Trades are starting to come in the NHL, and the latest deal involving Mike Hoffman may have more calls coming to the Montreal Canadiens for Max Pacioretty.
The NHL went on fire Tuesday morning, and the Montreal Canadiens were not the source of it. The morning started with the Ottawa Senators trading Mike Hoffman to the San Jose Sharks. It came as a surprise to some considering the off-ice issues currently going on, but Pierre Dorion managed to find a taker.
Minutes later, it was announced that the Sharks flipped Hoffman to the Florida Panthers. According to Sportsnet‘s Chris Johnston, Pierre Dorion (Sens GM) reached out to Dale Tallon (Panthers GM) about making the deal happen. The price at the time was too high, and Florida got the deal they wanted from San Jose.
Although the deal is between three different teams, it does affect the Montreal Canadiens.
Take Florida Off the List
When weighing the different destinations for Max Pacioretty ahead of the trade deadline and in the offseason, the Panthers were one of them. The 29-year-old has been linked to Florida for some time, but a deal could never get worked out. Odds are it had to do with the asking price from Marc Bergevin.
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The Panthers have a pair of young centres who would look great in a Habs uniform such as Nick Bjugstad or Henrik Borgström. Tallon always seemed to be reluctant to give up either of them. Hoffman in Florida most likely shuts down any Pacioretty interest from their end. The Montreal Canadiens captain is a better goal-scorer, but Tallon was able to acquire a top-six forward for a package of picks.
Eyes on Pacioretty
Hoffman finding a new home places Pacioretty in the centre of the storm for teams looking to acquire a left-winger. His contract is still one of the best things about adding him, and Bergevin doesn’t have to move him now. The Habs could easily keep Pacioretty in the fold and perhaps revisit a trade at next year’s deadline.
The benefit of making the deal sooner than later is getting a full season of the sniper’s talents. This could have some of those teams looking for scoring help be a little more proactive in the next couple of days. Who steps up is the mystery.
Trading Pacioretty always seemed like a ‘draft floor’ decision which is set to take place at the end of the week. Jeff Skinner is still out there as the Carolina Hurricanes are looking to shake things up on their roster. While Bergevin can’t sell Pacioretty for anything less than what he’s worth, he has to be careful as they may be the ‘Plan B’ option to some.
Next: Pros and Cons of Acquiring Derick Brassard
It’s the most overused cliche, this offseason does have the sense of being a crazy one. The Montreal Canadiens have already shaken things up with the Max Domi deal. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re the next chapter in the NHL’s buzz book.