Dreger: Habs GM Hughes 'listening to just about anything' on pending UFAs
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As the Montreal Canadiens continue to press forward in their rebuild, general manager Kent Hughes will have several decisions to make on the future of the club’s impending free agents.
Forwards Jake Evans, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak are set to become unrestricted free agents after the season, while defenceman David Savard is also playing the final year of his contract. With one year left on his deal following the end of this season, Mike Matheson might also be in play for teams looking to add to their blueline.
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger appeared on TSN Radio Friday morning to discuss the path Hughes would take heading toward the March 7 trade deadline.
“Kent Hughes is listening to just about anything that would help the Canadiens. As we know, it's more about the future,” Dreger said. “You look at the players you mentioned and you think 'How would they fit in long-term?' Then you balance that with what the market is presenting and what might be offered for one of those players.
“There are always teams looking for quality defence. That's why, when healthy we consider Mike Matheson a chip that Hughes can play. Savard, of course, is a chip he can play,” said Dreger.
Savard, 34, is in the final year of the four-year, $14 million deal he signed with the team in 2021. He has been a steady veteran presence on the blue line alongside young defencemen Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Jayden Struble, and Arber Xhekaj, all of whom are 23 years old or younger.
Matheson, 30, is an interesting piece for the Habs and could garner the highest return as he still has one year remaining at a $4.88 million AAV for 2025-26. The veteran has one goal and 13 points in 20 games this season. He is currently dealing with a lower-body injury but Dreger believes, if healthy, Matheson could be a trade chip in play for Hughes.
Evans, 28, has gotten off to a good start in his sixth NHL season, scoring four goals and adding seven assists over 22 games thus far. The Toronto native is on pace for career highs in both goals (14) and points (41) and has been a key contributor for the Canadiens as a bottom-six centre and on special teams. Dreger believes that among all the Habs’ free agents, Evans is piece Hughes would like to retain as part of his young core.
“I think Evans is the player the Montreal Canadiens would like to hold onto, that's my impression,” said Dreger. “He's an energy guy and has had an effective start to the year in the bottom six.”
Dvorak and Armia are two veterans with expiring contracts who could be on the trade block as the season wears on.
Dvorak, 28, has two goals and eight points this season, his fourth with the club. He is in the final year of his contract which carries a $4.45 million AAV.
Armia, 31, has two goals and 10 points in 22 games this season and has a cap hit of $3.4 million
The standings atop the NHL are very tight, something Dreger says could play into the Canadiens’ hands as teams look to load up for a playoff run.
“Look at how tightly knit the NHL is. There are 20 teams within striking distance of each other. I think it's going to be really interesting to see if there's any separation in the NHL standings. Does that encourage any GMs to strike, to give themselves a little more bite and depth in the quest to go on a run?
“As teams get deeper into the regular season, you look at injuries that hit certain clubs and teams that are trying to top up. Those would be the conversations that Hughes is having with other GMs.”
The Canadiens have an 8-11-3 record this season and sit 29th in the NHL with 19 points.