Montreal Canadiens’ Options Leading Up To The Trade Deadline
With the March 2nd NHL trade deadline approaching fast, all eyes are on GM Marc Bergevin in Habs land. The Montreal Canadiens are arguably just one or two pieces short of a roster fit for a legitimate Stanley Cup run. The Canadiens have some valuable assets they could dangle for an impact trade, and there are some intriguing players out there that could be available.
Feb 02, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Montreal Canadiens center David Desharnais (51) celebrates his goal against Buffalo Sabres with teammate defenseman Alexei Emelin (74) during the second period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
The Trade Block
While Bergevin may listen to any deal he thinks would make the team better, he’s not the kind of GM to go all in and give up the organization’s future just to get better now. That said, the Habs have several players, prospects, and draft picks that they could afford to part with if the trade return is good enough.
The team is currently well-stocked at the centre position, even with Alex Galchenyuk back on the wing. Tomas Plekanec fills too many important roles for the Canadiens to envision him being dealt at this point. But Lars Eller or David Desharnais would be an enticing trade piece for many teams, and either would be replaceable in the Habs line-up if one of them were to be shipped off. The Habs could either fill the void by acquiring another centre in the deal, or by forcing Galchenyuk back to the middle. Both Eller and Desharnais carry reasonable cap hits of $3.5 million – a moveable contract in a trade and potential cap relief for the Canadiens.
On defense, it gets tricky. The Habs have two promising young defensemen under contract, and many teams around the league are shopping for just that. It’s not out of the question that Nathan Beaulieu or Jarred Tinordi could be moved in a big trade if Bergevin likes the return. Either one would bring back huge value. Such a move however, could leave a hole in the Habs roster, and would necessitate a supplemental trade to bring in a good, top 4 D-man.
The same concept applies if any other defensemen are moved. If Habs brass doesn’t believe Alexei Emelin can perform to the level of his $4.1 million contract, then that’s a contract they may be interested in moving. Other NHL clubs could be very interested in a big, hard-hitting blue-liner, even if he has been demoted to third pairing duty of late.
Outside of the roster, there are lots of talented young prospects in Hamilton that the Canadiens could offer up to complete a trade. Christian Thomas, Sven Andrighetto, Charles Hudon, Jacob de la Rose, Greg Pateryn, and Magnus Nygren all come to mind. Any one of these players could be the missing piece to a high-value trade deal that would net the Habs a star. I especially think that Thomas or Andrighetto could be offered, as their diminutive size may make them less attractive candidates to fill out a Habs roster that’s trying to get bigger.
As for draft picks, you have to think that Bergevin is open to any deals that would make the team better in both the short and long term. If Bergie thinks the deal is fair, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Canadiens part with an early round draft pick, though I wouldn’t say they’ll be going out of their way to trade valuable picks away.
Bottom Line: Don’t be surprised if Emelin, Eller or Desharnais, and Beaulieu or Tinordi are wearing another jersey by March 2nd. Some early picks and prospects could be on the move too.
May 17, 2014; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin gives a press conference before game one of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-USA TODAY Sports
The Rumour Mill
There have been a few rumours floating around as to whom around the league the Canadiens may be targeting for trade. While some rumours are highly unlikely, there are persistent ones which are often proposed by more reliable sources. Below are just a few of the more persistent ones.
This rumour keeps coming up. There is speculation that a few teams are pursuing O’Reilly, and the Habs are one of them. In fact, TVA Sports reported (article in French) that the Canadiens have coveted the Avalanche centre for the past two years! O’Reilly would definitely be the extra piece the Habs are missing to get them through a lenghty playoff run. Many reports speculate that O’Reilly could be on the move from Colorado this year:
O’Reilly would slot into the top 6 easily, as a centre or winger, and would certainly add a scoring punch. The price tag wouldn’t be cheap though. The Colorado Avalanche would likely be expecting a pretty good left-handed defenseman in return. This is the kind of deal that would see the Habs part ways with Tinordi or Beaulieu, and probably more. It would be a $6 million cap hit to absorb as well, so the Habs may need to clear up space for this one. The only hang up for Bergevin on this deal would be the uncertainty of being able to re-sign O’Reilly when his contract ends in the summer of 2016. It’s not worth giving up a future blue-line star in exchange for only a year and a half of good production out of O’Reilly. But if they can get assurances he would re-sign without breaking the bank…
Think of this Coyotes forward as “Ryan O’Reilly Lite”. If the Canadiens are indeed in on O’Reilly, and fail to get him, Vermette could be a serviceable (and cheaper) second choice. At a cap hit of just $3.75 million, Vermette is a more affordable option for the cap and in which players/picks would be given up to acquire him. With his contract expiring at season’s end, Vermette is highly likely to be moved by Arizona, and the Canadiens have the assets to get a deal done here. It wouldn’t be as much of a blockbuster trade as one for O’Reilly, but it would still bag them a top 6 forward that can help them in the Stanley Cup hunt. At 32 years of age and with his contract expiring, this would purely be a playoff rental though, and not likely a guy that will re-sign long term.
The Edmonton Oilers need a quality centre and some decent defensemen. The Canadiens could use a legitimate # 1 right winger. It’s a good potential trade partnership for both teams. With the Oilers still being horrible, they may finally start pawning off some of their top-calibre forwards, and both Eberle and Yakupov have been mentioned in connection with the Habs. It’s hard not to salivate at the thought of a top line made up of Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, and Eberle. Such a deal would saddle the Habs with Eberle’s large cap hit of $6 million, but it may just be worth it. The Canadiens would also have the assurance of Eberle being under contract for at least another 4 years, unlike the uncertainty presented by O’Reilly or Vermette’s contracts.As for Yakupov, many speculate he would be a good target for the Canadiens, given his history playing alongside Galchenyuk with the Sarnia Sting in the OHL. Yakupov was clearly rushed to the NHL by the Oilers, as is demonstrated by his poor production this year. Edmonton may be happy to move him for a promising young defender, and with Yakupov carrying a cap hit of less than a million, such a deal could be more manageable for the Canadiens. However, that contract expires this year, and Yakupov will likely be looking to cash in during the off-season. Plus, since he’s been so bad in Edmonton, Bergevin would be taking a risk on what could end up being a bust of a first overall draft pick.
Dec 16, 2014; Glendale, AZ, USA; Edmonton Oilers head coach Todd Nelson talks with right wing Nail Yakupov (10) and right wing Jordan Eberle (14) during the first period against the Arizona Coyotes at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Another Oiler that is certainly available – and an ideal target for the Habs – is Jeff Petry. The Canadiens have a lot of D-men, but not necessarily a lot of good ones, especially on the right side. Petry is a good option to play as the right side defenseman on a second pairing, potentially with Nathan Beaulieu (if he’s still around). With Petry’s contract expiring, it seems the Oilers will have to move him by the deadline. The Canadiens could surely use a boost to their defense corps as well as their top forwards, and with the likelihood of the Habs trading at least one defenseman away, they would surely look to bring one back. If Petry proves too difficult to nab, they could also try to target Arizona’s Zbynek Michalek or Toronto’s Cody Franson (again).
While I think either of these players could be a great addition to the team (though I’m not entirely sold on Yakupov), you have to give up value to get value. Some of the Canadiens’ important roster players would have to be dealt to make such a trade work. Would you be okay with making one of these moves? Or do you think the Canadiens are set as is and have what it takes to compete for Lord Stanley right now?
Thanks for reading, and enjoy the All-Star weekend!