It’s no secret that Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] are on the hunt for a couple of essential pieces this Summer, a second-line center and a right-shot defenseman, or at the very least a defenseman that can play on the right side. There have been rumblings about interest in a few players, including two New York Islanders [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-islanders] players: Bo Horvat and Matthew Barzal. However, there’s new management in Long Island, gone are the Lou Lamoriello days, and in is former Hab Mathieu Darche. With new management comes a new approach, and while veteran GM Lamoriello was reportedly interested in moving the players mentioned above, Darche is not, according to insider Pierre LeBrun. Canadiens: Alex Newhook Will Have A Special Saint-Jean-Baptiste [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-alex-newhook-will-have-a-special-saint-jean-baptiste] Canadiens: Logan Mailloux Named To The AHL Top Prospects Team [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-logan-mailloux-named-to-the-ahl-top-prospects-team] Could The Canadiens Accomplish a Rare Feat Next Season? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/could-the-canadiens-accomplish-a-rare-feat-next-season] In his latest article for The Athletic, LeBrun reports that Darche has let it be known to his two players that they aren’t going anywhere. [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6420007/2025/06/11/nhl-trades-free-agency-kreider-marchand-tavares/?source=emp_shared_article] The writer also adds that he believes Montreal would have been a team interested in making an offer. Going after Horvat was a possibility we had mentioned and explored [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/could-the-canadiens-second-line-centre-be-in-new-york], but we wondered if he would even be available under Darche. According to LeBrun, we were right to wonder. While the popular saying suggests that there are plenty of other fish in the sea, not all are great catches, and what Hughes and co. are after is not all that common, especially since there are many teams also in the hunt for a top six center. Marco Rossi and Mason McTavish remain a couple of interesting possibilities to explore for the Canadiens, but the price tag is likely to be relatively high for either of them. 34-year-old free agent Matt Duchene could be an interesting option, while he’s a bit long in the tooth, he still produces at a point-per-game pace. He has already turned down an offer to come to Montreal before signing a massive deal with the Nashville Predators [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/nashville-predators], so it remains to be seen if he could be convinced to come this time around. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
