The Athletic recently took a look at one free agent who each NHL team should try to sign during the off-season. When it came to the Montreal Canadiens, The Athletic's Arpon Basu argued that the Habs should consider making a push for former New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba if he hits the market this off-season. "This pick is more in theory than in practice, because the Canadiens tried hard at the trade deadline to add a physical, right-shot defenseman. With the uncertain status of prospect David Reinbacher and the continued right-left imbalance on their blue line, a player such as Trouba on a short-to-medium-term contract would be helpful," Basu wrote [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7282104/2026/05/16/nhl-free-agent-players-targets-teams-offseason/]. While Basu noted that there is a real chance that Trouba probably wouldn't sign with the Habs, he would have the potential to be a good fit on their blueline. The 32-year-old blueliner showed this season with the Anaheim Ducks that he can still be an impactful top-four defenseman. With this, he could provide the Canadiens' blueline with a nice boost if signed this off-season. Trouba appeared in 81 games this season with the Ducks, where he recorded 10 goals, 25 assists, 35 points, 143 hits, and 149 blocks. With numbers like these, he not only provided the Ducks with a lot of physicality but also showed that he can still provide some offense from the point. With this, he could be a good fit on the Canadiens. If the Canadiens signed Trouba this off-season, he could work well in their top four and on their penalty kill. Yet, even if Trouba played on Montreal's bottom pairing, he would still have the chance to be a nice pickup for the Habs. Let's see if they target him from here.
