A Winning Habit
Fansided

Montreal Canadiens Should Add Draft Picks By Taking On Bad Contracts

By Ken MacMillan

VANCOUVER, BC - DECEMBER 17: Joel Armia #40 of the Montreal Canadiens shoots the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during NHL action at Rogers Arena on December 17, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - DECEMBER 17: Joel Armia #40 of the Montreal Canadiens shoots the puck against the Vancouver Canucks during NHL action at Rogers Arena on December 17, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 4
Next
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Pierre Engvall #47 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against Keith Yandle #3 of the Florida Panthers during the first period at BB&T Center on January 12, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
SUNRISE, FLORIDA – JANUARY 12: Pierre Engvall #47 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates with the puck against Keith Yandle #3 of the Florida Panthers during the first period at BB&T Center on January 12, 2020 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Florida Panthers

The division rival Florida Panthers are one example of a team that needs help but can’t afford it. They can score goals at will but have hard a difficult time keeping the puck out of their net. They will surely be in the market for a shutdown defenseman or another defensive-minded forward for their bottom six. However, they are projected to have negative cap space at the end of the year.

Mark Pysyk is a right-shot defender that has been a healthy scratch at times this year and has also been dressed at forward on several occasions. He has a cap hit of $2,733,333 and will be an unrestricted free agent in July.

The Panthers would love to move that money out so they could add a player that earns about the same, but is far more effective on the ice. They also have an extra third round pick that was acquired when they sent Derick Brassard to the Colorado Avalanche at last year’s trade deadline. Taking on Pysyk and Colorado’s third round pick would help both teams.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Helping a division rival isn’t ideal, but when you help them in the short term and help yourself long term it can pay off. Another Atlantic Division team in dire straits financially is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Similar to the Panthers, the Leafs can score, but so can most of the teams who play against them.

They have been using Cody Ceci in a big role for most of the season but he has been struggling. He earns $4.5 million in the final year of his deal before becoming an unrestricted free agent. The Leafs could use a new partner for Morgan Rielly, but would need to move out salary. The Habs could be the third wheel in a trade that sees them acquire Ceci with another piece so the Leafs can acquire someone to play with Rielly. Even re-acuiring Ron Hainsey who was his partner for years would be an upgrade, but they can’t take on a penny of salary without clearing some out.

The Leafs traded away their first round pick to the Carolina Hurricanes with Patrick Marleau just so they could clear up cap space. Would they do it again to try and finally get out of the first round of the playoffs? What about Ceci and Jeremy Bracco to the Habs for Nick Cousins.

Bracco is a creative, offensive-minded playmaker who had over a point per game at the AHL level last year but hasn’t played an NHL game yet. The 22 year old is a right winger with exceptional vision and could find a spot in the Habs top nine. Cousins could play on the Leafs fourth line and provide a little bit of grit that they don’t have in their lineup.

Come to think of it, the Habs could start a bidding war of sorts between the Panthers and Leafs. Both teams are going to be fighting for the third playoff berth in the division and they will be looking for any advantage they can. Perhaps unloading a contract and adding a better player via another trade becomes that edge and the Canadiens can play them off against one another to increase the value of the deal.

Home/Editorials