Are the Canadiens Done Yet? Dobson Deal May Be Just the Start

The Montreal Canadiens made a big splash hours before the first round of the NHL draft by acquiring Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and giving him a massive 8-year $76 million contract. While the Canadiens did give up some draft capital and forward Emil Heineman, it was noteworthy that the Canadiens managed to acquire the defenceman without parting with any of their top prospects.

It begs the question: Are the Canadiens done making moves over the draft? There have been reports that suggest the Canadiens are in the market to upgrade their second-line centre position and move off of Carey Price's contract. Logan Mailloux was the surprising name not included in the Dobson trade, which could potentially mean they could use him as a trade piece to acquire the centre that they are looking for.

The dream trade would be to convince Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins to part ways. If they could acquire someone of the calibre of Crosby, with the addition of Dobson, it is tough to imagine a world where they would not be Stanley Cup favourites going into next season. Crosby has stated before that the Canadiens were his favourite team growing up, which lends some credibility to the possibility of the trade. However, that will likely only be a dream, as Crosby has said multiple times in the past that he would like to retire as a Penguins player.

Another name floating around in trade talks is Minnesota centre Marco Rossi. Rossi had himself a career year last season, posting 24 goals and 60 points in 82 games. The Wild just traded Frederick Gaudreau to the Seattle Kraken, so they might be hesitant to move off their young centre. Rossi is a restricted free agent this summer and, after a strong season, could be asking for a substantial pay raise that the Wild might not be willing to give him just yet. The Canadiens could capitalize on the situation and fill a hole on their roster that they have made clear is a need.

Rumours have also begun to surface that the Canadiens are looking to shed salary, leaving players like Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and Mike Matheson open to trade talks. Price's contract has also been a topic of discussion. Although the contract could be placed on LTIR once the season begins, trading it would provide the Canadiens with valuable cap flexibility. With all this uncertainty, the first round of tonight's draft could still be exciting, even though, as of right now, the Canadiens no longer have a pick to make.