The Canadiens aren’t as good as they were in the playoffs

The Canadiens still haven't added a key player to their roster.

While most of the league has done so—whether yesterday or during the week leading up to the draft, when trades were happening left and right—Kent Hughes has remained inactive.

He's no doubt called his 31 counterparts often. But he hasn't announced any major additions.

The result? While teams that missed the playoffs in 2026 (Washington, Florida, Toronto) have improved, and while teams that made the playoffs in the East have gone out and acquired pieces, the Habs have a worse team than they did when they entered the playoffs.

Why? Because he didn't add any players and let Joe Veleno and Brendan Gallagher go—players who saw some ice time during the most recent playoffs.

Kent Hughes made trades for the AHL, signed players for the Rocket, handled the qualifying offers, wrapped up the Gallagher deal, and signed Ivan Demidov to a contract with terms that are perfect for the Canadiens. That deal is ideal.

But the fact remains that, right now, his team isn't any better than it was a month ago. That obviously doesn't mean we no longer believe in the Canadiens' plan, which is solid for the long term, but…

Will the Canadiens manage to improve this summer? pic.twitter.com/cEKNoPlG8o

— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) July 2, 2026

But they're going to have to step it up a notch.

I'm confident that Kent Hughes, who's more than capable of pulling a rabbit out of a hat, can pull off a deal at a price that will have Habs fans wondering, once again, if he's a magician.

But since he's the last GM (or nearly so) to make a move this summer, questions are being raised right now. That's only natural.

We've said it before, but Hughes missed the summer 2025 window, which looked set to be a key opportunity to improve the top-6. It was the same story at the 2026 trade deadline and during the most critical part of the current offseason.

There's still time since there's no summer deadline, but the options are more limited. And at this point, if the GM does something foolish, it will be seen as a panic move.

I don't think the fans hold it against him regarding free agency, given the prices and the players available. But we need reinforcements for the top-6 (in particular) via a trade… and those kinds of deals rarely happen toward the end of July.

Extension

Right now, based on CapWages projections, the Canadiens have $15.18 million in cap space. But that doesn't account for restricted free agents, specifically Kirby Dach and his $4 million qualifying offer.

This figure accounts for 10 forwards, six defensemen, and two goaltenders, including Samuel Montembeault. Once depth players are added to round out the roster, there won't be that much money left. But the GM can do whatever he wants…