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Montreal Canadiens: Breaking Down Marc Bergevin’s Tenure: 5 Best Trades

By Ken MacMillan

MONTREAL, QC - DECEMBER 1: Shea Weber #6, Max Domi #13, Andrew Shaw #65, Brett Kulak #17 and Jonathan Drouin #92 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrate after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers in the NHL game at the Bell Centre on December 1, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QC - DECEMBER 1: Shea Weber #6, Max Domi #13, Andrew Shaw #65, Brett Kulak #17 and Jonathan Drouin #92 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrate after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers in the NHL game at the Bell Centre on December 1, 2018 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Francois Lacasse/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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MONTREAL, QC – MARCH 23: Montreal Canadiens defenceman Brett Kulak (17) (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

5. Montreal Canadiens acquire Brett Kulak for Matt Taormina and Rinat Valiev.

The Montreal Canadiens had all but wrapped up training camp last season when they made what seemed to be a minor trade. They sent minor league defenders Matt Taormina and Rinat Valiev to the Calgary Flames for defenceman Brett Kulak.

With Victor Mete, Jordie Benn, Xavier Ouellet, Karl Alzner and Mike Reilly already on the left side of their defence, it appeared they had just swapped two AHL defenders for another one to open up a roster spot on the Laval Rocket.

Kulak had played 71 games with the Calgary Flames in 2017-18, scoring eight points. With a number of young defencemen looking to crack the roster in Alberta, they shipped him out for some minor league depth after he passed through waivers.

That’s right. He had already been on waivers, meaning the Canadiens preferred to give up Taormina and Valiev than get Kulak for nothing. It sounds odd, but you can only have 50 contracts so getting Kulak and subtracting a contract was better than getting him and adding a contract. However, it does suggest that Valiev and Taormina had microscopic value.

Kulak started last season with the Laval Rocket. He scored 11 points in 19 games before being called up to the Habs. He didn’t look back and got better and better as the year went on earning a more prominent role in the process. He ended up playing 57 games and scoring 17 points while forming a great second pairing with Jeff Petry.

Taormina scored zero goals and seven points in 31 games with the Stockton Heat. Valiev fared a little better, scoring 21 points in 57 games for the Heat, but neither defender earned a recall to the NHL last season. That means the Habs got a player who fit in well on their second pairing for two guys who could not even stay in an AHL lineup on a nightly basis.

Going forward, it is more likely that Kulak plays a third pairing role for the Habs and not a top four role like he did late last season. Still, a reliable defender who fully deserves the three-year, $1.85 million contract he signed to stay in Montreal long term for a couple of depth minor leaguers is a tremendous trade for Marc Bergevin.

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