The Montreal Canadiens' trade deadline plans were a hot topic for many media outlets, including our own. We broke down destinations for upwards of seven players, but here we sit on Saturday, and all the players are still on the Habs' roster. Jake Evans was the first to stay put with his long-term contract extension, but Kent Hughes also held on to Joel Armia, David Savard, Mike Matheson, and Christian Dvorak.
Hughes decided not to upgrade his team at the deadline, which drew ire from some of the fans. After Kirby Dach's injury, second-line center was a clear need, but they'll likely roll with Owen Beck or extra ice-time for players like Evans and Alex Newhook. Beck has been the second-line center on paper but played far less than ten minutes per game.
It was a good move by Hughes to keep the group together but not use any future assets to be buyers. It's unclear whether he was in on the Dylan Cozens sweepstakes, but it seems like Hughes could've easily beaten the Ottawa Senators on that deal if he wanted. Hughes likely didn't see the fit and decided to stay away from a bidding war.
So, Canadiens fans might look at this roster and say, "How are we going to make the playoffs when most of the teams around us have upgraded?" The answer is that making the playoffs isn't the most significant victory for Hughes at this deadline. The real win is gaining the trust of his team by effectively telling them he trusts them to make a run and wants them to do it together. It's a message that will resonate with the group down the line.
"“Everyone in here is really happy that those guys in the rumours (weren’t traded). They’re big parts of the team, great teammates, and great people. I think it sends a message that we’re ready to take that next step and push for the playoffs.”"Jake Evans
We can't underestimate the power of all those players who carried the weight of possibly being traded now having a clear head to go about their business. It was exciting for those players to be part of a playoff race in Montreal, but it was always in the back of their minds that it could soon all end. Look for those players to play some of their best game's of the season on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames.
A motivated Canadiens team will now get 20 games to make a playoff run with a tight-knit group of friends. It's difficult to count them out, especially with their recent point-streak.