The Montreal Canadiens could own the most exciting offseason of any of the NHL franchises. The summer started by having the best draft, addressing their lack of forward depth by selecting Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage in the first round. Then, they improved their forward pool even more by acquiring Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Canadiens look like they could be contending for a playoff spot a lot sooner than their fans could've dreamed. However, there is one more trade that the Canadiens could make before the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.
The Canadiens have been underperforming by their fans' standards since their Stanley Cup Final run in 2021. They picked first, fifth, and fifth in the last three drafts, which is a fall from grace for the historic franchise. Habs fans won't take losing kindly for much longer, but their successful offseason makes it look like there could be some success on the horizon. If all their moves work out, the Canadiens are well on their way to their 25th championship.
Christian Dvorak is expendable for Canadiens
Christian Dvorak was a hot commodity when he left the Ontario Hockey League's London Knights. He had back-to-back seasons of 100+ points, totaling 230 points in 125 games. He finished his OHL career by captaining the Knights to the league and Memorial Cup Championship. Dvorak also led the league in goals and was on the Memorial Cup All-Star team with 12 points in four games. It seemed impossible that Dvorak wouldn't excel in the NHL.
Dvorak recorded just 33 points in 78 games in his rookie season with the Arizona Coyotes. It wasn't too alarming for Arizona, as he went from junior right to the NHL, and there is always an adjustment period for players who do that. He followed that season by recording 37 points in 78 games, then missed most of the 2018-19 season with an injury. He couldn't get off the ground in Arizona, playing two more seasons in the desert and failing to tally more than 40 points.
Dvorak and the Coyotes realized it wasn't a good fit for either party, so they looked for a trade partner. The Canadiens were coming off a miraculous trip to the Stanley Cup Final and believed they were a couple of pieces away from winning the title. The Canadiens acquired Dvorak in the offseason and immediately slotted him into the second-line center role.
Dvorak's tenure with the Canadiens has been nothing short of a disaster. He battled injuries since touching down in Montreal and still hasn't tallied more than 40 points in a season. He reached a new low last season with just nine points in 30 games.
The Canadiens will be upset that the Dvorak experiment didn't work out, but Kent Hughes has to realize it's time to cut bait.
Dvorak trade opens more possibilities for Canadiens
The Canadiens are in the middle of a rebuild that accelerated with the Patrik Laine acquisition. They also have Ivan Demidov likely coming to North America in 2025-26, which could turn them into a playoff contender, if they aren't already. Dvorak does nothing to increase those playoff odds, but an extra year of development for some of their players would be helpful.
Dvorak is blocking a path to the NHL for players like Owen Beck and Joshua Roy. Roy could make the team out of training camp anyway, but it's hard to see Beck making this team with Dvorak. It seems like Jake Evans or Dvorak would be the logical trade candidates to open up that space, but Evans is a valuable penalty killer and depth centreman on a future Stanley Cup contender.
It could be early for Beck to debut in the NHL, as some would like to see him get some development in the minors. However, why not get Beck into the Canadiens lineup this season to go through his bumps and bruises? The Canadiens would then have Beck with a year of NHL experience under his belt when Demidov joins the team next season.
Dvorak is in the final season of his six-year, $26.7 million deal. The salary cap won't be a massive issue, as they can just decline to bring him back next season. The Canadiens will have $8 million in cap space once Carey Price's contract goes on long-term injured reserve, and they may not need it if they don't contend this season.
What if the Canadiens do miraculously contend this season? They already have good pieces in their lineup and could improve the team significantly with $12 million to spend at the trade deadline.
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