How can the Habs add physicality to their roster?

July 21, 2024

The rebuild of the Montreal Canadiens has been underway, in earnest, since owner Geoff Molson relieved General Manager Marc Bergevin of his duties, and replaced him with the management duo of Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes. In less than three years of their tenure, the transformation has been profound, but it is yet incomplete.

At the end of season press conference, GM Kent Hughes told reporters that two priorities as they continued the build would be to add goal scoring and physicality. Neither of these needs were surprising.

What was unclear in the presser, and what remains unclear, is whether Hughes meant that he wished to add these through drafting and development, or if he was thinking as early as the 2024-25 NHL season.

Where goal scoring is concerned, the assumption has been made that Hughes would try to add immediately. Despite adding, through the draft, two top-six forwards who can score, Hughes is still reported to be interested in players who are available on the trade market.

Should we make the same assumption about adding physicality?

The current roster, which has not significantly changed from the 2023-24 roster, lacks physicality.

The physicality dimension on the blue line is not lacking. This is said, of course, with the caveat that none of us really has a clue who the Habs will roll out for their D core this coming season.

Assuming there are no major injuries or changes, Xhekaj will still be the Sheriff. Struble and Guhle will still bring an edge, and Savard will still be the big body guarding the crease. Mailloux and Reinbacher are waiting to add their own style of physical play to the roster. When Hughes said he needed to add physicality, he wasn’t referring to his defensemen.

The forward group, on the other hand, is not exactly set. Pezzetta brings energy and takes an occasional ill-advised fight, but he’s probably best suited for the 13th or 14th forward role. Armia uses his size to control the boards, but he’s on the clock to move on from Montreal. Dach will bring an edge to the top six if he can stay healthy, and Slafkovsky is no shrinking violet.

But the current group lacks a truly physical player who has the tools to play in the top nine.

Florian Xhekaj and Luke Tuch will continue their development in Laval this coming year, and the Habs took a flyer on some physical players in the later rounds of the draft earlier this summer. None of these guys are expected to contribute in the immediate future.

If the Habs are looking for goal scoring to contribute right away, are they also looking for physicality? If so, where might it come from?

Here are some guys the Habs should target.

Nicolas Roy is a Quebec-born, big and physical power forward who can play up and down the line-up and in all situations. Ideally, the 27-year-old centreman with a Stanley Cup ring in his possession would drop in the line-up as kids mature. He’s under contract for another three seasons with an AAV of $3M.

Why would the Vegas Golden Knights give him up? Likely only if the Habs can offer something they need while also allowing them to clear some cap.

Imagine an eventual fourth line that is comprised of Tuch, Roy and Xhekaj.

Scott Laughton has been rumoured to be on the market for months, and for the right price he could bring a dimension the Habs lack. He’s under contract for the next two years with a $3M cap hit.

Laughton is a bottom-six forward who can play all positions in all situations. Both feisty and physical, Laughton could insulate the development of young forwards who will be ready to replace him by the end of his contract.

Guys like Joshua Roy and Owen Beck could really benefit from a veteran of this caliber as their line mate.

There is a very good reason why Rutger McGroarty is of interest to Hughes and the Habs. While Nicolas Roy and Scott Laughton are solid veterans who could bring physicality to the line-up, McGroarty would bring it while also fitting perfectly with their current core.

Drafted in Slafkovsky’s class, McGroarty is projected to bring a physical dimension while adding offensive production from the middle six. Having already added Demidov and Hage this summer, McGroarty would be quite the hat trick for Hughes to pull off.

What would it cost the Habs to add physicality?

The acquisition price for any of these players depends on what their current teams need.

Vegas is always looking for cap space to add the next big name on the market. If Mitch Marner is moved this summer, or any other player with a high price tag, Vegas will always potentially be in on it. They have shown they can be ruthless in offloading players under contract to add talent. A lower-priced replacement like Jake Evans, or a prospect for the blue line like might get it done

The Flyers were rumoured to be asking for a late first round pick for Laughton at the trade deadline. He didn’t fetch that ask then, and he won’t from the Habs now. But perhaps GM Danny Briere would entertain a prospect line Sean Farrell.

The price for McGroarty is high, and he’d already be moved if it weren’t too high. If the Habs are inclined to spend a first round pick, here makes sense. The Jets want a package, and finding one that appeals to GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is not proving easy for the group of interested teams. The package would probably also need to include a veteran from the roster like Savard or Dvorak or Evans, and a prospect, which the Habs can afford.

The Canadiens have been painfully quiet while they work on coaching and signing restricted free agents. But it’s almost certain another trade or two will be coming before the summer ends. We’ll have to wait and see if those deals address their need for physicality.