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Opinion: Moves Still Coming for Canadiens After Patrik Laine Trade

Despite trading for Patrik Laine, the Montreal Canadiens still have moves to make to complete their lineup.

Jacob Punturi

Apr 16, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) and teammates salute the crowd after a game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2024; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman David Savard (58) and teammates salute the crowd after a game against the Detroit Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
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The Montreal Canadiens are transforming their roster and organizational expectations this offseason. The team committed long-term to their current core after signing recent number one draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky to a new, eight-year contract. He joins captain Nick Suzuki and sniper Cole Caufield as the cornerstone pieces for the Canadiens resurgence.

The Canadiens didn't rest with the Slafkovsky deal or the new contracts they gave defensemen Justin Barron and Kaiden Guhle. The Habs also went out and acquired Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets, giving the team another goal scorer capable of playing on their top two lines. It's a huge addition for the organization.

With Laine in the mix, the Canadiens have one possible problem they still need to address. The team now has an abundance of right-handed forwards. Laine, Suzuki, Caufield, Kirby Dach, Brendan Gallagher, Joel Armia, Jake Evans, and Josh Anderson are all righty's who figure to play a role on the Canadiens' offense. That leaves four forward spots in their lineup, and even with prominent left-handed players like Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook locked into top-six roles, the lineup as a whole seems unbalanced.

There are plenty of folks also pointing out this potential lineup issue. Senior columnist on the Canadiens for The Athletic Arpon Basu shared a list of all of the right-handed shots slated to be in their lineup.

This may not be a problem for the Canadiens management or coaching staff. They may even see it as an advantage, as most rosters are dominated by left-handed players or closer to an even split. For the Canadiens, a majority right-handed lineup might represent everything going according to plan.

There is also a real possibility that the Canadiens' front office sees this imbalance and wants to address it before the 2024 season begins. With Laine now around, the Habs have to wonder whether they need all four of Armia, Anderson, Evans, and Gallagher. Or will keeping all of them give the team too little variety in their bottom-six? The Canadiens are trying to win more games in 2024, and swapping one of their many right-handed depth forwards could give them a better chance to doing so. The Habs' front office knows this, which means more moves are coming this summer for the Canadiens.

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Jacob Punturi
JACOB PUNTURI

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