Habs Prospects Being Evaluated Ahead Of Trade Deadline
In the last month, we’ve seen a lot more of Michael Bournival, Christian Thomas, and Jacob De La Rose. Defense prospect Greg Pateryn has recently been called up, and Nathan Beaulieu has slowly become a bona fide NHLer. There are two reasons for this increased exposure, aside from injuries to roster players. One is that Canadiens management is gearing up for the trade deadline, showing off their young prospects to entice other teams into a trade. The other is that the organization is evaluating their own assets, in an effort to determine which prospects can earn a roster spot on the road to the playoffs.
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It is expected that
will initiate one or a few trades before the deadline. He knows the Habs are a contender and he wants to tinker with the roster enough to make them a winner. That means some roster players could be wearing a different jersey after March 2
nd
. When that happens, it will be helpful to know which AHL prospects could jump into the lineup right away. Icing their young players now gives the Canadiens an idea of who they can count on in the post-season. Playing the kids also shows other GMs around the league what they could get if they’re interested in dealing with the Habs before the trade deadline.
For Canadiens fans and the organization alike, it seems that the more we see of Jacob De La Rose, we can’t get enough of him. One can speculate that he is being shopped for a trade, but it looks more like management wants to see just how much he can handle the NHL pace, pressure, and responsibility. So far, he’s been handling it all quite well. Read Nick Lariviere’s article on him here. If the price is right, he could be traded, but De La Rose is looking more and more like an important piece of the Habs roster moving forward.
Michael Bournival has only played in 23 games for the Habs this season, being a healthy scratch for much of October and November. He hasn’t been able to find a role on this team yet, and unless he does soon, he may have to find one elsewhere. It’s not that he’s bad – he just might be worth more to the Canadiens as part of a trade package to another team. TSN has reported high interest in Bournival from the Maple Leafs.
Christian Thomas is also reported to be a potential target for Toronto, according to The Fourth Period. While he’s played well in his 14 games with the Habs, his small size is a knock against him for an organization seeking to get bigger. Thomas needs to play more than fourth line minutes if he wants to become a regular NHLer, and he may not get that opportunity as part of the Canadiens. A rebuilding team like Toronto would be a great place for him to sharpen his teeth in the NHL, and I have no doubt he could be traded if the return is enticing enough.
Let’s not forget that Sven Andrighetto had a good run with the Canadiens before he was sent back down to the AHL. Another diminutive winger with offensive upside, you have to think that keeping both him and Christian Thomas around would be redundant. One of them is likely to go, maybe both if management can get something good for them.
Sep 15, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens defenseman Greg Pateryn (64) during the warm-up session before the first period against Buffalo Sabres at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time since the pre-season, we’ll get a look at how Greg Pateryn‘s development has been coming along with the Bulldogs. At 24 years of age, this prospect’s time is running out to make an impression. Pateryn’s play for this NHL stint will determine whether the Habs can rely on him going forward or if they decide to cut their losses and make him part of a trade package.
The proverbial elephant not in the room right now is hulking defense prospect Jarred Tinordi. Perhaps management hasn’t given up on him yet and is just waiting until the trade dust settles before calling him up to the big club. Maybe he’s next in line for a call-up if Pateryn doesn’t earn himself a longer look before March 2nd. Then again, if the Canadiens are considering packaging Tinordi in a trade, it’s probably safer at this time not to showcase any of his weaknesses on the NHL stage.
Perhaps Marc Bergevin will be satisfied enough with his internal options that he won’t feel pressured to make a big trade. Perhaps he’s simply assessing what his current prospects can give the team in order to identify exactly which holes need filling via the trade market. I expect at least one of these prospects to be part of a trade between now and the deadline though. When the time comes, which prospects do you think the Habs can afford to part with?