Montreal Canadiens: Could The Bruins Be A Trade Partner With Desperate Need At Center?

The Montreal Canadiens oldest rival are the Boston Bruins and for close to 20 years the Bruins have had an enviable one-two punch down the middle of the ice. But things happen fast, and in the blink of an eye, the Bruin’s centre depth has dwindled drastically.

Both Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci have decided to hang up their skates. Free agency is an option for the Bruins but most, if not all, top six centers have already found a new home. A trade can is more of a guarantee to find the exact player that the Bruins need.

The Canadiens, however, host a pretty solid core down the middle and with the youth movement coming in, Hughes might just be persuaded to swing a deal with the Bruins. Having familiarity league wide with NHL management because of his career as a player agent has earned him a pretty solid reputation, and his respectful manner could prove helpful. The older core in Boston could force general manager Don Sweeney’s hand in swinging a deal for a centre with some experience to help now.

Montreal has a surplus of centres, and should Sweeney table an intriguing offer, I would have to believe that Hughes might entertain offers for Sean Monahan and Christian Dvorak. Acquiring either one of the centres would be a strong option, as they can mentor the Bruin’s younger centres. Monahan is surely more interesting because of his skill set, but having a stout defensive centre like Dvorak is a sought-after commodity, especially during the playoffs.

It’s less likely that the Bruins will trade any of their A-level prospect’s and unless Hughes sweetens the deal, trading away draft capital could only hurt the team’s transition to the post-Bergeron and Krejci era. However, Hughes has proven to be adept at swinging deals, so this could be a realistic option for both parties. It’s clear that Hughes has an interest in acquiring first-round picks, and should the Bruins wish to continue competing for a Stanley Cup, bringing in a veteran centre in Monahan, on a one-year deal could be the perfect low-risk move.

Now the question is what are the Bruins willing to offer, and what would Hughes agree on? The B’s have leveraged a lot of their draft capital in recent years to stay competitive, and they have a few prospects that are likely untouchables. But you have to pay a premium to get a veteran centre, and at just 28 years old, Monahan could be an intriguing option.

Dvorak is likely to miss time due to injury to start the 2023-24 campaign, so he is a less likely option. But the need remains for the Bruins to bring in a centre or two to secure the centre depth in Boston. They have a first in 2024, although it’s conditional and could change over to 2025, but regardless that first could be in play, as well as their second-round pick in 2026.

As far as prospects go, the Bruins are quite thin in their pool, so I don’t see a deal working in that regard. But maybe the first and second could be just enough. And if not, Hughes could ask for whichever prospect he likes best.

There is nothing set in stone, and certainly no guarantee that the Bruins seek any trade within the division. But it’s not a secret that they’re limping going into this season without the services of their long-tenured centre duo.

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