It is fair to say that the Montreal Canadiens have had a strong off-season so far. They notably boosted their blueline by acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. They also acquired a young forward in Zack Bolduc, who has the potential to emerge as a top-six winger for them. 

Yet, when looking at the Canadiens' current forward group, it is clear that they could use an upgrade at their second-line center spot. Due to this, one player who could make a lot of sense for the Canadiens to pursue is Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann. 

McCann has been in the rumor mill this off-season, just like he was leading up to the 2025 NHL trade deadline. With the Canadiens' top six needing a boost, he would be a major addition to their roster if brought in. 

While McCann has played on the wing more often in recent years, he also has plenty of experience playing center. Due to this, he would have the potential to provide the Canadiens with a much-needed upgrade down the middle if acquired. He would also give them another skilled player to work with on their power play if brought in. 

McCann is coming off a strong season with the Kraken, as he scored 22 goals and set a new career-high with 39 assists. With this, it was the third season in a row where McCann recorded at least 61 points. This includes his best NHL season in 2022-23, as he set career highs with 40 goals and 70 points in 79 games with the Kraken. 

McCann's contract also adds to his appeal, as he has a $5 million cap hit until the end of the 2026-27. Thus, he would have the potential to benefit the Canadiens for more than one year, which would be a nice plus. 

Former Canadiens Defenseman Lands New JobFormer Montreal Canadiens defenseman Josh Gorges has landed a new job, as he has been hired as an assistant coach by the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League (WHL).