With training camp less than two weeks away, the Canadiens are still staring at the same problem down the middle. Nick Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Jake Evans and Phillip Danault are the names most likely to handle center duties, with Kirby Dach also in the mix, but that group still leaves Montreal without the kind of true second-line centre that can push a team into contender territory.
The trade market has already thinned out. Vincent Trocheck and Mason McTavish are gone, and Dylan Larkin does not appear willing to expand the list of teams he would accept in a trade, which likely takes Montreal out of the picture there. That is why Adam Fantilli has to be on the Canadiens’ radar.
The Blue Jackets’ situation in Columbus keeps getting murkier, and Fantilli is now part of that uncertainty. Zach Werenski blocked a trade to the Dallas Stars earlier this offseason, and while he has said he wants to stay and win in Columbus, he still does not have a contract extension.
Kirill Marchenko has also been the subject of reports suggesting he is reluctant to commit long term. Montreal has already been tied to Marchenko, with Frank Seravalli saying the Canadiens sent a “borderline insane” offer to Columbus.
Now Fantilli’s contract talks are adding another layer of pressure.
Aaron Portzline, senior writer for The Athletic NHL in Columbus, reported that Fantilli did not take part in the Blue Jackets’ annual pre-camp golf outing. That alone does not mean he wants out, but it is still the kind of detail that gets attention.
Fantilli is looking for a major raise, and after the huge extensions for Macklin Celebrini, Leo Carlsson, and Connor Bedard, the market is only climbing. Reports have Fantilli seeking something in the range of $13 million to $15 million per season, a number Columbus may not want to meet given everything swirling around the team.
That is where Montreal should be aggressive.
Fantilli checks a lot of boxes for the Canadiens. He brings size at 6’2” and around 205 pounds, and he used it well last season, finishing third on the Blue Jackets with 139 hits.
He has also developed into a dependable two-way forward, which fits the way Montreal wants to play. The offensive production is still the question.
In his second season, Fantilli scored 31 goals and added 23 assists in 82 games. His point total rose from 54 to 59, but that is still a modest jump for a former third overall pick in his third NHL season.
Some of that has to be viewed in the context of Columbus, where the offensive support is limited. Montreal would be a different environment, with more talent around him and a setup that could make life easier offensively. Even so, landing him would not come cheap.
A trade would likely require Michael Hage going the other way, and that makes an offer sheet an intriguing path. Fantilli is still an RFA, and if the reported ask really is above $13 million, the cost would be four first-round picks.
That is a hefty price, but the Canadiens are past the rebuild stage and trying to win now with their core. Their prospect pool is still deep enough to make losing those picks easier to stomach if it brings in a player who helps immediately.
Montreal has been waiting for a big move. Fantilli would qualify.
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Bruins Trade Chance Fans Will Debate
Bostons decision to lock up Fraser Minten on a seven-year extension has added a new wrinkle to a situation Montreal will be watching closely. With that piece of business done, the Bruins may be more open to listening on Pavel Zacha, and the Canadiens have reportedly shown interest as they look to address a roster need. Any conversation between division rivals would be unusual enough on its own, but it also comes with the kind of negotiation baggage that tends to make these ideas easier to discuss than to complete.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: Zacha would bring a useful middle-six presence and give the club another option in a spot it wants to strengthen. For Boston, moving a veteran forward in the right deal could make sense if the roster reshuffle continues to tilt in Mintens direction. The real question is whether two teams that rarely deal with one another can find a framework that both sides can live with, because the history between them suggests this would take more than a passing phone call. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Hutson Just Added To A Canadiens Debate Fans Love
Corey Pronmans latest 2022 NHL Draft re-ranking gave Canadiens fans plenty to chew on, especially because it centered on the same class that already shapes so much of the teams future conversation. Juraj Slafkovsky stayed at No. 1 in Pronmans view, and the exercise was built around long-term upside rather than a simple do-over of draft night, which is why these lists tend to ignite the kind of debates that linger well beyond the original selection.
The most intriguing part for Montreal is Lane Hutsons rise from a second-round pick to a level usually reserved for the drafts elite, joining Cutter Gauthier in the upper tier of the re-rank. Logan Cooley landed ahead of him, which only adds another layer to the discussion about how teams should value skill, projection and development, and why the Canadiens draft haul remains such a favorite topic whenever these rankings surface. [Read more 🡒]
Samuel Montembeault Faces A Defining Year In Montreal's Crease
Samuel Montembeault arrives at this season with a lot to prove after a rough 2025-26 campaign in Montreal, one that saw his game slip far enough that he went from being the Canadiens starter to third string. In 25 appearances, he struggled to a .872 save percentage and a 3.43 goals-against average, numbers that left the club searching for steadier answers in net as his role eroded over the course of the year.
Montembeault is now at a critical point in his Canadiens tenure, with his future tied directly to how he handles the pressure of this next stretch. He is entering the final year of his contract as a pending unrestricted free agent, so a rebound would help him rebuild his standing in Montreal and across the league, while another difficult season would only deepen the questions around where he fits next. [Read more 🡒]