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The Montreal Canadiens returned to the playoffs for the first time since losing in the Stanley Cup Final in 2021. The Canadiens would fall in the first round of the playoffs to the Washington Capitals. If the squad wants to advance further in the playoffs in 2025-26, they had to make some offseason moves in NHL Free Agency, which they did.
The biggest move of the offseason for Montreal was a trade. The Canadiens acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, sending off two first-round picks and Emil Heineman. The team would also acquire Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues in exchange for Logan Mailloux. The franchise would also lose some players in free agency. Joel Armia went to the Los Angeles Kings. He played in 81 games last year, scoring 29 points. They also lost Alex Barre-Boulet, Cayden Primeau, and Michael Pezzetta, minor players on the team last season. The biggest loss may have been Christian Dvorak, who went to the Philadelphia Flyers. He played in all 82 games, scoring 12 goals and adding 21 assists.
The Canadiens would make nine signings in the summer of 2025, but was it enough to improve the team overall?
Joe Veleno joins the Canadiens
Joe Veleno was the 30th overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2018 NHL Draft. After time in the AHL and SHL, he would break in the NHL with the Wings in 2020-21, playing five games and scoring one goal. He would become a full-time NHL player in 2021-22. The Canadian center's best season was in 2023-24, where he played 80 games with 12 goals and 16 assists. During the 2024-25 season, Veleno would be traded to the Chicago Blackhawks. In his 18 games with the Hawks, he scored three goals and added four assists.
The forward would be part of the trade from the Blackhawks to the Seattle Kraken for Andre Burakovsky, but his contract would be bought out. His contract with Montreal is worth just $900,000. Further, he is a versatile forward who can play all three positions, though his primary position is center. It is likely he will not spend a ton of time on the ice this year, but he has shown himself to be a player who can have some production. At this low of a cost, he is a solid option for the team when they need another forward.
Joe Veleno contract grade: B+
Montreal signs two goaltenders
The Montreal Canadiens signed two goaltenders to the team this year. The first was bringing back Jakub Dobes. While the Canadiens have Sam Montembeault and Carey Price on the roster, Price is unlikely to play in the NHL again. With Primeau now with the Carolina Hurricanes, Dobes will be the backup to Montembeault in 2025-26. He played in 16 games in 2024-25, going 7-4-3 with a 2.74 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage. He also appeared in three playoff games, going 1-2 with a 2.91 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
The Czech netminder was the 136th overall pick of the Canadiens, and after playing at Ohio State, would join the Laval Rocket in 2023-24. With the Canadiens' AHL affiliate, he was solid. He played in 65 games over parts of two campaigns, going 33-21-7 with a 2.82 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. Dobes has shown he is a capable backup at the NHL level.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens needed to add another goaltender to the AHL level, who could also compete to be the backup to Montembeault. They did just that by bringing in Kaapo Kahkonen. Kahkonen was the 109th pick of the Minnesota Wild in the 2014 NHL Draft. He would not make his NHL debut until 2019-20 with the Wild, playing in five games that year. He has since spent time with the San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, and Colorado Avalanche at the NHL level, as well as being a part of both the Winnipeg Jets and Hurricanes' AHL teams.
The Finnish netminder is a great option if Montembeault goes down or Dobes does not perform. In his NHL career, he has played in 140 games, going 49-68-15 with a 3.34 goals against average and a .898 save percentage. While he has not been great at the NHL level and has played just seven NHL games since 2023-24, at a cost of $1.15 million, he is a serviceable option as a call-up from the AHL.
Jakub Dobes contract grade: A-
Kaapo Kahkonen contract grade: B+
Marc Del Gaizo adds blue line depth
Marc Del Gaizo joins the Canadiens on a one-year deal from the Nashville Predators. The former 109th pick in the 2019 NHL Draft of the Predators would play at UMass-Amherst before joining the AHL. He would make it to the NHL ranks in 2023-24, playing nine games with Nashville, adding three assists. In 2024-25, he would play 46 games at the NHL level, adding nine points. Still, his physicality is something that is to be desired. He had 71 hits in the 2024-25 season while playing in just 46 games.
Del Gaizo will add some offense to the blue line, but his ability to block shots and make hard hits adds a different element to the defense. The Canadiens currently have six defenders under NHL control, plus Jayden Struble as a restricted free agent, meaning Del Gaizo is likely to begin the season in the AHL. Regardless, he is signed for just $775,000 and could be a solid call-up in case of an injury.
Marc Del Gaizo contract grade: B
The rest of the signings
The Canadiens made five other signings this offseason, with most of them being AHL pieces. William Trudeau returns to the organization after spending 2022-23 through 2024-25 with the AHL affiliate. The defenseman has put out solid offensive output, scoring 20 goals with 50 assists in three seasons. At just 22 years old, the former fourth-round pick could still develop into a solid blue liner for the franchise, and bringing him back was a solid move.
Sean Farrell is a winger who was also drafted by the Canadiens. He has played in the NHL, playing in six games with one goal. He broke out in 2024-25, with 20 goals and 24 assists for the Rocket, while also adding ten points in 13 games in the playoffs. This is another solid, young player who could be a future piece of the team.
Samuel Blais is not a young prospect anymore, but he brings NHL experience. He has played 257 NHL games between the New York Rangers and Blues, scoring 27 goals and adding 44 assists. This is a perfect addition to a team as an option to call up in case of injury. Even though he did not play in the NHL in 2024-25, his experience is highly valuable.
The team also added Alex Belzile and Nate Clurman. Belzile has some NHL experience, but at his age is most likely just a roster piece for the AHL. Clurman has played in just one NHL game and has not shown himself to be an NHL-level defenseman. Still, both of them are necessary pieces for the farm system.
Canadiens depth signings grade: B
Final grade on the Montreal Canadiens 2025 signings
The Canadiens have plenty of solid pieces already on their roster. The top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky is solid and will continue to grow with age. Meanwhile, they added some offensive depth with the Bolduc trade and brought in a top defender with Dobson. The team did not have many major holes to fill this offseason, but still had a solid summer in free agency. The two goalie signings create stability behind Montembeault. Joe Veleno brings a player who can be used when there are injuries. Further, they kept multiple solid AHL pieces, which will only help the franchise down the road. They made the playoffs in 2024-25, and a productive should make it possible for them to return to the dance again next spring.
Final grade for Montreal Canadiens' 2025 free agency class: B+
