3 players the Canadiens could trade away in a late-offseason blockbuster

Late-offseason blockbuster deals don’t happen often, but they’re fun to speculate about. So why not explore who the Montreal Canadiens could put up in a potential trade should the right team, or teams, come calling. 

There are three players who general manager Kent Hughes could try to move before camp and the preseason begin in an attempt to shed a contract or two and/or make his group even younger. Plus, the more veteran players he moves, the more spots he can open for some of those more exciting prospects playing in Laval or elsewhere. 

Carey Price, G

While there is no chance of goaltender Carey Price returning to the NHL, it doesn’t mean the Canadiens won’t be able to trade away his contract elsewhere. That said, there are limited options to move Price, but someone like the Anaheim Ducks or the Calgary Flames would be ideal, which would free up additional cap space for the Habs without the need to dip into their LTIR pool. 

Price has another two seasons left on his deal, and teams like Anaheim or Calgary wouldn’t figure to compete until the longtime goaltender’s contract is up. Overall, this trade wouldn’t be a blockbuster, but it would set up a potential blockbuster. 

David Savard, D

David Savard has drawn interest recently, so it’s not like trading the 33-year-old is entirely a pipe dream here. But for a blockbuster? This trade can go in multiple ways, from the Habs picking up a high-end prospect for Savard should they trade him to a guaranteed contender in 2024-25, but there’s also a chance the opposite could happen…sort of…

Suppose there’s an organization looking for one more solid defenseman, and they’re willing to trade a younger, more established player to get them. This wouldn’t be a Savard for (A Young Forward) deal, but one that would encompass several assets on both sides. 

Overall, the Habs would get another potential scorer in such a situation while Team A - you have no idea how badly I want to say Carolina, even with Martin Necas re-signing - gets a solid, established blueliner and other assets. Maybe that asset will be the player I have listed below, and no, a would-be contender wanting them wouldn’t be out of the question.   

Josh Anderson, F

Here’s the logic behind a seemingly illogical move surrounding a potential blockbuster trade that would include Josh Anderson: The guy can score, and he’s proven it a few times in his career. No, he wasn’t that good last season after putting up just 20 points, but I’m also looking at the 40 goals he snagged in 2021-22 and 2022-23 for another general manager to say, “He’d be a great depth scorer on my team.”

And if that executive is interested in going all-in for a Stanley Cup, they would ask the Habs to add Josh Anderson to the trade discussion. Ideally, a trade like this would also involve Savard, as implied in the previous section, giving the Habs a young player who can be part of the team for years to come while Team A - Hurricanes, please - gains depth and experience. 

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