Montreal Canadiens: Trade Deadline Power Rankings

The NHL trade deadline is still months away, not taking place until March 8th this season. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to what could be a monumental day for the future of the Canadiens. This will be Kent Hughes’ third deadline as GM of the team, with the potential to be his busiest yet.

Obviously, it won’t be a fire sale or a full-on teardown, but the Canadiens do have players that don’t necessarily fit into their long-term plans that might be better valued to them as a trade piece. This was the case a few seasons ago when the Habs shipped out Ben Chiarot, Tyler Toffoli and Artturi Lehkonen.

That may very well be the case for the Canadiens again this season, but we won’t know for sure until we get closer to March 8th. But periodically between now and then, we’ll keep updating the power rankings for players most likely to be moved and also discuss what the Canadiens might be able to fetch in return for them.

Again, the list of names won’t be particularly long, as the Canadiens have a young nucleus they are trying to build around already, but not everyone fits the mold. As we get further along in the season, I’m sure rumours will swirl about potential players on the move, but for now that front has been quiet this early into the season. So let’s jump into it.

I don’t think the Canadiens want to move Josh Anderson when he’s playing his best hockey. And unlike the more likely trade deadline moves, he has plenty of term on his contract left. That’s why he falls at number five on the list and not much higher. The issue lies with how Anderson has played so far this season. He’s been bad.

At $5.5 Million a season, the expectation is Anderson would be one of the Canadiens best players, but the power forward has yet to score through 12 games this season. And truthfully, it hasn’t been a matter of luck; Anderson has had plenty of opportunity, playing on the top powerplay unit, but has just not played well.

Sure, there are more layers to Anderson’s game than just scoring, but that still has to be a part of the equation. The expectation is he’ll give you 20+ goals when healthy. Right now, it’s a struggle just to get one. You have to think the Canadiens are starting to worry just a little bit as they stare at his contract, which still has three years left after this season.

Of course, it’s still early enough in the season that he could turn it around, but this isn’t anything new with Anderson. He is an incredibly streaky player and has been for the entirety of his Habs career. While I think the Canadiens value what Anderson brings, they must be hoping for more consistent play. And with Anderson already being 29, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were open to moving him, assuming the right offer comes along.

The Canadiens have had offers for Anderson before but turned them down as they were not good enough. If teams are still interested, which is a big IF until Anderson gets back on track, I wonder if Kent Hughes is more tempted this time. I don’t think the Canadiens will move Anderson just for the sake of moving him, but the longer he struggles, the more likely it may be they try and get out from underneath that contract.

Unlike Anderson, I think there is a clear desire to move Joel Armia for Kent Hughes. The issue lies in his hefty contract, which pays him $3.4 Million for this season and next. Since Armia signed this contract in the 2021 off-season, he has not come close to living up to that salary. And any team who might have an interest in the player wants nothing to do with the salary attached to it.
It’s a shame, too, because I actually think Armia is a serviceable 4th liner, capable of killing penalties, giving you 20 points in a season and adding some physicality to your lineup. But that’s not worth $3.4 Million, no matter how much you value the fourth line.

If an offer comes along for Armia, specifically one in which the Habs don’t need to add additional compensation to move him, he’s almost surely gone. The question is, will that offer come? I’d say it’s unlikely, but some teams who just want to reach the cap floor while icing a bad roster might take a chance on him. Looking at you, Chicago and San Jose.

I’d pencil this one in as unlikely but possible. I’m certain the Canadiens are not just open to moving Armia but wanting to. The Habs have enough draft capital as it is to use that as an incentive if they really wanted to move him, but I don’t think we’ve reached that point yet.

The Canadiens just recently acquired Tanner Pearson, along with a third-round pick from the Canucks, in exchange for Casey DeSmith. I think the intention has always been to move Pearson, regardless of performance, similarly to Evgenii Dadonov last year. But obviously, better play helps both parties.

The good news is Pearson has played well to start the year, registering six points in 12 games thus far. He has cooled off a little after a scorching start, but he’s still played well in a secondary role. He can shoot the puck, notching a couple 20 goal seasons in his career and provides a veteran experience for a young playoff team. Pearson won a Stanley Cup back in 2014 with the Los Angeles Kings, playing on a line alongside Toffoli.

And Pearson’s contract is much easier to take on for any team, with a cap hit of $3.25 Million for just this season. And the Canadiens could retain his salary to make his contract even sweeter, but that’s not a guarantee. The Habs have just one retention spot left, already using the other two on Joel Edmundson and Jeff Petry. They may choose to keep the last spot for someone else.

Pearson would be a full-on rental, bolstering any team’s middle six. He can play in a multitude of different situations. He may not be the difference between a first-round exit and a Stanley Cup, but he can certainly contribute. The only reason he isn’t higher on this list is because I don’t think he’ll bring in significant compensation the way some other players could.

When the Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan last year, the intention was always to trade him. But an injury sustained in early December kept him out for the rest of the year, which rendered that impossible. But prior to the injury, Monahan looked like the Monahan of old, registering 17 points in 25 games.

So the Canadiens decided to re-sign him and give this another go, this time at a much more reasonable cap hit of $1.985 million, which is looking like a bargain. In 12 games this year, Monahan has already matched his goal total from last year with six and has 11 points. He just needs to stay healthy, but that’s much easier said than done.

I think the better Monahan plays, the more likely the Habs will trade him. He’s got a great contract, he’s producing well, and he plays in all situations. He’s a jack of all trades and can be a difference-maker on a playoff team. And if the Habs want to use their last retention spot on Monahan, they can make it so that any team could afford to trade for him, further expanding his market.

As long as Monahan is healthy, teams will come calling; that’s all but guaranteed. He can fit anywhere in the lineup and provide veteran leadership, solid penalty killing, and even play on the powerplay. And the compensation should be more than worth it for the Canadiens.

There’s a contingency of folks that want the Habs to re-sign Monahan as opposed to trading him, and I get that, but this has to be done. Monahan has an injury-riddled past, and you worry about his longevity long-term. If you’re gifted the opportunity to trade him, you shouldn’t pass that up. Remember, the Flames had to package a first-round pick with him just to move him.

And there is nothing to say the Habs can’t circle back on July 1st to try and re-sign him then. Monahan is number one on the list right now due to his value and also the likelihood he’ll be traded, both of which are high.

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