Two big right-shot defensemen remain on the Montreal Canadiens' radar
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Montreal's hunt for a big right-shot defenseman is still going, and now we know exactly who's on the short list.
Kent Hughes spent most of last season chasing a physical, right-shot blueliner and never landed one, and that search never really stopped.
Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco says the Canadiens were tied to Philadelphia's Rasmus Ristolainen and a since-traded Brandon Carlo around the deadline, and both are still worth watching heading into camp.
"The defenseman that the Canadiens have been searching for, a big right shot guy, we heard them tied to Rasmus Ristolainen or maybe even a Brandon Carlo at the deadline."
- Anthony Di Marco
- Anthony Di Marco
Ristolainen brings size but carries risk
Ristolainen checks almost every box Montreal wants.
He's 6-foot-4, plays with an edge, and he's entering the final year of his deal at a manageable $5.1 million.
That contract situation alone makes him a realistic trade chip for a Flyers team that has already been fielding calls on him this offseason.
The tricky part is price.
Philadelphia reportedly wants a return close to what Boston paid for Carlo back in 2024, meaning a first-round pick and a top prospect.
That's steep for a 31-year-old who's played just 94 games combined over the past two seasons because of injuries.
Carlo offers cheaper, steadier fit
Carlo already switched teams once this summer, landing in St. Louis after Toronto sent him there for a pair of third-rounders.
He's not flashy, he's not going to rack up points, but at 6-foot-5 he eats minutes and does the defensive dirty work that lets someone like Lane Hutson play free.
He's also cheaper, sitting at $4.1 million against a Canadiens blue line that's already pushing $35 million in commitments for next season.
Nothing is close to happening with either team right now.
But with Hughes still chasing the same profile he wanted a year ago, both Ristolainen and Carlo remain names worth keeping an eye on as camp gets closer.
The bigger question might be which type of defenseman Montreal actually values more.
Ristolainen offers upside but a real injury history.
Carlo is the safer bet, a guy who does his job every night without needing the puck on his stick to matter.
For a blue line that already has offense covered, steady might win out over splashy.
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