Montreal Canadiens: Do management already know who is being traded?
By Omar L
After seeing how the P.K. Subban situation was handled, it’s safe to assume that the Montreal Canadiens already have in their minds who they’re trading.
I know the title of this piece sounds triggers an automatic, ‘No duh’ response, but give me a second to explain. Changes are in the works and are hopefully set to become a reality over the summer; we know this. The Montreal Canadiens have a wide set of options to consider to re-create the team as to how they see it best. Player transaction is the thing to warrant a change on the Habs and will be the biggest point of discussion until puck drop in October.
There’s been a feel to management lately that a big move will be coming, but it’s hard to pinpoint who. Who is moved from the Montreal Canadiens, and who do they get in return? Both Bergevin and Geoff Molson probably already have a list of names to move on from which could drastically shake up the roster.
If you haven’t seen it, Le Journal de Montrèal published an article on Molson which included his role in the P.K. Subban trade. Many fans thought that it was a rash decision coming after a previous disappointing season that had the Habs finish with a 38-38-6 record. However, according to the piece, it was a deal that had been in the works for months.
The Montreal Canadiens and Molson knew that Subban was the person that needed to go and they just needed to wait for the right opportunity to present itself. When Shea Weber became available from the Nashville Predators, Bergevin struck, and here we are two years later. Don’t worry, I’m not going to talk about the logistics of the trade, and it’s effect on either team. However, it makes you wonder who is being considered to be shipped out now.
Although Bergevin revealed his belief that the team could make the playoffs in January, the plans for the offseason could’ve already begun at that point. The writing was already on the wall for those who were having subpar seasons, and their 2-1 shootout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t deter anyone from the issues on the team.
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A couple of weeks before then, the reports that the Habs were aggressively shopping Max Pacioretty came to light. It went from teams such as the Calgary Flames and LA Kings to the Florida Panthers around the Trade Deadline. Perhaps Pacioretty is the new Subban? Just because a deal couldn’t be worked out this season, doesn’t mean it can’t be revisited later on when teams are willing to give up a little more.
Again we go back to the Draft where major deals have begun to come up around that time. Additionally, the Subban for Weber deal took place a few days before Free Agent Frenzy. If Montreal Canadiens management has already committed to trading their team captain, it may not matter what he says anymore if they can get the return they want.
It doesn’t fall on Pacioretty alone. Alex Galchenyuk has been another player who has been up to his neck in trade rumours. There was a belief that a move to the New Jersey Devils was in the works last summer that fell through. It’s also possible that management went into this season knowing he would be moved at some point.
Being a fly on the wall in the Habs front office meetings would be spectacular because there are so many scenarios that could play out. For now, enjoy the playoffs even though the Montreal Canadiens aren’t in it. It’ll be after the Stanley Cup is awarded when all the gears start to turn.