Montreal Canadiens: Options To Fill Void Left By Andrew Shaw

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The Montreal Canadiens made a surprising move when they shipped Andrew Shaw back to the Chicago Blackhawks just before free agency opened. They are yet to fill the void, but have the resources to do so.

The Montreal Canadiens lifted a lot of eyebrows around Montreal when they traded Andrew Shaw. The 27 year old winger had his best season offensively this year, scoring 47 points in 63 games. He often filled a role in the top six, playing with Max Domi and Jonathan Drouin.

Shaw brought a physical style that is not common among Habs forwards. He is a gritty winger that can chip in offence and has won two Stanley Cups during his first tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Coming off his best season, Marc Bergevin dealt him back to the Blackhawks for second, third and seventh round draft picks. It’s a decent return for Shaw, but for a team that already had tons of cap space, it led to questions about what big free agent or trade was coming next.

It has been ten days since Shaw was dealt and so far, nothing has come next.

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Shaw played a huge role on the Habs last season and his departure has opened up a gaping hole on right wing. Just tossing lines together here but it is safe to say that the trio of Tomas Tatar, Phillip Danault and Brendan Gallagher will stay together next season. The “Finnish Line” of Artturi Lehkonen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Joel Armia was successful and could be a third line this season.

Max Domi was great at center and will likely play with Jonathan Drouin again, but who will be their right winger? I guess you could break up the Finnish Line and move Armia up, but he scored 23 points in 57 games last season. Lehkonen played all 82 games and finished with 31 points.

Those aren’t exactly the numbers of a top six winger. Ideally, the player playing with Domi and Drouin would have a scoring touch and some creativity to match the pair of skilled 24 year olds he will be playing with.

So, who is going to fill that void? There are a few different options, but it shouldn’t be someone who was on the roster last season. There just isn’t a skilled enough player to jump into that role. Shaw was the best fit on the roster last season, but even he was a bit of a stretch as a top six winger.

The biggest need on the Canadiens this offseason was thought to be a left defenseman. Bergevin signed Ben Chiarot to a three-year deal at $3.5 million to fill that void. He’s not the most exciting player to change teams this offseason, but his defensive presence will help Jeff Petry on the second pairing.

That $3.5 million over three seasons is almost exactly what Shaw was set to earn. He had three years left on his contract with a cap hit of $3.9 million. So, if you think of it as adding a handful of draft picks and swapping Shaw for Chiarot, it’s good value and they filled a hole, but they did so while opening up another.

COLUMBUS, OH – MAY 2: Ryan Dzingel #19 (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Shaw trade and signing of Chiarot leaves the Canadiens with about $8 million in cap space. Could they use this to bring in a free agent? If so, are there any free agents left on July 8th that would upgrade the team?

Well, Ryan Dzingel is still on the market and could be a solid fit at the right price. He is a versatile forward who can play any position but is best suited on right wing.

He split last season with the Ottawa Senators and Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring 26 goals and 56 points. He wasn’t given a huge role with the Blue Jackets and was actually a healthy scratch for a game in the playoffs. But, can you really fault a guy for not immediately winning over John Tortorella? I mean, Tortorella is the guy who benched Roberto Luongo at the Heritage Classic because he just had to go with Eddie Lack in net.

I think we can cut Dzingel a little slack for not meshing with Tortorella and focus on what he does do well on the ice. What he does is put up points, play up and down the lineup when needed, fill a role in every situation and play a solid, gritty style. This pretty much makes him the perfect replacement for Shaw.

If not Dzingel, Bergevin could be undeterred by the Sebastian Aho offer sheet not working out and try to pry Patrik Laine out of the Winnipeg Jets. Laine has shown the ability to be one of the best goal scorers in the league, but Winnipeg may find it tough to fit everyone in under the salary cap.

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The problem with that is the process. As a restricted free agent, Laine is free to negotiate a contract with the Canadiens if he wishes. However, if he signs it, the Jets have a week to match the offer and he would remain in Manitoba. If they do not match it, the Habs have to send compensation to the Jets, likely in the form of two first round picks, a second rounder and a third.

There is no question, Laine would be the best player to fill the role. The question is whether he would even sign an offer sheet, or if the Canadiens can perhaps work a trade for the Finnish sniper. The cost would be heavy, but the reward would be greater as well.

BROSSARD, QC – JUNE 26: Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki (14) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Ideally, the Canadiens would have an option to step up and play a top six role. I just don’t see that player on last year’s roster though. Armia and Lehkonen haven’t shown the consistent offence to play with Domi and Drouin.

Jordan Weal certainly isn’t a top six winger. Phil Varone and Riley Barber were brought in to play top six minutes in Laval, not Montreal. Ryan Poehling is the most intriguing, but it would be smart to keep him at center and maybe don’t expect him to score a hat trick every game like he did against the Maple Leafs in his only NHL action.

Paul Byron is the closest thing they have to another top six option, but he is best suited on the bottom six to prove depth scoring, be an incredible penalty killer and can jump up to fill in a bigger role from time to time when necessary. Plus, he is a left winger so moving him up would either put him or Drouin on their off wing which may not work either.

Otherwise, if the Habs want to fill the role internally, they could look to Nick Suzuki. The 20 year old dominated the OHL playoffs and definitely has the hands, speed, skill and scoring ability to eventually fill the role. But is he ready to play such a prominent part in the Habs lineup as soon as next season?

I doubt it. It would be best to let him start the year with the Laval Rocket, and allow him to start his pro career playing center. If he succeeds there, he could soon become an impact NHL player, but it is too soon to expect such a young player to play such a large role as a rookie.

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The best bet might be to sign Dzingel who is an unrestricted free agent. That means there is no waiting period, no draft pick compensation and no rushing him to play a role that’s over his head. The Habs will miss Andrew Shaw, but Ryan Dzingel would be a great replacement.

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