Price for Jake Muzzin would’ve been too steep for the Montreal Canadiens

Jake Muzzin is a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and although it stings seeing the Montreal Canadiens miss out, they couldn’t afford what was required.

The Montreal Canadiens and left-shot top-pairing defenceman will continue to be paired until the Trade Deadline is behind us or someone else on the team takes the job and never lets it go. If Marc Bergevin were to be active, getting a name to play with Shea Weber would’ve been the only thing worth investing in but doing so without mortgaging the future is a difficult task.

The list of players included Cam Fowler and Hampus Lindholm of the Anaheim Ducks and Jake Muzzin of the Los Angeles Kings to name a few. Fowler and Lindholm would’ve been difficult defenders to pry from the Ducks, especially given their position in the standings.

They could do what the New York Rangers did and let fans know the season is over and they’ll be looking towards the future. However, they’re also only a single point out of a wild-card spot and if they mean to continue the journey on, Fowler and Lindholm will be key pieces (and who are we kidding John Gibson has to continue his stellar performance this year that may earn him a Vezina).

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That leaves Muzzin from the Kings but he’s off the table as well. The Leafs struck the hot pan Monday acquiring the 28-year-old which is a bummer for the Montreal Canadiens fans hoping he could be an option. The Leafs didn’t have to give up too much in the grand scheme of things taking into account where they are as an organization. However, it would look much different from the Habs perspective.

It took this year’s first-round pick, Carl Grundstrom, and the rights to Sean Durzi for the trade to pull through.

Even though the Habs are playing at a much higher octave than last season, they still shouldn’t be trading first-round picks. Grundstrom has played well within the Leafs system and was a big part of the Toronto Marlies victory last year. He’s a gritty player with skill who can skate and is likely to contend for an NHL job next fall. But at the same time, he’s a B-prospect.

The same can be said for Durzi who was a 2019 second-round overage pick. He’s been dominating from the blueline this season and looks all the more strong after joining the Guelph Storm along with Habs prospect Nick Suzuki.

So what would the trade look like for the Montreal Canadiens? A first, perhaps a Jesse Ylönen, to match position and skill, and Scott Walford. Again, I’m not sure if Bergevin is in the business of trading first round picks and if that’s the case, the rank of prospect would have to increase. That could have the defensive prospect become Josh Brook or Alexander Romanov. And these are just a pair of spitball ideas, Rob Blake may have had a completely different idea and one the Habs wouldn’t even consider.

You may be thinking, “You have to give up value to get value and I’d be alright with moving some of those pieces.” Fair but the Montreal Canadiens have moved their focus to the future while still keeping tabs on the present.

The Habs are better off waiting for one of these prospects or young players to become their answer on defence. There’s a skill to patience and although it would’ve hit all the headlines that the Montreal Canadiens got Muzzin, the price to pay wouldn’t have been worth it for where they are right now.