The Montreal Canadiens will certainly be labeled sellers as we head towards the trade deadline.
Teams have until March 21st to make any deals before finalizing their roster for the 2022 postseason. The Eastern Conference landscape is about as far from the parity that commissioner Gary Bettman desperately strives for every season since introducing the salary cap that limits the wealthiest teams as ever.
There is a very wide gap between the 8th and 9th best teams in the conference, drawing a Grand Canyon wide line between playoff and non-playoff teams long before the NHL season was even half over.
The Washington Capitals currently have the 8th best record in the Eastern Conference by points percentage. Their 28-16-9 record has them comfortably inside the playoff picture. The Columbus Blue Jackets are 9th in the Eastern Conference with a 27-24-1 record on the season. The Jackets have played one less game than the Caps, but sit a full ten points behind them in the “race” for the final playoff spot.
That divide should normally split the teams into obvious buyers and sellers ahead of the trade deadline, but should the Canadiens look to ignore conventional wisdom and do a little buying in a down season? Hear me out.
The team has already been rumoured to be interested in signing big name free agents this summer to expedite their rebuilding process. While rivals like the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins never complained about spending big in free agency on John Tavares or Zdeno Chara, there are a lot of misses and overpays in free agency.
Instead of giving a 31 year old Nazem Kadri or a 36 year old Patrice Bergeron a lot of money and too much term, the Canadiens should look to the trade route first.
There is one very interesting young, top pairing defenceman available that every team in the league should be interested in, regardless of their position in the standings.
That player is Jakob Chychrun.
The Arizona Coyotes defenceman is on the trade market because, well, because he is an Arizona Coyote. They are trying to trade everybody it seems. They already traded Christian Dvorak to the Habs for first and second round picks.
The cost for Chychrun would be even higher, as the team is rumoured to want a first round pick, a top end prospect, and a young NHL ready player with high upside for their 23 year old defender.
It sounds like a lot for a team at the bottom of the standings, as the Canadiens are, to give up. They should be looking to acquire top end prospects and first round picks.
But why can’t they do both? Acquire as many first round picks and prospects as possible and then flip some for Chychrun. If the Habs acquire a first round pick or a top defence prospect, us fans would hope they turn into a top pairing guy by the age of 23.
Chychrun already is that guy and he is signed for three more seasons after this one at a very reasonable cap hit of $4.6 million.
For example, let’s say the Habs continue trading away veterans and get a first round prospect in exchange for Ben Chiarot. Then they turn around and offer that first round pick, as well as the Calgary Flames first round pick and prospect Emil Heineman for Chychrun.
Two first round picks in the 2022 NHL Draft and a good prospect would be a strong offer. It is not quite the rumoured asking price of a top prospect, a first round pick and a young NHL player, but teams never get exactly what they are asking for.
Two first round picks and a prospect sounds like a lot, but from a Habs perspective it is just flipping what they got for Tyler Toffoli and Ben Chiarot.
Essentially, Toffoli and Chiarot would be out and a young, top pairing defender who scored 18 goals and 41 points in 56 games as a 22 year old last season would be in.
It is a little unconventional to be looking to buy immediately after selling. But trading picks and prospects that you hope turn into elite NHL players for a 23 year old defender who is currently an elite player makes a lot of sense.