1 player Canadiens must sign after 1st wave of 2026 NHL Free Agency

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1 player Canadiens must sign after 1st wave of 2026 NHL Free Agency

Tristin McKinstry, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Wed, Jul 8, 2026 ·

3 min read

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1 player Canadiens must sign after 1st wave of 2026 NHL Free Agency appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Montreal Canadiens made a blockbuster trade at the 2025 NHL Draft last summer. One calendar year later, the team was much more reserved. The Habs made the 2026 Eastern Conference Finals thanks in part to Noah Dobson and his impact on this team. But Montreal has not made too many moves to bolster its roster, at least for now.

Montreal did make some smaller moves, such as trading Brendan Gallagher to the Vancouver Canucks . Outside of this, though, the Habs have mostly focused on retaining their own talent. Ivan Demidov signed a huge contract extension , for example. Goaltender Jakub Dobes also put pen to paper on a new deal, as well.

The Canadiens have the means to do more, though. They have a young core and a decent prospect pool. Montreal has about $14 million in salary cap space, as well. Of course, these things are easier said than done. The point is that if someone comes to the table with something impactful, the Canadiens have the assets needed to get it done.

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What general manager Kent Hughes has up his sleeve for the rest of the offseason remains to be seen. But there are still major moves to be made out there. And with that in mind, here is one player the Canadiens must sign following the first wave of 2026 NHL Free Agency.

Canadiens must go for broke with Adam Fantilli offer sheet

The Canadiens have long sought a second-line center. And they've made a couple moves in the past to attempt to fill the need. Montreal traded for Kirby Dach at the 2022 NHL Draft. And in 2023, they made a deal with the Colorado Avalanche for Alex Newhook .

So far, neither player has truly grabbed the mantle. In fact, both players have seen more time on the wing than down the middle as of late. The production hasn't been there for Newhook, though it's hard to deny the playoff performance he had. For Dach, he has struggled mightily with injuries. And he is currently headed for an arbitration battle.

Montreal has used Jake Evans as the second-line pivot more recently. Evans is a fine player, but the Canadiens can improve this area. If they are going to do that, they should swing big for Columbus Blue Jackets restricted free agent Adam Fantilli.

Fantilli is the third overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft. He has played well early in his career, having already recorded a 30-goal season. Additionally, he has recorded back-to-back 50+ point seasons. At the young age of 21, the former Michigan star has emerged as a legitimate top-six center.

The Canadiens would need to pay top dollar to sign Fantilli to an offer sheet. However, it's a move that would make a ton of sense. Montreal has the draft capital to give up. And though Columbus could certainly match, there is a realistic scenario in which they don't.

The Blue Jackets need to sign Jet Greaves and Colle Sillinger this summer. Next summer, they need to pay Dmitrii Voronkov, Kirill Marchenko , Kent Johnson , and Denton Mateychuk . This is not going to be cheap in the slightest. Would Columbus be willing to keep Fantilli if it meant losing one or more of these aforementioned names?

Montreal can't know for sure if they don't try. If nothing else, they shook up the Blue Jackets' cap structure much like the Philadelphia Flyers did with the Leo Carlsson offer sheet. If the gamble works, though, the Habs become a very formidable team in the Atlantic.

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