Montreal selected Beck from the Ontario Hockey League’s Mississauga Steelheads with the first pick of the second round in the 2022 draft. While he signed his entry-level contract in October of that year, it just came into effect for 2024-25 after he spent two post-draft campaigns on loan back to the OHL.

That means the 21-year-old Beck is in his first professional season, which has already included six NHL appearances with the Habs over the past two months. While he made his NHL debut in January 2023 amid a championship-winning campaign in juniors, this year marks his first multi-game run in the pros.

His adjustment to the next level has been smooth. After a pair of seasons above a point per game to close the book on his major junior career, the two-way pivot ranks second on Laval in scoring with 13-19–32 in 47 appearances. His +11 rating ranks third, helping fuel the success of a Laval club projected to finish second in the North Division behind the Sabres’ farm club in Rochester. Beck has yet to record his first NHL point and averaged just 9:45 per game across his sextet of appearances over the past few weeks. He went 11-for-21 on draws and averaged one shot on goal per game with 13 hits and positive possession impacts, so he’s making his presence known outside of the box score as most expected, given his intelligent play style.

If Dach can’t play tomorrow against the Hurricanes, Beck will likely enter the lineup in a fourth-line role while rumored trade chip Jake Evans sees his minutes elevated. The oft-injured Dach has managed to appear in all 57 games for the Habs this year. He’s struggled in extended top-six deployment, though, posting just 10-12–22 with a team-worst -29 rating. His possession numbers back up the allegations of poor defensive play – his 44.8 CF% at even strength is higher than only Patrik Laine and David Savard among active Montreal skaters this season.

PHR is looking at every NHL team and giving a thorough look at their cap situation for the 2024-25 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of PuckPedia.  We’re currently covering the Atlantic Division, next up is the Canadiens.

Montreal Canadiens

Current Cap Hit: $90,661,575 (over the $88MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

G Jakub Dobes (one year, $925K)
D Kaiden Guhle (one year, $863.3K)
F Emil Heineman (one year, $897.5K)
D Lane Hutson (two years, $950K)
F Juraj Slafkovsky (one year, $950K)
D Jayden Struble (one year, $867.5K)

Potential Bonuses
Guhle: $420K
Hutson: $750K
Slafkovsky: $3.5MM
Struble: $57.5K
Total: $4.7275MM

Slafkovsky has already signed an extension so we’ll just look at the bonuses here.  The $2.5MM in ‘B’ bonuses aren’t going to happen but he also has four ‘A’ bonuses worth $250K apiece.  He’s on his way to getting one for ATOI while another for assists is within reach.  Heineman is in his first full NHL season and was off to a good start before being struck by a car while in Utah.  With limited experience (less than 50 games thus far), it’s hard to see him landing a long-term deal.  Instead, a two-year bridge deal around the $1.5MM to $1.75MM range might be where his next contract lands.

Hutson has been quite impressive in his freshman year, leading all rookies in scoring, making him a Calder Trophy contender in the process.  He’s tracking to hit his three ‘A’ bonuses; he already has reached ones for assists and points while ATOI is all but a lock at this point as well.  Meanwhile, he seems like a strong candidate to be the next Montreal youngster to bypass a short-term second deal in favor of a long-term pact.  In recent years, the team has effectively operated within an internal cap, trying to keep all contracts below that of their captain.  However, with the big jumps coming to the Upper Limit, that might be harder to do with Hutson who could be heading for something in the $8.5MM range unless the Canadiens opt for less than a max-term contract.

Like Slafkovsky, Guhle has already signed his next contract so we’ll only look at the bonuses here.  He’s on pace to hit both of his ‘A’ bonuses with ATOI and plus/minus although if his recent injury keeps him out for the rest of the season, he could get passed for the latter.  Struble, meanwhile, has been the seventh defender for most of the year but is no longer waiver-exempt, leading to a less-than-optimal situation.  With the limited usage, a bridge deal is all but a certainty; whether it’s a one or two-year pact is the only question.  A one-year might check in around the $1MM mark while a two-year agreement could be closer to $1.3MM.  Meanwhile, his bonuses are games played-based so while he won’t max out on those, he could still get a bit of that.  At the moment, Montreal is tracking toward having at least $1.42MM in reached bonuses, a number that would be charged against next year’s cap unless they can get out of LTIR and bank that much in cap room by the end of the season.

Dobes took over as Montreal’s backup goaltender after the holiday break and impressed early on before struggling in recent weeks.  If the Canadiens are prepared to commit to him as the full-time backup, his bridge deal could check in around $1.25MM but a one-year pact worth closer to his $874K qualifying offer could also happen if they envision him being back in the minors next season.

Signed Through 2024-25, Non-Entry-Level

F Joel Armia ($3.4MM, UFA)
F Christian Dvorak ($4.45MM, UFA)
F Jake Evans ($1.7MM, UFA)
F Michael Pezzetta ($812.5K, UFA)
G Cayden Primeau ($890K, RFA)
D David Savard ($3.5MM, UFA)

Dvorak was acquired to be an impactful center, being acquired less than an hour after the team declined to match Carolina’s offer sheet for Jesperi Kotkaniemi.  However, his role has become more and more limited as has his offensive production.  He’ll still generate interest on the open market this summer but it’ll be as a bottom-six faceoff specialist, putting his possible price tag around half of what it is now.  Armia cleared waivers last year but has rebuilt some of his value since then as a double-digit scorer and penalty killer.  Matching this money might be tough to do but he could still get a multi-year deal somewhere close to that price point.

Evans, on the other hand, has seen his market value go up considerably this season.  He’s the most-used forward on the penalty kill in the NHL this season while he’s on the verge of setting new career highs offensively and should surpass the 30-point mark.  Given the high demand for centers, doubling this price tag is very realistic, if not a bit more.  Pezzetta, meanwhile, has been a frequent healthy scratch this year and played very limited minutes when he has played.  It’s hard to see him landing a raise; a drop to the league minimum seems more likely.

Savard has seen his playing time drop considerably this year as he has become more of a third-pairing option at five-on-five.  While he’ll still generate interest as a veteran who can kill penalties and provide some edge, it would be surprising to see him get this much on the open market this summer.  A two-year deal could still be doable, however, but it’s more likely to start with a two.

Primeau started the season as Montreal’s backup but lost the job at the holiday break.  However, he has played quite well in the minors since then and could get another look with the Canadiens over the next couple of months.  Owed a $1.068MM qualifying offer, he’s probably heading for non-tender territory unless the two sides can agree on a new deal before the end of June.

Signed Through 2025-26

F Kirby Dach ($3.363MM, RFA)
F Patrik Laine ($8.7MM, UFA)
D Mike Matheson ($4.875MM, UFA)
G Carey Price ($10.5MM, UFA)
D Arber Xhekaj ($1.3MM, RFA)

Columbus had to part with a second-rounder to offload Laine’s contract in full to Montreal (while receiving depth defender Jordan Harris in return).  He has been quite streaky in limited action since returning from a knee injury and certainly hasn’t rebuilt his value to the point where it could be suggested that he’s in line for an extension anywhere near this cost.  There’s a lot riding on how things go next year to see what type of contract he could realistically command.  Dach missed almost all of last season due to injury and hasn’t been able to show much this year.  Notably, he’ll be owed a $4MM qualifying offer with arbitration rights in the 2026 offseason but right now, his play likely doesn’t warrant that cost.  It wouldn’t be shocking if the two sides ultimately work out a short-term agreement before then, buying some more evaluation time.

Matheson had a breakout year last season, finishing in the top ten in scoring among all NHL defensemen.  Had that continued, he could have been eyeing a long-term deal with a raise of several million per year.  That hasn’t been the case, however, and with Hutson in the fold, Matheson’s offensive opportunities have dried up to a point.  Even so, he could plausibly command in the $7MM range on the open market in 2026.  Xhekaj took a bridge contract after having a limited role in his first couple of NHL seasons.  Not much has changed on that front so another shorter-term agreement appears likely at this point, one that should push past $2MM with arbitration rights.

Price hasn’t played since 2022 when he suited up five times down the stretch of that season and isn’t expected to play again.  Since then, he has been on LTIR.  Notably, his base salary for 2025-26 is just $2MM (with insurance covering a big part of that) so after his $5.5MM signing bonus is paid on July 1st this summer, it’s possible he’s flipped with another asset to a team with plenty of cap room to allow the Canadiens to exit LTIR.

Signed Through 2026-27

F Josh Anderson ($5.5MM, UFA)
D Alexandre Carrier ($3.75MM, UFA)
F Brendan Gallagher ($6.5MM, UFA)
G Sam Montembeault ($3.15MM, UFA)
F Alex Newhook ($2.9MM, RFA)

Gallagher has been a regular in Montreal’s lineup for 13 years now but his production and role have taken a dip the last few seasons.  While he was a 30-goal scorer a couple of times, his output is closer to 30 points now which is far from a good return on their investment.  If the Canadiens decide they need some extra cap room, he could be a buyout candidate.  Anderson is also underperforming relative to his contract.  He has become more of a checker this season compared to the past and has held his own in that role.  Still, someone in that role should be making a couple million less at least although his size and physicality will give him a stronger market in 2027.

Newhook had a good first season with Montreal, setting a new benchmark in points despite missing 27 games due to injury.  But things haven’t gone quite as well this season with his output cut in half.  Notably, unlike Dach, Newhook’s qualifying offer checks in at just $2.1MM (with arbitration rights) so even if his struggles continue for the next couple of years, it won’t be too risky to tender him in 2027.

Carrier was acquired earlier this season for Justin Barron with Montreal deciding that another veteran on the back end was needed.  He has fared better since the swap and has locked down a spot in their top four.  He likely would have ended up with a deal like this had he tested the market and not re-signed with Nashville last summer but barring an uptick in production, his next deal shouldn’t cost too much more than this.

Montembeault has come a long way from being a short-term waiver claim to cover until Price returns, moving from a backup role to a platoon piece to now Montreal’s starter.  He’s in that role while being at the price point of a platoon player.  His numbers have largely been mediocre but playing behind an inexperienced back end probably hasn’t helped.  Over the course of this deal, he needs to show if he can be a true number one.  Otherwise, he’s likely to stay closer to this price tag on his next contract.

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Reinbacher, 20, was selected fifth overall in the 2023 draft. He signed his entry-level contract a week later but was loaned back to Switzerland’s EHC Kloten for most of the 2023-24 regular season. This year was set to be his first full-time in North America, but a knee injury sustained in a preseason contest against the Maple Leafs trashed most of his campaign.

The 6’2″, 194-lb righty looked good to close out last season in Laval. He suited up 11 times down the stretch in the AHL after his Swiss National League season ended, scoring two goals and three assists with a plus-six rating. On a high note, he also began the 2024-25 campaign with two assists in three games for Austria at the final Olympic qualification tournament, although they didn’t make the cut.

Reinbacher exploded in his draft year, scoring 3-19–22 in 46 games with Kloten and earning a plus-seven rating, but a disastrous campaign for the club in 2023-24 saw his totals step back to 1-10–11 in 35 games and a -15 rating. The Canadiens and most others were willing to write that off as an outlier, especially considering his finish to the season after coming across the Atlantic.

There’s no roster math involved for the Habs with this move, as Reinbacher didn’t count toward their 23-player limit or the salary cap. He’ll now get a look at top-four usage in Laval before a potential late-season call-up to Montreal.

The Montreal Canadiens haven’t yet spurred their years near the bottom of the standings, but their successes this year suggest that time could be coming soon. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson has provided a stellar spark behind Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. The trio has been backed by promising young goalie Jakub Dobes, finally giving Montreal a sign of the future at every stop in the lineup. Even the Laval Rocket are surging, currently ranked on top of the AHL’s North Division with a roster led by young prospects Joshua Roy, Owen Beck, Logan Mailloux, and Adam Engstrom. The future looks bright in Montreal, and the upcoming Trade Deadline will give the club another chance to trim extra weight and build out what’s to come.

Record

25-26-5, 7th in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Seller

Deadline Cap Space

$7.45MM on deadline day, 2/3 retention slots used, 45/50 contract spots used, per PuckPedia.

Upcoming Draft Picks

2025: MTL 1st, CGY 1st, MTL 2nd, PIT 2nd, MTL 3rd, VAN 3rd, NJD 3rd, MTL 4th, BOS 4th, MTL 5th, MTL 6th, MTL 7th
2026: MTL 1st, MTL 2nd, CBJ 2nd, MTL 3rd, MTL 4th, NJD 4th, MTL 5th, MTL 6th, MTL 7th

Trade Chips

Montreal is entering the Deadline with plenty of extra weight to shed. They have a long list of impactful veterans who could be on the block, led by surging centerman Jake Evans. Evans has posted 11 goals and 26 points through 56 games this season, good enough for fifth on the team in both categories. He’s only three points away from breaking his career-high 29 points set in 72 games of the 2021-22 season. That was one of only two years where Evans played a full NHL season, next to his 28 points in 82 games last season. That precedent makes his 40-point scoring pace this season all the more encouraging. Evans is posting those numbers with a cushy, third-line role and minimal power-play ice time. That’s sure to be an encouraging sign for playoff hopefuls looking to flesh out their bottom-six – teams like the Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, and Ottawa Senators. Recent reports suggest that Evans and Montreal could be at an impasse with extension negotiations, potentially making the center a cheaper buy as the deadline approaches.

If not Evans, Montreal could turn back to routine trade rumors. 30-year-old winger Josh Anderson has posted a modest eight goals and 18 points in 56 games this season. His 121 hits is also tied with Juraj Slafkovsky for the most hits on the offense. Anderson has been on the trade block for years now, but his lofty $5.5MM cap hit and minimal lineup role have been dissuading up to this point. To make matters worse, Anderson has two more seasons on his deal after this year – which could make retaining part of his salary a tough bet for the Canadiens. Though it’s worth noting that both Jeff Petry and Jake Allen will come off of Montreal’s retention slots when their contracts end this summer. But for a cheap price, he’ll stand as a physical option for teams in need of more heft. For teams looking the other way, Montreal could also make forward Alex Newhook available. He’s struggled through two years in Montreal, netting just 52 points in 111 games with the team. Newhook hasn’t posted the well-rounded presence Montreal has needed, but he’s added size with the Canadiens and stands as an interesting project on the open market.

The Canadiens can offer plenty of defense as well. Veteran David Savard joined his hometown Montreal in 2021, looking to stand as a consistent pillar behind a young lineup. But his solid presence has continued through the last four seasons, and Savard doesn’t seem close to slowing down in his age-34 season. He has a modest $3.5MM cap hit that’s set to end this summer, which could make him an attractive rental for teams in need of assurance on the blue-line. Savard may be aged and low-scoring, but his high-defense and high-physical presence could land a return that rivals Evans. Montreal also has a wealth of young defenders, including Jayden Struble – who could be seen as dead weight behind the team’s wealth of left-defenders. Struble has five points and a minus-10 through 30 games this season. But he’s in just his second NHL season, and is working to add more physicality to his style. Those could be attractive traits to build up, at a cheap price.

Team Needs

1) Future Capital – Montreal is entering the 2025 NHL Draft with a whopping 12 picks. That’s plenty for comfort, but with the 2024-25 season seeming a bit lost, there’s little more for the Canadiens to ask for. They’ll enter the Deadline with a true seller’s mindset, looking to drive the price up on each of Evans, Savard, and Anderson. Landing a first-round pick for either of the former, or any return for the latter, will be mark successful Trade Deadline for the Canadiens letting them open space for top prospects and really begin kicking off their future.

2) Right-Shot Defense – If any position group appears shallow in Montreal, it’s their right-shot defense. The team has already made moves to address that hole this season, using a December swap of Alexandre Carrier for Justin Barron to boost up their top-four. They also have top prospect Logan Mailloux working his way up the minor-league lineup, and former top-10 draft pick David Reinbacher working his way back from injury. Both players could stand as strong options on the right-side in due time, but Montreal is hinging on Carrier and Savard to hold them up in the meantime. Finding another cheap veteran, or a promising young defender, could go far in rounding out the team’s lineup in the few years remaining in their rebuild.

LeBrun shared that Evans and Montreal exchanged numbers on a hypothetical contract extension but haven’t gotten close. He also hints that more teams have called the Canadiens regarding Evans’ availability since they began sliding down the Eastern Conference standings.

There’s no question that Evans would make a valuable rental candidate for almost any contending team. He’s only two points shy of reaching a career-high in points while being the leading center on the seventh-ranked penalty kill in the league. The Toronto, Ontario native also gained ample playoff experience during Montreal’s Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.

Evans’ 11 goals and 27 points through 55 games this season don’t suggest he should be placed in a top-six role with a playoff team, but he’s an ideal third-line center for most clubs. The Canadiens may be able to create a bidding war, given his reasonable $1.7MM salary without any trade protection.

The Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Winnipeg Jets could all use more depth down the middle as they continue their push toward the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs. Montreal should have plenty of flexibility to capture the best available return.

Saturday: The Canadiens have added a bit of extra roster depth as they get set to start a three-game California road trip.  The team announced that they have recalled center Owen Beck and Logan Mailloux from AHL Laval.  It’s the second recall of the season for both players.

Beck is in his first professional season and has spent the bulk of it with the Rocket.  The 20-year-old played in two games with Montreal late last month and was held off the scoresheet.  Beck has had a productive rookie campaign in the minors, however, tallying 11 goals and 16 assists in 41 games, good for a tie for tenth in scoring among all AHL freshmen.

As for Mailloux, he got into five games with the Canadiens back in October.  He was productive in those outings, picking up a goal and two assists while logging 16:30 of ice time but struggled in the defensive zone.  He’s in his second pro campaign and has nine goals and 13 assists in 36 AHL appearances so far this season, putting him close to his offensive pace from his rookie year.

It wouldn’t be too surprising to see both players shuffled back and forth a bit over the coming days.  Beck and Mailloux are set to participate in the AHL All-Star Classic on Sunday and Monday with that event being held in California where Montreal will be for a few days.  Accordingly, they’ll likely be loaned back down following Sunday’s game and then recalled back to the big club on Tuesday when the Canadiens are in San Jose.

Harvey-Pinard, 26, made his season debut in Thursday’s shutout loss to the Wild. He posted zeroes across the board in 8:54 of ice time, recording one hit. Montreal was outshot 4-2 with him on the ice at even strength.

It was a quiet showing amid a quiet season for the 5’9″ winger. A broken leg sustained during offseason training kept him out of training camp and on the shelf until mid-November, when the Canadiens assigned him to the minors on a long-term injury conditioning loan. They opted not to reinstate him to the active roster when his loan was up and instead placed him on waivers to keep him in Laval long-term. That was a semi-risky move, considering he’s on an expiring contract at an affordable $1.1MM cap hit and had 14 goals and 20 points in only 34 games two seasons ago, but there were no takers on the wire.

Thirty-one other NHL teams made the right call. Harvey-Pinard has struggled since his late start to the season, scoring only four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 24 games with Laval. He’s on pace for easily the worst offensive showing of his five-year professional career, especially after he logged 31 points in 40 games in his last extended AHL stint in 2022-23.

The Habs recalled Harvey-Pinard last weekend as the Habs wanted an extra forward with Heineman on the shelf, but he sat twice as a healthy scratch before entering the lineup. His lack of NHL usage and disappointing minor-league play this season makes it unlikely that he’ll receive his $1MM qualifying offer from Montreal at the end of the season, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Heineman’s IR placement does not affect his return timeline. He hasn’t played since sustaining an upper-body injury as a pedestrian in a traffic action on Jan. 13 while the team was in Utah and is expected to remain out of the lineup for around another week.

10:09 a.m.: In a corresponding move, defenseman Jayden Struble has been reinstated from his conditioning loan to AHL Laval. The 23-year-old lefty was held without a point and took two minor penalties with a plus-one rating in a pair of contests for the minor-league club.

8:10 a.m.: The Montreal Canadiens announced that defenseman Kaiden Guhle has suffered a lower-body injury and will need further evaluation. Guhle sustained the injury in the third period of last night’s 4-1 loss to Winnipeg when he fell into the corner awkwardly. He appeared to catch an edge on the play as he was trying to pinch in from the blue line, his right leg fell behind him and jammed into the boards, suffering the full weight of the impact. Guhle required assistance to get to the dressing room and did not appear to bear any weight on his right leg.

The 16th overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft is in his third NHL season and has become a huge piece of Montreal’s back end, averaging over 21 minutes a night of ice team and seeing the third most deployment at even strength on the team. Guhle has also been tasked with taking on some of the most difficult minutes in Montreal, starting nearly 60% of his shifts in the defensive zone and taking on the toughest assignments.

Montreal does have some good young defensemen in the AHL right now, however, none will be able to make the jump up from Laval and handle the duties that Guhle has been taking on.

Montreal is in the thick of the Eastern Conference’s race for the Wild Card spots, and losing Guhle for an extended period would be a big blow to their playoff hopes. However, there is a break in February for the Four Nations Face-Off, which could allow Guhle some recovery time, should he need it.

Montreal could also look outside the organization for help as they have 12 draft picks in this year’s draft and will have almost $6.5MM in cap space to work with at the NHL Trade Deadline.

The 26-year-old started the season on injured reserve, missing the first 22 games with a leg injury.  Following a conditioning stint with the Rocket, he then cleared waivers at the beginning of December and has been with them ever since.  Harvey-Pinard has played in 24 games with Laval this season, recording four goals and seven assists.

Harvey-Pinard has seen extensive NHL time in the last two years.  In 2022-23, he impressed as a midseason recall, ultimately collecting 14 goals and six assists in 34 games.  That helped earn him a two-year, $2.2MM contract in the 2023 offseason.  But things didn’t go as well for him last year as he was limited to just two goals and eight helpers in 45 appearances while also missing time due to injuries.

Montreal hasn’t had much success filling Emil Heineman’s spot on the fourth line since he was struck by a car in Utah last week.  Veteran Michael Pezzetta has been given several looks but has failed to clear five minutes of playing time in any of his last seven games.  Prospect Owen Beck received a two-game look but has since been returned to the minors and now it appears Harvey-Pinard will get a chance to reclaim his spot from last season on that line.

With the recall, Montreal’s active roster is now full.  Jayden Struble remains on the roster while on a conditioning loan to Laval while despite Heineman’s injury, they’ve elected not to place him on injured reserve just yet.

Struble, 23, was scratched for the seventh straight game in last night’s loss to the Red Wings. He’s only played four times since Dec. 12 and has been subject to 15 healthy scratches during that span.

The 2019 second-rounder has firmly slipped behind Arber Xhekaj on the team’s left defense depth chart for now. There hasn’t been much appetite for head coach Martin St. Louis to make lineup changes amid a 13-4-1 surge since mid-December that has Montreal in the thick of a highly competitive Eastern Conference wild-card race.

Still in his development stage but no longer waiver-exempt, the Habs thus need to take advantage of a conditioning stint to get Struble some regular playing time. The Rhode Island native has been decently effective when given a chance this season, posting five points through 26 games while leading Montreal defenders with a 51.9 CF% at even strength, albeit in limited minutes (14:16 ATOI).

Controlling shot quantity hasn’t meant controlling shot quality for Struble this year, however. He’s posted a minus-seven rating and has been on the ice for just 1.7 GF/60 at even strength compared to 3.1 GA/60. He has been decently effective on the penalty kill, though, where he averages around a minute per game.

Still, by most definitions, this season has been a step back for the physically involved Struble. He earned a midseason promotion from Laval last season to make his NHL debut and ended up skating in 56 big-league contests, recording 10 points, a minus-three rating, and 57 PIMs. He finished fifth on the team with 121 hits and averaged 16:07 per game, so his minutes have been reduced by nearly two minutes this season.

The Canadiens only have seven defensemen on the active roster, including Struble. Therefore, expect them to use their open roster spot to recall a temporary replacement from Laval in the coming days. Struble had seven points and a plus-five rating in 13 appearances with the minor-league club last season.