyed a pair of impressive seasons in 2022-23 and 2023-24, most of which he spent in New Jersey before the Devils moved him to the Winnipeg Jets.
With 67 goals and 128 points in 161 games played since 2022-23 began, it’s clear Toffoli still has a lot to offer, and of the three players on this list, Canadiens fans would more likely want him in Quebec. He’s still a top-six player in this league, and there is no doubt Toffoli’s presence would parlay the Habs into becoming a better scoring team.
But the major issue with Toffoli is what his overall salary may look like, despite heading into his age-32 season. He still performs well enough for front offices to overpay for him, but the Canadiens likely wouldn’t have the cap space should they sign players like Juraj Slafkovsky and other youngsters to extensions either over the summer or during the 2024-25 season.
Overall, acquiring someone like Toffoli would be great for the Canadiens, but there’s a good chance it would come at the expense of catering to the younger players financially. If the Habs had all of their cornerstones locked into deals, I would say, ‘go ahead,’ but that’s not the case just yet.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)