The first rush of NHL free agency is over, but the Montreal Canadiens still have room to make a move or two that actually fits the plan. Kent Hughes has stayed away from the kind of long-term commitment that creates problems later, and that patience has left Montreal with cap flexibility and a chance to find value deeper into the summer.
If the Canadiens want to add size, depth or another experienced forward, there are still names worth circling. Three in particular stand out: Logan Stanley, Pavol Regenda and Michael Bunting.
Logan Stanley is the kind of defenseman Montreal does not really have enough of. At 6-foot-7, he would instantly be the biggest blueliner in the organization, and the Canadiens’ current group - Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson and Kaiden Guhle - still leaves room for another heavy, physical presence on the third pairing.
Stanley, a former first-round pick, is in what should be the prime of his career and just put together the best season of his NHL run. Between the Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres, he scored nine goals and finished with 26 points in 76 games.
That production matters, but the fit is about more than offense. Montreal would not be asking Stanley to handle top-four minutes or run a power play.
The job would be simpler and more specific: win board battles, protect the crease, make life miserable for opposing forwards and help on the penalty kill. With Hutson, Dobson and Mike Matheson already handling the puck-moving duties, Stanley would give Martin St.
Louis another option who changes the look of the blue line. If the contract stays short and the price stays sensible, he makes a lot of sense as a depth add.
Pavol Regenda falls into a different category, but he could be just as useful. He is the type of signing that does not grab attention right away, yet can pay off in a few different ways. The 6-foot-3 Slovak winger spent most of last season in the San Jose Sharks organization and got into 24 NHL games, where he scored nine goals and added one assist.
Regenda’s NHL track record is still limited, but the offense has shown up whenever he has gotten a chance. He should come cheaply, likely near the league minimum, which makes him a low-risk option with some upside attached.
If he makes the team out of camp, he could bring energy to the fourth line and give Montreal another body who can step in when injuries hit. If he does not crack the roster, he still has value as a veteran presence for the Laval Rocket, where organizational depth matters over the course of an 82-game season.
He also brings the kind of size and physical edge that fits the Canadiens’ identity.
Then there is Michael Bunting, the most established NHL forward of the three and maybe the most intriguing if Montreal wants another proven scorer. Bunting has already shown he can do different jobs.
With the Toronto Maple Leafs, he produced back-to-back 20-goal seasons while playing on a top line. More recently, he has worked more in a middle-six role, bringing energy, grit and secondary scoring.
That kind of flexibility is useful for a Canadiens team that already has its main offensive pieces in Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky and Ivan Demidov. Bunting would give St.
Louis another winger who can slide around the lineup depending on injuries or performance. He is not a star, but he competes hard, can chip in offensively and is not shy about getting under an opponent’s skin.
On a one-year deal, he would carry almost no long-term risk.
That short-term approach is exactly what Hughes has favored during the rebuild. It keeps Montreal flexible and avoids blocking younger players for years.
Free agency may have quieted down, but there is still value out there. With cap space available and the roster still taking shape, the Canadiens could still make a smart addition before training camp.
In Other News...
Penguins Fans Wont Love This Familiar Top Six Trade Rumor
The Canadiens are still sorting through two separate fronts as the offseason moves along, and both speak to how they want to shape the roster around their young core. Jim Biringer of NHLRumors.com said Montreal has been mentioned as a possible landing spot for Penguins forward Bryan Rust, a reminder that the club is still looking for help up front while weighing how aggressive it wants to be in the market.
At the same time, Kirby Dachs contract situation remains unresolved, with Montreal viewing him as part of its future while trying to land on a deal that fits its plans before the arbitration hearing. The ongoing ations add another layer to a summer that already has the Canadiens balancing immediate roster needs against longer-term flexibility, and it is not hard to see why this one could keep evolving before anything is settled. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Dach Situation Suddenly Looks Like A Big Win For Canadiens
Kirby Dachs contract situation has quietly turned into one of those small offseason developments that can matter more than it first appears. After a season in which he was limited to 37 regular-season games and finished with 15 points, the Canadiens have some leverage in the talks, and the latest read is that the two sides are trying to find common ground before things get any messier.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: avoid arbitration, settle the file, and move on without dragging the matter deeper into the summer. Dach may be willing to take a salary below $4 million if it comes with the security of a one-way deal, but the details still have to line up, and until they do, there is at least some room for the situation to shift again. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Added Another Name To A Crowded Bottom Six Battle
The Canadiens have added another forward to the mix, bringing in Brett Berard on a one-year, two-way deal for the 2026-27 season. Montreal already has plenty of bodies competing for bottom-six work, and Berard arrives with the kind of resume that keeps a player in that conversation: NHL experience, AHL time, and a recent stop in New York that showed both his upside and his need to keep pushing.
Berard also came to Montreal in a trade that sent defensive prospect William Trudeau to the Rangers, so this was more than a simple depth signing. The next question is where he fits once the season gets here, because the Canadiens can stash him in Laval with the Rocket or let him battle for a fourth-line opening if he makes enough noise in camp. [Read more 🡒]