Habs Trade Deadline Takeaways

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens talk prior to Round One of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes and head coach Martin St. Louis of the Montreal Canadiens talk prior to Round One of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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1. Molson & The Canadiens Will Not Tank

MONTREAL, CANADA - JANUARY 21: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Centre Bell on January 21, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, CANADA – JANUARY 21: Nick Suzuki #14 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the second period against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Centre Bell on January 21, 2023 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 in overtime. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)

In a sporting era marked by the alleged intention of losing games to secure high draft picks, Montreal will not simply throw players away in the hopes of drafting Matvei Michkov, Adam Fantilli, or Connor Bedard. In a season that many considered over before it began, the Canadiens have been a formidable opponent on most nights, even after the loss of their leading goal-scorer. The integrity of sport and the importance of team and locker room culture has proven far more valuable to ownership and management alike, particularly in the first year under a new captain. This very well could have been a trade deadline that saw a combination of Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, etc., head to greener pastures. Still, the role of these veterans to this young team has been deemed more valuable than a handful of mid-round draft picks.