Habs GM hints at Montreal Canadiens' 2025 NHL free agency approach with young team knocking on the door of playoffs

Montreal Canadiens need two points to pass the New York Rangers for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. If they secure a playoff spot, they will do so for the first time after three seasons. They qualified for the playoffs in 2020-21 but lost to Tampa Bay in the finals.

General manager Kent Hughes is pleased with the team's progress, and he's already planning to improve for next season.

At the trade deadline, Hughes and executive vice-president Jeff Gorton looked for ways to strengthen the team. They were interested in acquiring a top-six forward but didn't find a suitable deal. They weren't willing to trade assets for depth players, as the team’s current lineup was working well.

The upcoming free agency period will be important for the Montreal Canadiens. Hughes has made it clear that he won't make reckless decisions. He won't sign long-term contracts that could become a burden. However, he's willing to pay a fair price for players who could help the team take the next step.

“We’re not going to go into free agency like a bunch of drunken sailors and get stuck with eight-year deals that we wish we could get out of the minute we get into them,” Hughes said (via sportsnet.com), “but I think we’re probably closer to overpaying in terms of what we give up in assets to acquire a player.”

Hughes believes the Montreal Canadiens can attract good players. The young core, better results and strong management make Montreal appealing. They have many assets, with 27 draft picks over the next three years.

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Montreal Canadiens have financial flexibility with Nick Suzuki and other top forwards secured long term

The Montreal Canadiens are in a strong position financially. Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky have long-term contracts at reasonable cap hits.

The rising salary cap gives them flexibility to make smart additions. Hughes sees this as an opportunity to improve without putting the team in a difficult financial situation.

“We’d be remiss if we missed the window while we have an elite two-way centreman like Nick Suzuki driving our team,” Hughes added.

The Canadiens have several young players ready to contribute to the team. David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen are some of the top players with potential.