A New Option to Solve the Second-Line Center Dilemma?
Kent Hughes has had a busy summer. Before the NHL Draft, he addressed a major need for the Montreal Canadiens by acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. While some believed Logan Mailloux could step in after David Savard’s retirement, Hughes opted for a more established player. It also appears he had already decided to trade Mailloux, using him to bring in forward Zachary Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues—a 22-year-old with offensive potential.
Now, one key question remains: who will center the second line alongside Ivan Demidov? Many teams searched for a top-six center this offseason, but the Canadiens may turn to an in-house option. Kirby Dach is the most likely candidate, but Grant McCagg, a contributor to The Sick Podcast, has suggested giving Oliver Kapanen a chance.
Kapanen made an impression at last year’s training camp, partly because he had already played preseason games with Timra IK in Sweden. As camp progressed and the competition became tougher, his early advantage faded. Although he made the Canadiens’ roster initially, after 12 games he was returned to Sweden because he was still under contract with Timra and couldn’t be sent to the AHL.
This season could be different. Kapanen gained valuable experience in Sweden, where coach Olli Jokinen gave him big minutes and used him in all situations to prepare him for the NHL. Whether that development is enough for him to center a line with Demidov, who will face high expectations in his rookie year, remains to be seen.
McCagg also mentioned Bolduc as a possible option on the wing. Bolduc recorded 36 points in 72 games for St. Louis, with 12 of those on the power play. He averaged nearly 13 minutes of ice time per game and just over a minute on the power play. However, since Demidov is also a right winger, one of them would need to play on their off wing. It’s something the Canadiens will experiment with during training camp, especially with the departures of Christian Dvorak and Joel Armia shaking up the lineup.
McCagg further proposed using Dach with Patrik Laine and Alex Newhook. While the trio didn’t stand out last season, they were more effective than the slower combination of Laine, Dach, and Juraj Slafkovsky. Replacing Slafkovsky with Newhook improves the line’s speed but raises questions about puck retrieval in deep zones.
This wouldn’t be an issue if the Canadiens carried the puck into the offensive zone instead of dumping it in. Newhook has shown he can lead zone entries, especially on the power play, thanks to his speed. But once inside the zone, he often struggled to sustain plays, even with a man advantage. At even strength, it’s unclear whether Dach and Laine can support him effectively.
Both Laine and Dach are entering contract years, giving them strong motivation—Laine in particular may be looking to boost his value ahead of free agency. Whether that’s enough for Laine to elevate his overall game is uncertain, as he hasn’t consistently shown that ability during his time in Winnipeg or Columbus.
At the end of last season, Laine’s now-wife Jordan Leigh posted on Instagram, thanking Montreal for rekindling his passion for hockey. Whether that translates into greater effort on the ice remains to be seen. If the line with Laine, Dach, and Newhook is going to work, Laine will need to step up.
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