Teams in the NHL will be back to business now that the holiday trade freeze is over. Will the Montreal Canadiens make a move to save their season?
Montreal Canadiens fans have been waiting for Marc Bergevin to make a trade all year. There was a lack of confidence in the free agent signings and the 1-6-1 start to the regular season rose a lot of red flags. However, Bergevin has still been reluctant to make a move.
The Habs have made four trades so far, and only one has been from the main club when they sent Torrey Mitchell to the Los Angeles Kings for a conditional 2018 5th round pick. Zach Redmond for Nicolas Deslauriers has turned out to be a good move as he’s been an effective player for the Montreal Canadiens on the fourth line.
Trading Peter Holland didn’t make sense at first, but it’s starting to sort out itself. The Laval Rocket had already lost a lot of firepower with call-ups to the NHL, and the 26-year-old was leading the way for them with eight goals and eleven assists in 20 games. Adam Cracknell has filled in on the top line well adding four goals and five assists.
Fans are looking to Bergevin to make something else happen now that the NHL trade freeze is over. TSN’s Darren Dreger tweeted yesterday that there’s been a lot of talk among general managers over the holidays.
NHL roster freeze lifts at 12:01am. Normally, most GM's are inactive on the 24th/25th, but back to business on the 26th. "Lots of calls".
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) December 27, 2017
With the state of the Montreal Canadiens, you have to wonder whether Bergevin will do something or continue to wait. Teams are always looking to get a premium from a desperate club, and that could be why the Habs haven’t done anything yet.
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Names like Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk have been thrown around all year, and it would make things in Montreal even worse if they get fleeced. It doesn’t look like there is any deal out there right now that could get the Habs into the playoffs.
If Bergevin does decide to do some business with another team, I could see it as a move that will set them up for the future. On the other hand, we don’t have the luxury of being in the offices when these kinds of discussions are happening. Bergevin could have something in the works, although that could also just be wishful thinking.
The Habs have an uphill mountain to climb, and fans should expect that management will leave it to the players in the room already to figure it out. Yes we’ve heard that line before, but there was a time where fans started to believe it, perhaps that can happen again.
Do you think the Montreal Canadiens will make a trade? If so, who should they target? Let us know down in the comments.