September 19, 2024 | 6:50pm ET
By David Calabretta, TheFourthPeriod.com
FORWARD DEPTH IN MONTREAL COULD LEAD TO A TRADE
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Christian Dvorak, forward
MONTREAL, QC — The Montreal Canadiens are entering Year 4 of their rebuild, and the youth in their pipeline are finally starting to graduate to the NHL level – providing some of them can squeeze past the logjam of depth forwards within the organization.
With players such as Alex Barre-Boulet, Emil Heineman, Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen entering the fold, training camp gotten underway on the competitive front.
Ready To Graduate
Joshua Roy
Amongst Heineman, Kapanen and Barre-Boulet, the 21-year-old Roy is the most likely to secure a permanent NHL spot this camp.
The 2021 fifth-round pick has become quite the steal after recent years of dominant play in the juniors. Furthermore, this year, the Quebec native took a dramatic advancement in his development after an impressive showing with the Laval Rocket. Throughout 41 games, Roy pulled out an impressive 13 goals and 19 assists combining for 32 points last season, all as a rookie.
The winger also played a quarter of the season with the big club amassing a solid nine points across 23 games. While he still possesses an obvious weakness with his below average shot, Roy boasts a unique playmaking ability above the average NHLer. He will be a crucial top-9 forward for this young Canadiens team, and it would be a shame if he sees himself out of the Habs lineup this season.
Emil Heineman
Heineman was amongst one of the final cuts for the Canadiens in last year’s training camp. The Swedish forward pulled off an impressive showing during last weekend’s rookie showcase versus the Toronto Maple Leafs where he scored one goal and got one assist.
Heineman, 21, stood out compared to the other prospects within the organization, and continues to highlight his impressive Max Pacioretty-esque shot.
Oliver Kapanen
Kapanen is an impressive case. After spending the last two seasons in the Finnish Pro League, the Finnish centre produced at an impressive rate offensively with 61 points across 106 games with KalPa Kuopio.
While his name doesn’t stand out like others, unlike Heineman, who played at the rookie showcase, Kapanen was told by Canadiens’ management brass to not attend the rookie camp. Instead, they encouraged him to rest up in hopes of being ready for the start of camp. This signifies that Kapanen has a strong shot at making the Habs in October.
Alex Barre-Boulet
The sole free agent signing on July 1, Barre-Boulet was signed to a one-way deal with the Canadiens. Previously playing for Tampa Bay and Seattle, the Quebec native has struggled to find a consistent NHL identity, spending most of the seasons in the minors.
Last season, the left winger scored six goals and three assists combining for nine points in 36 games with the Bolts. The 27-year-old could end up being slotted to the Canadiens’ bottom-six with a successful preseason campaign.
Potential Trade Candidates
With many players on one-way deals, it’s possible none of these potential graduates make the team.
Here are the three players who can be candidates be dealt within the next few weeks to make room for the young blood coming in Montreal:
Christian Dvorak
Dvorak, 28, is entering the final year of his six-year, $26-million extension signed in 2019.
Acquired in 2021, in a reactionary move by then-GM Marc Bergervin following the Carolina Hurricanes signing Jesperi Kotkaniemi to an offer sheet, 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. 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.
Joel Armia
We saw a different Joel Armia during the season compared to training camp last year. After being placed on waivers at the start of the 2023-24 season, Armia spent some games in Laval, where he dominated, which led to a promotion to the main team, and he absolutely filled his role with the Habs.
Armia, 29, is entering the final year of his four-year $13.6 million contract. Eligible to become a UFA next July, the Finnish winger can very well occupy a spot that one of the rookies could’ve taken for the upcoming season.
Josh Anderson
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. 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.
It seems Anderson’s best days have been behind him, with just nine goals and 20 points last season despite scoring 21 and 19 goals in the previous two seasons, respectively.
With his value at an all-time low, it may not be the most rewarding subtraction for Hughes & Co., however it may be a recipe for disaster if they decide to keep him while their competitive window begins to open.
It's a good problem to have in Montreal right now with the influx of youth looking to step foot in the “grand club.” All this means is important decisions will begin to lie for Hughes and President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton.