The Montreal Canadiens will dictate the pace of the Trade Deadline
By Omar L
Frank Seravalli released his annual Trade Bait list on Tuesday with some interesting but obvious names thrown into the pot. At the top was Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers. Kreider is a prime example of the controlled buzz of the Deadline. The Rangers have been better than some expected (after their poor start to the year), and it looks as if selling is the more realistic route as they have only 50 points.
Other names on the list include depth additions such as 32-year-old Alec Martinez of the Los Angeles Kings, Brendan Dillon of the San Jose Sharks, and Craig Smith, to name a few. Josh Anderson and Andreas Athanasiou made it as well, but those could easily be players their respective teams decide to keep given their age. Not to mention the fact that the Columbus Blue Jackets are in a playoff race.
At this moment, Jean-Gabriel Pageau is the top name as he has 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points in 46 games. Having that kind of production on a team like the Ottawa Senators hasn’t gone unnoticed, and playoff-contending teams will give up assets for that. The question is: will the Montreal Canadiens be one of them.
That’s what makes the Habs such a wild-card heading into the deadline. A Kreider, Pageau or even a Shayne Gostisbehere – a player linked to Montreal in the past – would surely help shore up the roster if they manage to stay in the hunt. Or perhaps the Canadiens could provide 27-year-old Tyler Toffoli with the means to succeed in a hockey market.
On the other hand, the Montreal Canadiens have a number of assets to sell. Ilya Kovalchuk is on the top of that list. The risk has turned into a reward for Marc Bergevin has Kovalchuk is continuing to show his scoring versatility and offensive playmaking. Whether it’s at 5v5 or on the powerplay, the 36-year-old has the means to create and make his linemates better.
His contract is also a thing of beauty, especially for a team that is looking to add a forward but are right against the cap. Think of a team like the Edmonton Oilers with a lot of skill down the middle but not so much along the wall. Kovalchuk is a different player when motivated and being on the Oilers, who are willing to do whatever it takes to make the playoffs, will maintain or even further excite that.
Marco Scandella is another name the Habs can move, and he’s proven to be steady enough to improve a team’s defensive depth. And of course, there is still the possibility of trading Jeff Petry who is still a very effective right-shooting defenceman.