Among the free agents still sitting on the board, one name keeps rising above the rest for the Montreal Canadiens: Vladimir Tarasenko.
That’s the player who makes the most sense if Kent Hughes is going to dip into free agency for a meaningful addition. Fans are still waiting for something concrete before next season, and the signing of Alex Belzile - with all due respect to the veteran - didn’t do much to quiet the desire for a bigger move.
Hughes has said more than once that he wants to improve his team this summer. The problem is that the splashy options are mostly gone. At this point, the market is largely made up of depth pieces and complementary help.
Tarasenko, though, still looks like the one real fit.
He remains one of the most productive forwards available after putting up 47 points with Minnesota last season. That kind of output is exactly why his name stands out from the pack. He also knows Ivan Demidov well, and Demidov had 62 points last season, which only adds to the appeal of the match.
For Montreal, Tarasenko would profile as a short-term answer while the organization waits for its younger players to come through. He isn’t the same player who was once threatening 80 or 85 points a year, but he still has the ability to drive offense at a high level.
The better question is whether he can give the Canadiens something closer to 50 or 55 points, the kind of production many are expecting from Kirby Dach. That’s a realistic possibility.
Of course, any short-term bet comes with risk. There’s no guarantee Tarasenko would repeat what he did last season. Still, among what’s left in free agency, the fit is hard to ignore.
In Other News...
Canadiens May Have Found A Trade Fit In Calgarys Rebuild
The Canadiens spent much of the offseason looking at ways to add another forward, and Calgarys situation has naturally come into focus as the Flames continue to reshape their roster. One player drawing interest is a center who just put together a career-best season with 22 goals and 43 points, a kind of production that stands out even more on a team in transition. For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: a player still in a useful age range, coming off his best year, and potentially available as Calgary retools.
What makes the possibility more intriguing is the timing. The Flames are in rebuild mode, which can open the door to moves that help both sides, especially when a player is approaching a key contract decision and may not be part of the long-term plan. For the Canadiens, the question is whether this becomes a true trade fit before the 2026-27 season, or just another name that makes sense on paper while the market sorts itself out. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Roy Just Stirred Up A Canadiens Dream Fans Still Feel
Patrick Roys appearance at the Serge Savard Invitational at Le Mirage Golf Club gave Canadiens fans another reminder of how deeply his name remains tied to the franchises history. He was there alongside former Montreal players Stphane Richer and Sergio Momesso to celebrate the 1986 Stanley Cup championship, and the setting only added to the nostalgia around one of the teams most enduring eras.
Roy attended as an ambassador for the Canadiens organization, which is enough to keep the old dreams alive in Montreal even without any fresh movement behind the scenes. Fans will keep connecting those dots as long as he keeps showing up in team circles, but for now there is still no official sign that a reunion is actually on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Loom In A Young Star Contract Squeeze
Connor Bedards new contract has already started to ripple through the NHLs next wave of negotiations, and Montreal has reason to watch closely. The deal establishes a fresh benchmark for young stars, which matters for a Canadiens team that still has cap space and could be positioned to make use of market shifts involving the leagues brightest rising forwards.
Cutter Gauthier and Adam Fantilli are among the players whose next contracts are expected to be shaped by Bedards number, and that creates a potential squeeze for teams trying to keep their young talent in line. For Montreal, the intrigue is less about what has happened than what might follow, since no offer sheets or trades have surfaced yet, but the combination of cap room and an unsettled market keeps the Canadiens in the conversation. [Read more 🡒]