Matthew Poitras has put the Canadiens in a position worth watching.
Elliotte Friedman reported that the Bruins forward has avoided waivers for the moment, which instantly raises the question of whether Boston might make him available at little or no cost. If that possibility becomes real, it should land on Kent Hughes’ radar right away.
“There are teams curious to see what [the Bruins] do with Matthew Poitras, who avoided [waivers] for the time being. Can't imagine he'd slide through.”
From Montreal’s side, the appeal is obvious. Poitras could offer more offense than Oliver Kapanen in the short term, and his profile lines up with a clear need for the Canadiens down the middle.
A waiver claim would be the cleanest path if he gets there, but even a trade would not necessarily require a major price tag. A mid-round pick would be a fair discussion point for a player with his upside.
Boston took Poitras in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, and he has already shown flashes of real talent. He erupted for 95 points in junior with Guelph, has appeared in 69 NHL games, and has 27 career points to his name.
He also had a productive full season in the AHL, finishing with 44 points in 69 games for Providence.
For a Canadiens team still searching for more center depth, a 22-year-old with that offensive track record would be a tempting fit. Hughes has already shown this week that he is willing to look at different ways to improve his forward group.
Whether Boston actually puts Poitras on waivers remains to be seen. But if he does, Montreal will have a decision to make.
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McKenna logged 15:19 in his debut, picked up one shot on goal and had a few moments that underscored how much there is still to learn at this level. William Nylander carried Torontos offense in the game, but Montreal left with the result it wanted and a chance to savor a first impression that, from a Canadiens perspective, could hardly have been scripted better. [Read more 🡒]
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For Anderson, now serving as an alternate captain, the moment fit a career in Montreal that has swung between stretches of production and stretches where the goals have come less predictably. He has spent seven seasons with the Canadiens, and while his scoring track record has varied, the opener offered a reminder that he can still provide an early spark when the team needs one. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings Still Waiting As Cap Space Questions Keep Growing
The Canadiens are still in the market for a meaningful roster addition, and that search has already taken them down some ambitious paths as the season moves along. Around the league, Toronto is being linked to possible defense upgrades and future-oriented trade packages, while Detroit has stayed quiet despite Dylan Larkin broadening his trade list, a reminder that plenty of teams are still weighing whether to push in now or keep their powder dry.
For Montreal, the bigger picture is familiar: the club wants to keep adding talent, but the right deal has not materialized yet. The Canadiens also have their hands full on the contract front, with negotiations ongoing for defenseman Simon Edvinsson in Detroit and cap space questions continuing to shape the market. In that kind of environment, every possible move gets squeezed through a tighter lens, and the next step for Montreal may depend less on intent than on whether a deal can finally be structured in a way the other side accepts. [Read more 🡒]