The Montreal Canadiens' second-line center spot has been a revolving door this season, made even more confusing thanks to Ivan Demidov's injury. The Russian's presence on the second line lets the center play less of a driving role, but with Demidov out, the Canadiens have struggled to fill that role consistently.
Alex Newhook has gotten the most chances, but with Nick Suzuki out for the last two weeks, the depth has been beaten. The good news is that the Canadiens have still found ways to win, which has made the issue a bit easier to handle. Still, it should have made Kent Hughes realize he is only an injury or two away from serious trouble if he doesn't address the second-line center role soon.
Shane Wright's trade to the Nashville Predators took one young option off the board as the Canadiens await Dylan Larkin's decision to expand his no-trade list. However, another young Western Conference center could be heading down the road to a fresh start if his team can recoup assets, and the Canadiens certainly have enough in the cupboard to make a deal happen.
Are the Kings going to give up on Quinton Byfield?
The Los Angeles Kings' 24-year-old center Quinton Byfield has yet to eclipse 55 points in a season, which has lowered his ceiling as a first-line center. The excuse was that Anze Kopitar was the man in Los Angeles, and the legend's retirement would unlock the 6-foot-5 forward. Instead, in his first season as the team's No. 1, Byfield is on pace for 30 points, his lowest point total over a full season in his career.
Winger Alex Laferriere is now anchoring the team's top line, which says everything about how the Kings view Byfield. It's a scary proposition for the Canadiens, as he could be nothing more than a healthier Kirby Dach. Still, if Byfield needs a fresh start, Kent Hughes might be willing to give him one, according to Marco D'Amico via the Off the Market podcast.
""If Quinton Byfield becomes available, the Canadiens will definitely be interested. Will Kent Hughes be aggressive? We'll see. But interested? Absolutely.""Marco D'Amico
It seems the Canadiens are still interested in Larkin, which will dictate their other moves, but if Larkin changes his trade list and Montreal still isn't on it, Hughes will have no choice but to look in a different direction.
Is Byfield the safest option? Maybe not. But he won't cost you Michael Hage, as Larkin might, and that gives the Canadiens a bit of security down the road if the fresh start doesn't work out for the Kings' forward.
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