What’s Next for Canadiens? VP Suggests More Moves Coming

After a busy stretch that brought in defenseman Noah Dobson and forward Zachary Bolduc, Montreal Canadiens executive Vice President Jeff Gorton isn’t ruling out more activity this summer.

Speaking on The Basu and Godin Notebook podcast, Gorton described the Canadiens’ offseason as a “whirlwind” but made clear the team isn’t done yet.

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“Did we do everything we set out to do? I don’t know. Maybe we’ll have to wait a little while to answer that one,” Gorton said.

The trade for Dobson — a right-shot defenseman Gorton called a “core piece” — and the acquisition of Bolduc, a player he’s tracked since junior, addressed two key areas. But a glaring hole remains at second-line center, something Gorton acknowledged.

“There’s people that can step up, maybe [Kirby] Dach can do it, we’ll see,” he said. “But I don’t look at opening day as the last time, like, this is our roster. It’s not like filing your taxes.”

With cap space available and several NHL teams still looking to tweak their rosters, Gorton believes more trades could take place before camp.

Canadiens Open to Making Hockey Trades

“You might see some hockey trades,” he said. “Maybe a defenceman for forwards around the league or vice versa.” The Canadiens are a team on the upswing, and they got there by making savvy, strategic moves. There’s no reason to stop now if the opportunity presents itself.

Among the things they won’t be doing is signing Evgeny Kuznetsov. His agent, Shumi Babaev, confirmed the Canadiens are not interested in bringing Kuznetsov aboard.

Montreal’s front office is using a mix of analytics and gut instinct to shape the roster, and the Canadiens may not be finished yet. The pieces already added show a team aiming to take a step forward, not just in the long term, but possibly sooner than expected.

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