One of the most intriguing names in free agency this Summer was former Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. The 37-year-old veteran center elected to go home and sign with the Winnipeg Jets earlier this week. Further to the announcement, TSN and The Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun revealed that the Montreal Canadiens were one of the teams interested in Toews.

This doesn’t come as a surprise; we had previously covered the possibility of the Montreal Canadiens making an offer to the decorated former captain, although the article was met with mixed reactions. For some, this move wouldn’t have been a Kent Hughes kind of move, since he has shown us that he prefers to go for young players just coming out of their first contract.

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While that was true in the past for Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook, the Canadiens’ rebuild has progressed since then, and so have the needs. The accumulation phase of assets is all but over, and with a greater focus being put on results, the Habs have different needs.

That’s not to say Hughes wouldn’t pounce on a 20-something center available on the market, but he’s willing to consider more options. That’s not only because his team’s needs have evolved, but also because picking up a second-line center on the trade or free agent market is a tall order.

Plenty of teams are after that kind of talent, and if you don’t want to finish empty-handed, you need to keep an open mind. Furthermore, the Canadiens have Michael Hage coming down the pipeline, and if he pans out, a stopgap solution like a veteran center could be just satisfactory.

While that kind of deal may be less explosive and exciting for fans, it could help the Canadiens take another step forward. Expectations are high in this market, but the Canadiens are not the only team facing such expectations.

Photo credit:  Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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