Montreal Canadiens: The pros and cons of a Derick Brassard trade

The Montreal Canadiens may not be done in the trade market, and if Derick Brassard is the next target, there will be a lot to unpack from it.

Despite acquiring Max Domi from the Arizona Coyotes, the Montreal Canadiens are still in the running to add further to their roster. Ryan O’Reilly looks to be the next target, but that seems to be a deal that happens on the draft floor. There’s also a chance Marc Bergevin tries to acquire another first-round pick which would be beneficial in a deep draft. But a name that is starting to catch some steam is Derick Brassard.

Jim Rutherford is an NHL GM who is always willing to make a deal. However, that’s tough to do when you’re so close to the cap ceiling. The Pittsburgh Penguins currently are a little shy of $4.8 million in cap space. That may not be too much of a problem now with the salary cap expected to increase to anywhere between $78 and $82 million.

Additionally, the Penguins don’t have a key free agent to resign. Bryan Rust and Riley Sheahan may be their most important and neither will hurt Pittsburgh’s pocketbook too much. But it will handcuff Rutherford’s ability to make any other moves.

This year’s Free Agent Frenzy has some candidates that he could be interested in. That fact alone could see Rutherford move players out to clear space. Phil Kessel‘s name is being thrown around and the financial implications of it give weight to the rumours. As good as a player he is, Rutherford may believe the team can be as effective without him.

Brassard may be an option as well. He only makes $3 million for one more season and another team could easily take that on. One of those teams could be the Montreal Canadiens.