3 former Canadiens who Kent Hughes should not bring back in 2024

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.