The Habs will need to think outside the box to make an impact going forward

Let's get straight to the point, the Montreal Canadiens need a hitter. I don't mean two-way characters that play properly. I'm talking honest, game-breaking, front-line talent. The kind of players who can make something out of nothing and create an instant offense.

The Habs' foundation is well established in most other areas. In the backfield, you can imagine the back four of Lane Hutson, David Reinbacher, Kaiden Guhle and Logan Mailloux. Among the pipes, Samuel Montembo looks like an excellent short-term option, while Cayden Prime and Jacob Fowler continue to develop. While on the fringes, there is no shortage of great young options for the bottom six forward group and the 5-7 slot in defense.

Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach seem to have a 1-2 punch up the middle, but Juraj Slafkowski and Cole Caufield are the only legitimate forwards in the pipeline.

So while general manager Kent Hughes has done a decent job of building the team thus far, there is a clear and obvious need to get top-level skill at the top of the lineup. I think Hughes is a smart guy, so I expect that to be a major focus in his third offseason.

However, it will be easier to get a player of that caliber in this year's draft, especially if the Canadiens stay upright. They are currently projected to be picked in the 6-12 range and should take an active approach to fill a gaping hole on their organizational depth chart.

Aside from projected first overall pick Maclin Celebrini, who will almost certainly be lost, the Canadiens may still have several elite offensive linemen available when they step up to the plate. Ivan Demidov, Cole Eiserman and, to a lesser extent, Berkley Catton all scored big. The Habs need to get one of these guys.

Hughes needs to be aggressive and can't afford to risk falling to the Habs at his current draft position. He should be willing to step up and sacrifice additional assets to get that player. Going off the table with a quarterback or a tough third-stringer is going to be a failure, in my opinion, because it's the best player.

I think Hughes will also be looking for an experienced forward to add to the Dach and Alex Newhook trades. That's great, but armed with multiple picks both this year and next, he should move up in the draft and acquire some NHL-ready talent. It's not an either/or situation, he has to have his cake and eat it too and explore all avenues to do so.

I'd also like to see Montreal implement a more radical draft strategy in the later rounds. A year ago, the club selected three goalkeepers in one draft. Why not take a similar approach to strikers this time around? Turn to high-ceilinged players' fences, there's enough depth elsewhere that they'll take less damage even if they hit.

A lot of flowers have been thrown at Hughes' feet lately for his asset management. However, if Hughes is a new-age executive at the forefront of analytical thinking, he must know that at some point you have to start leveraging those assets for talent that makes a difference.

It's Super Bowl week, so to use a football analogy, sometimes instead of playing it safe and getting points, you have to go for it on fourth down. One first lineman is better than two third linemen, just as one touchdown is better than two. Don't compromise, Kent. Don't be afraid. Play to win.