Andrei Markov spent 16 seasons in Montreal and still came up just short of one of the Canadiens’ cleanest franchise benchmarks. Drafted by the team in the sixth round in 1998, he finished his Canadiens run with 990 regular-season games, leaving him 10 shy of becoming just the sixth skater in club history to hit 1,000.
That near-miss stings even more because Markov had every intention of staying. In 2017, he was headed for unrestricted free agency and wanted to keep wearing the only NHL sweater he had ever known. Greg Wyshynski reported that Markov first hoped for a two-year contract, then backed off to a one-year deal once that longer term was off the table.
But Montreal’s front office never bit. General manager Marc Bergevin wasn’t interested, and Markov had to move on to the KHL to keep playing.
"I was ready to stay in Montreal. I was ready to sign one-year deal. But it didn't work,"
Even at 38 in his final Canadiens season, Markov was still driving play at a high level. He posted 36 points in 2016-17 and logged almost 22 minutes a night, proof that he still had plenty left in the tank.
His place in Canadiens history was already secure. Markov finished tied with Guy Lapointe for second among Montreal defensemen in points with 572, a remarkable number that says plenty about how productive he was over the long haul. He also stands as one of the best defensemen the franchise has ever had, even without the 1,000-game milestone.
The timing made the whole thing feel harsher. Montreal had won the Atlantic Division the year before, then crashed to sixth place and dropped from 103 points to 71. Markov’s return probably wouldn’t have fixed everything, but it’s hard to look at that offseason and not wonder how much steadier the Canadiens might have been with him still on the blue line.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Are Revisiting A Draft Choice That Still Hurts
The 2013 NHL Draft remains one of those nights Canadiens fans still revisit when the conversation turns to what might have been. Montral went with Michael McCarron at No. 25, looking to add size and a heavier edge to the roster, and he did eventually get into the lineup at times. But much of his development came in the AHL, and his time with the organization ended when he was traded to the Nashville Predators.
Right after that pick, Anaheim took Shea Theodore at No. 26, and his career path has been the sort that keeps hindsight buzzing around Montral. Theodore grew into a regular NHL defenseman, won a Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights and even represented Canada at the Olympics, which only sharpens the contrast for Canadiens supporters still thinking about how different the blue line might have looked. It is the kind of draft slide that never fully goes away because the alternate timeline is easy to picture, even if it will never be answered. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Suzuki Keeps Raising The Canadiens Ceiling Again
Nick Suzukis rise has become one of the clearest reasons the Canadiens can talk about a higher ceiling with a straight face. After a career-best season that saw him finish with 101 points and capture the Frank J. Selke Trophy, the Montreal captain has moved beyond promising centerpiece and into the category of player who can tilt the direction of a franchise. The steady climb in his game has been the kind of progression teams spend years hoping to find, and it has given Montreal a true driver in the middle of its lineup.
What makes Suzukis outlook so intriguing now is that last season may not have been the peak, only the latest step. There is a growing sense around the Canadiens that he can challenge the 100-point mark again if the rest of the roster gives him enough support, and that possibility carries real weight as the team looks ahead. The shape of Montreals forward group and any changes around him will matter, but Suzuki has already shown he can keep raising the standard even as the expectations around him keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Face A Quiet Roster Squeeze That Could Reshape Next Season
The Canadiens have spent much of the summer locking in pieces of their core, but the quieter challenge now is figuring out what the next version of the roster is supposed to look like. Eight players are set to hit free agency after the season, and while Montreal has some obvious names it would like to keep around, the picture is already getting complicated enough that the front office has to balance continuity, cost and timing all at once.
Oliver Kapanen, Alex Newhook and Jayden Struble look positioned to be part of the conversation going forward, but the list of possible departures is where the real pressure starts to build. Samuel Montembeault, Kirby Dach, Josh Anderson, Phillip Danault and Alexandre Carrier could all be moving into what amounts to a final year in Montreal, and with contract decisions and trade possibilities both hanging over the group, the Canadiens may end up reshaping more than just the bottom of the roster before next season arrives. [Read more 🡒]