Montreal Canadiens: Why Jakub Jerabek was traded

Emotions surrounding the Montreal Canadiens decision to trade Jakub Jerabek have levelled, but there are still those wondering why he was even moved.

The reaction from the Montreal Canadiens fanbase after the Jakub Jerabek trade could be split down the middle. There was the half who were furious and frustrated at the move and those who were accepting of it as Marc Bergevin got a future asset for a player who may have left in the summer. Now, Jerabek is gone, and the Habs essentially got their fifth-round pick in 2019 back (they initially traded theirs to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for David Schlemko).

Fans understand that the Habs needed to make space on the roster. The recall of Noah Juulsen Wednesday evening may have softened the blow a little bit, but the level of confusion is still prominent. If it was all about freeing up a spot, why did it have to be Jerabek? Why not any of the other defencemen on the team save for Victor Mete and Jeff Petry?

An answer I’ve seen was that Jerabek didn’t play as much and therefore the Habs weren’t as attached to him as the others. That’s true, the 26-year-old only saw 25 games in a Montreal Canadiens’ sweater. You can make the case that the coaching staff felt more comfortable with Jordie Benn, Joseph Morrow, and Schlemko who each have 57, 31, and 36 games played respectively because they’ve seen the ice more.

It’s incredible how much of an asset trust is to a coach. On the surface, we can assume that Claude Julien trusted the other three more than Jerabek. Each of his eight scratches were healthy, and Julien mentioned that improvement and also the desire to add internal competition on the blueline were the reasons for his time in the press box.

However, we’ve seen what Benn, Morrow, and Schlemko are capable of, both the good and bad (one side more than the other). We don’t know who or what Jerabek is, and it looks like we never will, at least not with the Habs. He didn’t play enough for that to happen.

Collecting Dust

Another nugget of information to the Jerabek discussion was that the Habs turned a player they got for free and may have lost in free agency into a draft pick. That’s also true. That being said, I pose this question: if Jerabek was given a prominent role on this team, is that something management even worries about?

Save for Mete, a mobility and offence has been lacking on the left side. Regardless of how the season has gone, if Jerabek is playing decent minutes and growing as an NHL defenceman, wouldn’t that give him reassurance that he’s part of the long-term solution on defence in Montreal? Granted, the Habs could argue that they were unsure of Jerabek’s mindset, but I think any and all doubts are put to bed if he was playing.

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Why was Jakub Jerabek traded to the Washington Capitals? Because the Montreal Canadiens failed to use him. Instead, they chose to get other defencemen in the lineup more in an attempt to showcase them to other teams. That way a spot would be open for Jerabek, but that plan backfired.

Think about it. The Habs wouldn’t sign Jerabek from the KHL, bring him over to North America, watch him adapt to a new style and give signs of something greater to only trade him for a fifth-round pick. There is always the chance that he circles back and re-ups with the Habs on July 1st, but that may not likely. If he plays well in Washington and they choose to commit to him, why would he turn that down?

One thing I have to mention is that the continued frustration around this trade is based on ifs and maybes. The Habs may have had their suspicions that Jerabek wouldn’t turn into anything much, which is a very ‘Devils Advocate’ way of thinking about it, and strike while the pan was hot.

By no means am I saying that Bergevin moved a budding superstar or anything, but it’s not a good feeling considering the benefits Jerabek could’ve brought to the table. Right now what the trade looks like is poor player usage and evaluation. Most importantly, the Habs gave up on another player before seeing their full wealth.

On the bright side, at least Juulsen is here.

Next: Twitter Reacts to the Jerabek Trade

Why do you think Jerabek was traded? Did the Habs give him a fair shot? Let us know in the comments below.