Help! Help! The sky is falling. It is mid-way through July in the year of our Lord 2025, and the Montreal Canadiens do not have a dyed-in-the-wool, bona fide second-line centre! Look upon the depth chart and despair!
Man, we really have been spoiled by the past season. Making the postseason and the overall success of the past season may have gotten a few fans a bit too excited, and the timeline is in shambles. The Canadiens have gone from a promising young team to one that needs just one more piece.
Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and the Habs made a huge move in acquiring one of the biggest names on the trade market in Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, filling a big hole on the back end. The team also got young promising forward Zachary Bolduc, moving excess goods in Logan Mailloux.
With the arrival of Ivan Demidov and possibly David Reinbacher, it's undeniable that the Canadiens will be better next year. But it seems like that isn't enough for some.
It's getting to the point where arguably the biggest move of the offseason wasn't enough, and more moves must be coming. There is a hole in the lineup, and that must be filled. After all, the Canadiens won't win the Cup or go too far in the playoffs without a second-line centre.
But we really need to evaluate where the team is right now. The team is still among the youngest in the league, and just barely made the playoffs last year. There is no need to rush anything right now. All the biggest pieces are either just entering their primes or aren't even close yet.
So what if the team doesn't get a second-line centre this year? It's not like it's a fantastic year for available centres, whether through trade or free agency, anyway. The team could reach and overpay for a second-line centre, or get a player that doesn't fit the team, either one isn't a great option.
And it's not like the Canadiens are looking to win the Stanley Cup this year, or even next year. The rebuild is towards the end of the cycle, but we are still in it.
Even without a second-line centre, the team will do better. With or without that second-line centre, the Stanley Cup is an almost impossible long shot.
Besides, the Montreal Canadiens might have a second-line centre at home already. Kirby Dach does have the potential of being a second-line centre. His career has been sidetracked due to a serious injury, but hopefully, with more time to recover, Dach can return to his previous form.
Either way, there's no reason to rush for another centre. Even if you have no belief in Dach, this isn't the year to sell the farm. If something comes up that works, go for it. But, if it doesn't, this still was a great off-season for the team as a whole.