Subscribe
Follow Us
As the Montreal Canadiens continue to rebuild their roster, more changes could be on the horizon ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.
After defenseman Chris Wideman announced his retirement this week, Montreal will reportedly look to move any of these three players: center Christian Dvorak and right wingers Joel Armia and Josh Anderson, according to The Fourth Period’s David Calabretta.
Dvorak, who the Canadiens acquired in 2021 from the Arizona Coyotes, is entering the final season of his six-year, $26 million extension and should be a valuable trade piece heading into the new season.
“Dvorak has failed to live up to the expectations in Montreal. In three seasons with the Canadiens, Dvorak has played just 150 games, with 26 goals and 44 assists,” Calabretta said. “Despite playing less games than expected, he has produced like a third line centre and can very well be an interesting depth piece for an aspiring playoff contender.”
As for Armia and Anderson, both are tradeable assets Montreal can replace in next year’s draft. Armia is entering the final year of his four-year, $13.6 million contract, while Anderson is seen as a liability, according to Calabretta.
“The opportunity was there for the Canadiens after a successful 2021-22 campaign from Anderson to trade him; however, GM Kent Hughes and management decided against it despite the growing interest from several teams across the NHL,” Calabretta said. “Now, given the state of the NHL salary cap, Anderson has become a liability to the team’s salary cap, making $5.5 million for another four years.”
After scoring 21 points and 19 goals in back-to-back seasons, Anderson scored 20 points with just nine goals last season. While he isn’t as valuable as he was on the trade market a couple of years ago, the Canadiens will look to move the veteran winger nonetheless.
Montreal is on the market and open for business in search of upgrades, according to RG.org’s Marc D’Amico.
“The Canadiens have reportedly informed their colleagues that they’re not looking for lateral deals and will be looking to make clear upgrades at positions of need,” D’Amico said.
Chris Wideman announces retirement after 6 NHL seasons
The Canadiens’ training camp will be competitive, with opportunities for young players to make an impact in 2024-25 as Montreal heads into the fourth year of its rebuild. This comes on the heels of Wideman’s retirement. His leg injuries and a recent back injury forced him to hang up the skates.
“After much thought, I have decided it is best for my health and my family to retire from playing hockey professionally,” Wideman said in his official statement. “I made numerous attempts at rehabilitation, therapy, and many different treatments, but eventually, it became apparent that returning to the game I love would not be possible.”
Wideman underwent 30 surgeries over the years.
