The Montreal Canadiens have already done plenty of work this offseason, but Kent Hughes has never been the type to stop once the first wave of moves is over. He tends to circle back when other teams get squeezed, and this market has a few clubs worth watching.
Dallas is the cleanest example. After signing Jason Robertson to a new contract, the Stars are now about $1.3 million over the salary cap and have to carve out space before opening night. That kind of pressure can create bargains, especially when a team is forced to move useful veterans instead of the names it would rather keep.
Radek Faksa fits that mold. He brings size, physical play and penalty-killing value, the kind of dependable bottom-six center who can help if the price stays reasonable.
Sam Steel is another name to keep in mind because he can line up at center or wing and could slide into a fourth-line role while still giving a little offense. Tyler Myers also checks a box Montreal has been trying to address for a while: more size on the blue line.
He is not the same player he once was, but his reach and experience could still help a bottom pairing.
Vancouver is a different kind of situation. The Canucks’ issues are tied less to the cap and more to the direction of the franchise, which has pushed several veterans into trade chatter. Elias Pettersson, Jake DeBrusk and Filip Hronek have all had their names out there in recent months.
Montreal probably won’t be the team making a big swing for that group. Pettersson’s cap hit is not appealing, and even if the return is manageable, the fit is still questionable. Hronek would add to an already crowded Canadiens defense, and DeBrusk does not really look like the kind of target Hughes is chasing right now.
But once a team starts selling, the real value can show up lower on the depth chart. Young players who have slipped down the lineup, former first-round picks looking for a reset and dependable role players can all become available at a much friendlier price. That is the sort of move Montreal has done well under Hughes, and Vancouver could open the door to another one if the Canucks keep reshaping their roster.
Anaheim is the other club to watch. The Ducks still have about $9 million in cap space on paper, but that number is going to shrink once restricted free agent Cutter Gauthier signs his next deal.
Then came another wrinkle: Anaheim matched Leo Carlsson’s massive five-year offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers worth $18 million annually. That changes the financial picture fast and could force the Ducks to move money somewhere else.
That is where the Canadiens could step in. Anaheim has built one of the deepest young forward and defense groups in the league, and not everyone is going to have a clear path to major minutes. If the Ducks need to clear salary, Montreal has the flexibility to take on contracts other teams might have to avoid.
The Canadiens do not need to rush into anything else before the season starts. The roster is already in better shape, and the organization has made patience part of the plan.
Still, that does not mean Hughes should stop scanning the market. These are the kinds of situations he likes to work, and if the past is any guide, another bargain could be waiting before training camp opens.
In Other News...
Canucks Fans Are Getting Squeezed Again Just To Watch Hockey
Watching hockey in Canada keeps getting more expensive, and for Canucks fans the latest reminder comes from Sportsnets annual premium subscription plan, which has gone up again. The network still matters because it carries the NHL rights many viewers are chasing, but the convenience of streaming is starting to look less like a bargain and more like another bill that arrives every season.
TSN has already pushed its TSN+ annual price higher this year as well, adding to the sense that fans are being nudged in every direction at once. When those streaming totals get stacked against a traditional cable bundle that includes TSN and Sportsnet, the comparison gets harder to ignore, and it leaves one familiar question hanging over the whole business of watching the game. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Have A Real Kirill Kudryavtsev Development Debate Now
Kirill Kudryavtsevs first full look across the Canucks organization gave fans plenty to chew on, because the young defenseman spent the 2025-26 season bouncing between Abbotsford and Vancouver while carving out a bigger role than many expected. In the AHL, he put together a steady year with 44 games, two goals and 18 assists, and he also got into three NHL games, giving the club a glimpse of how his game might translate when the pace and pressure rise.
Abbotsford needed him to do more as departures and injuries thinned the blue line, and he was asked to handle larger minutes while moving through different pairings. The season ended up feeling like a real development checkpoint for him, the kind that can shape how a prospect is viewed going forward, and it left the Canucks with a clearer sense of where his game is already reliable and where the next step still has to come. [Read more 🡒]
Patrick Kane's Return Says Everything About Where Blackhawks Believe They're Headed
For Canucks fans looking for a reason to feel better about the future, the conversation around Caleb Malhotra has been part of the appeal. The third-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft comes with local ties to Victoria and British Columbia, which only adds to the buzz around a prospect already carrying the kind of expectations that follow a selection that high. It is the sort of development that keeps a fan base engaged even when the bigger-picture questions are still being sorted out.
Around the league, though, the Blackhawks are making a different kind of statement with Patrick Kanes return. Chicagos serious interest never really faded, and the contract reflects how badly the organization wanted him back as it leans into a clearer direction. The details of the deal tell you plenty about the trust involved, and they also leave one obvious question hanging over the move: how far the Blackhawks are willing to go in building around it. [Read more 🡒]