Canadiens Have Chance to Improve Center Depth After Price Trade – The Hockey Writers –

It is almost inevitable that the Montreal Canadiens will trade Carey Price’s contract after his signing bonus is paid on Sept. 1. The trade will not only fix their cap overage problem but also leave them with just over $4.5 million in cap space. The next question is what the Habs will do with that extra money, if anything at all. It’s no secret that they need an upgrade at center, but is the money left enough to secure a long-term upgrade, or is it sufficient for a stopgap player?

Moving Price’s Contract Gives More Flexibility

The Canadiens require cap space to remain flexible and make moves to address any roster holes. The most glaring hole is down the middle after Nick Suzuki on the top line; the rest of the center core thins out pretty quickly. Montreal will need to address this if they plan on moving past a potential playoff team and into a bona fide playoff team and potential contender. A second-line center is not always readily available and can be expensive. This is why the Habs need the cap flexibility to even think of making a move to get one. The $4.5 million left when Price is traded isn’t quite enough to acquire a top-six center, but it gives the team a starting position and enough room to move out another player from a position of depth.

Montreal is loaded with left-handed defencemen and needs to make room for younger players on the rise, like David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom. Mike Matheson comes to mind. He is on an expiring contract and is in a position to lose minutes with the rise of Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle, as well as the addition of Noah Dobson in the offseason and Alex Carrier from last season. Moving Matheson would give the organization almost $10 million to acquire a top-six center. The Canadiens may not be able to finalize a deal before the start of the season, but they will have the potential to make one during the season, as they did with Carrier last season. Matheson may also not be moved, but if the Habs want a bona fide top-six center, then more money will have to come off the books, and Matheson is the logical choice.

Hughes Is Always Looking to Improve the Canadiens

Canadiens general manager (GM) Kent Hughes is always looking to improve the team, and he’s very calculated in what deals he makes. Matheson is not the only asset Hughes has to move; he’s just the one…