The Montreal Canadiens could take advantage of the LA and Anaheim sweeps
By Omar L
The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks may be two teams who make knee-jerk after their playoff eliminations which the Montreal Canadiens could be in on.
There are two responses to being eliminated from the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Some teams acknowledge the fact that they ran into a powerhouse, make minor adjustments over the summer, and get ready for another shot at a deep run in the following season. Other teams panic and open the yard sale on their roster making a bunch of impulsive trades in response to the loss. As frustrating as it is for fans of the fanbase to watch the second response playout, teams such as the Montreal Canadiens can see a grand opportunity for it.
Obviously, we’re talking about the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks who were both swept in the first round by the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks respectively.
Goals, Goals, Goals
Jonathan Quick did his best to keep his team in it, but unfortunately, the Kings’ goal-scoring dried up in the playoffs. You also have to give a lot of credit to Marc-Andre Fleury who had a number of big stops.
It’s not that surprising to have seen LA’s offence falter so much. Save for Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown who had incredible rebound seasons with 92 and 61 point years; there’s not much there. Tanner Pearson contributed as well scoring 24 goals, but they didn’t have that big playoff performer on deck. It also doesn’t help that the Kings went into the post-season as the second lowest-goal scoring team finishing the regular season with 237 (third last among playoff teams).
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Many expected the Kings to address this at the trade deadline, but the return of Jeff Carter could’ve been seen as a roster upgrade in itself. Carter missed 55 games after a cut on his left leg required surgery. The 33-year-old scored 13 goals and 6 assists in his final 21 games of the regular season but had nothing go in for him in the playoffs.
Seeing as how Max Pacioretty to the Kings was a storyline ahead of the deadline, that’s something that could be picked up again. If Rob Blake has goal-scoring on the top of his list, it would only make sense to have those talks revisited. It also depends on what LA’s mindset is heading into the offseason.
If they’re determined to get back in the playoffs, then Marc Bergevin should be on the phone. However, if a retool or rebuild is in order then trade talks wouldn’t go so well seeing as how the Habs would (or should) look to pick off young talent in the organization in a Pacioretty trade.
Here Come the Mighty Ducks
(They really should go back to that logo and uniform, just saying). Anaheim’s future is less clear than LA’s. All signs point to this year being the last they make the post-season, but many said that about the Ducks this year. It might be different this time. As good as Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry, and Ryan Keslar are, they’re continuing to fall on the decline.
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Anaheim relied heavily on John Gibson to steal them some wins and got timely scoring from a selected few, but mostly Rickard Rakell who led the way with 34 goals. The next highest point-getter on the Ducks was Getzlaf where the majority of them were off Rakell goals. Either way, the 32-year-old is still a good player and does many things away from the puck that contributes to winning hockey.
Pacioretty may be a fit there as well especially when you consider how often the Montreal Canadiens were scouting them ahead of the deadline. The Habs sniper would be a nice fit on the team’s second line or the top if they chose to ever move Rakell to centre ice. However, Anaheim’s top trading piece, if they were in that position, would be Sam Steel who, for many reasons, should make the opening night roster next season.
Still Room to Deal
Although top names from either organization may be off limits, Bergevin still has room to wheel and deal with both teams. The Ducks, in particular, will be looking to add more speed to their lineup in addition to offence and could reach out to the Habs. If Blake and Bob Murray keep their wits about their team, then it may be trickier to strike up a deal, but if a heavy layer of doubt is there, the Montreal Canadiens could make the most of it.
Acknowledgements: Goals for stats from NHL.com