The Montreal Canadiens were playing Stanley Cup Final games just six weeks ago, so it seems a bit odd to be looking forward to next year’s trade deadline.
But it has been six weeks since we have seen them play, and it will be another five more before we are in the midst of the preseason schedule. So, why not take a quick peek ahead and see what could happen at the 2022 trade deadline?
They did make a run to the Stanley Cup Final, so it is certainly possible that they are buyers at the trade deadline. If this is the case, I could see them targeting a veteran centre, like when they added Eric Staal at last year’s deadline. With Phillip Danault gone, the Habs will be relying on a young group of centres to get the job done, so they could be looking for a veteran centre that can play higher in the lineup than Staal did.
The team will also certainly look to add a puck moving defenceman. General Manager Marc Bergevin already said this was an area they were trying to upgrade when he was unusually candid while meeting the media after signing David Savard, Cedric Paquette and Mike Hoffman on the opening day of free agency.
Goaltending is a strength with Carey Price being backup up by Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau guarding the net for the Laval Rocket.
While you could always see a contender adding depth pieces, especially if there are injuries, but if the Canadiens are in buyers mode at the trade deadline, I do hope they’d target a top six centre and a top four defenceman that can move the puck and join the rush.
With that being said, let’s take a closer look at players you should keep an eye on early in the season because they could be on the Canadiens radar.