Montreal Canadiens: Tomas Plekanec will be coveted
By Kamal Rehman
The player most likely to be traded and quite possibly provide a decent return for the Montreal Canadiens is Tomas Plekanec.
As the Montreal Canadiens bye week has come to an end, I started thinking about what to expect in the remaining 40 games of the disastrous 2017-18 regular season. Let’s face it, there’s a fat chance of the Habs making the playoffs. Yokozuna fat.
Marc Bergevin will have to start thinking about changes for next season. Or perhaps Geoff Molson will need to start thinking about who he wants to start thinking about next season. It’s wishful thinking on my part.
As is the case in the NHL, those not destined for the playoffs become sellers. Glamorous names like Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk were mentioned as the Habs most likely to be traded on or before the February 26 trade deadline, according to TSN’s Frank Seravalli’s trade bait board.
However, I think the player more likely to be traded and quite possibly provide a decent return for the Habs is Tomas Plekanec. A lot of teams would love to have Plekanec for a playoff run. I think there could actually be a bit of a bidding war for the 35-year-old.
Plekanec Has Actually Been Good
Plekanec has been the Habs best center this season. It’s 2018, and he is the Habs’ best center. Tomas Plekanec has four goals in 42 games and is the Habs best center this season. Tomas Plekanec is on pace for just under eight goals and is the Habs best center this season. Tomas Plekanec has 28 goals in his last 202 regular season games and is the Habs best center this season. Okay, I’ll stop.
Just one more. Is it just me or does Plekanec remind you of your beer league teammate who does not have a chance of scoring when he has the puck in the offensive zone? I mean, even his shooting form just looks off. When he winds up for a shot, it looks slightly better than a Charles Barkley golf swing. When the other team pulls their goalie for an extra attacker, Plekanec shoots for a rebound.
I know, I know, I did say Plekanec is the Habs best center, and he is. Pleky is a true center so that automatically makes him a better center than Jonathan Drouin. Of course, Drouin is a better player than Plekanec, but he’s not a better center. Just ask Bergevin.
Yes, Phillip Danault has more points than the veteran, but he does so much more as he has been better than any of the rotating fourth line centers Claude Julien has iced this season, Jacob de La Rose, Byron Froese, Andrew Shaw, etc.