Hockey
Interview

Jeff Gorton Talks Center Depth, Luring Stars to Canadiens

Published: Jul 14, 2025, 12:00 PM
6 min read
Updated: Jul 23, 2025, 4:04 PM
Fact checked by:
Quinn Allen

Key Takeaways

  • Jeff Gorton said the Canadiens are exploring the trade market for another center, but they're also comfortable with their current in-house options.
  • The Habs EVP also discussed Mike Matheson's future in an exclusive interview with RG.
  • Could Montreal be a destination for stars in the future as well after the Dobson blockbuster?
Mike Matheson takes a shot

Mike Matheson takes a shot (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

Montreal Canadiens Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes are still exploring the NHL trade market for a second-line center. However, if they’re not able to acquire one, Gorton believes there could be some internal solutions up the middle.

“No, I think we’re comfortable. We know we’re not a finished product,” Gorton told RG in a recent exclusive interview when asked if fit was imperative to acquire a new second-line center before the 2025-26 regular season begins. 

“We’re going to still look and try to improve our team always. A lot of people are talking about centers but we have centers in our organization, and we’re comfortable with that going into camp. I have mentioned before that we don’t look at it like opening day as the end of when you can change your roster. There are a lot of teams around the league that add players after that and all the way up to the deadline, so we’re comfortable with where we’re at and the moves we’ve made.”

A healthy Kirby Dach will most likely be given a chance, and some have speculated on Alex Newhook seizing the role. Gorton, though, did not specify what centers he believes could rise from within and become the team’s regular second-line center.

The one current Canadiens player that Gorton raved about was actually a defenseman. Despite Mike Matheson not having a contract extension and being the subject of numerous trade rumors, Gorton made it clear that he still views the 31-year-old defenseman as a key cog on a blue line he really likes.

“Well, when we look at our defense, with [Matheson] still in it, it looks to me like it’s really good,” Gorton replied. 

“It’s got a little bit of everything. If you look at Mike’s body of work since he came to Montreal, he’s been a really good player. So, sure, he takes criticism once in a while, but he might play upwards of 25 minutes a game sometimes, right? He’s been huge right now, and we all realize that. So, there are no decisions made on Mike right now. Obviously, he’s got a year left on his contract, but he’s been a very, very, solid player for us. He’s a very good penalty killer; he plays against the best players every night, and there’s not much he doesn’t do.

His first year he came here, he played very well, and then his second season here, he got 62 points, and then last year with Lane’s [Hutson] emergence, he took a step back offensively for Lane really because he wasn’t on the first powerplay anymore. Mike’s such a solid guy and a leader, and he’s been really big for us. We’re well aware of that, and we’ll see what the next step is in Montreal for him.”

If Matheson isn’t traded, he could find himself paired with the recently acquired Noah Dobson on the Canadiens’ top pairing. Dobson was acquired by the Habs hours before the first round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft began on June 27 in Los Angeles. The Canadiens sent the 16th and 17th picks and forward Emil Heineman to the Islanders in exchange for Dobson, who immediately signed an eight-year, $76 million ($9.5M AAV) contract with the Canadiens. 

Dobson reportedly turned down more money from the Columbus Blue Jackets in order to get traded to and sign with Montreal. So are the Canadiens on the verge of becoming a destination team again despite lure of say, the Florida Panthers and other sunbelt teams that play in a no-tax state?

“Well, I think when you look at the success and the history of the organization, the city of Montreal, the players that have played there, and now the young kids that we have, the coaching staff. …there’s a lot there that when we talk to players around the league, the agents, people are excited about Montreal. Yeah, the taxes we get that and it’s definitely a thing, but there are ways around that,” Gorton pointed out to RG.

“There are ways we can do certain things in Quebec and Montreal to help alleviate the tax issues, but we’re excited about Montreal and where we’re going, and I feel like, around the league, people are taking notice.”

Stay tuned for more content for this exclusive interview with Jeff Gorton. 

<p>James Murphy is a veteran sports journalist covering the NHL, NCAA and CHL hockey for RG.</p><p>With 25 years of experience covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA, CHL and more, Murphy has seen it all when it comes to hockey. His hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a diverse array of hockey media personalities who have lived and worked in and around the game. Murphy also currently co-hosts The Eye Test podcast with Pierre McGuire and, along with McGuire, interviews NHL owners and executives, as well as NHL and NCAA head coaches and players daily.</p><p>The Arlington, Massachusetts, native began his writing career in hockey in 2001, when the Boston Bruins raised one of his childhood idols, Ray Bourque’s No. 77, to the rafters before their 2001–02 season opener. For 22 of his 25 years as a hockey reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins daily, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals, multiple NHL drafts and countless Stanley Cup playoffs. He did all that for the Boston Metro, NHL.com, NESN.com and ESPN Boston.</p><p>In addition to his print work covering the Bruins, Murphy also made regular TV appearances on NESN, Fox 25 Boston, ESPN and NHL Network. From 2008 to 2012, Murphy hosted The Hockey Primetime Show on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio and made numerous appearances on national and international radio shows.</p><p>Ironically, his three years not covering the Bruins were spent covering their archrivals, the Montreal Canadiens. From 2012 to 2015, Murphy was based in Montreal and covered the Canadiens for NHL.com and TSN.ca. He also appeared regularly on TSN 690 radio and CTV.</p><p>Murphy returned to Boston in 2015 and left the media business to work in sales and marketing for LiveBarn, a Montreal-based sports streaming company, for four years. In 2019, Murphy once again became a Bruins beat reporter, this time writing for Boston Hockey Now. He spent four seasons working for BHN before arriving at RG in 2024 and also dedicated more time to The Eye Test podcast.</p>
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