Montreal Canadiens: Holding Onto Veterans For Too Long Could Haunt The Canadiens

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Many have suggested that the Montreal Canadiens would be unwise to move on from veterans at this juncture.

The belief is that if too many long time NHL talents are moved, the young guys will suffer. Everyone is entitled to their opinions, it’s not as though anything is set in stone. But, to be noted, Kent Hughes has earned his keep with his swift trading.

His ability to move veterans at the right time, before they started to decline has been impeccable. Which is why it’s peculiar to argue the value of moving a player while the value is high. Tyler Toffoli and Ben Chiarot are two great examples.

For a team that has long been offensively anemic, there was no hesitation to move Toffoli and Arturri Lehkonen. But the Canadiens aren’t thin on the blueline, and they are likely to have Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher join the fold, at latest, by October. So trading from a position of strength, will allow the young blueliners to play crucial minutes.

Prior to Jordan Harris going down with an injury, he and Arber Xhekaj have split starts. And both players have proven worthy and able to play every night for Martin St. Louis. But with a crowded blueline, they have seen more of the pressbox than they should.

The idea or suggestion of moving Matheson didn’t go over well with the A Winning Habit readership. Similar to the one to get rid of ‘Big Play Dave’. But that doesn’t mean it’s a poor or boneheaded idea.

It would be silly to hold onto them, just like Hughes did with Josh Anderson and Jake Allen, for too long. Now they both have minimal value on the trade market and they haven’t done much to help the team. And they would be rich buyout options, which could have been avoided.

Any way you cut it, holding onto players too close to their expiration date is a recipe for disaster. The young guys are the future, and somewhere in translation that appears to have been muddied up. But the sooner the core of the future gets their minutes, the better, since they will carry the torch, not the expiring veterans.

U25 Defenders Would Benefit From Increased Ice Time

Anaheim Ducks v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

The suggested biggest issue with potentially moving on from Savard and/or Matheson is that they mask youthful mistakes.

I answer back with: The best way for the young guys to learn and acclimate is playing in important situations. That is hard to do when veterans are eating up those minutes. I will go as far as saying, if there were a more appropriate time for the young guys to play, it’s now, before the start of the 2024-25 season.

You can live with those mistakes, especially when the rewards are so significant. On any given night since the Sean Monahan trade, the only player older than 25 years old on the powerplay is Matheson. Now, I know that the defensive side of the puck is a different animal, but both Harris and Xhekaj could play consistently in a penalty-killing role.

The benefits that will come from the young, core players playing in high-importance situations, will show when the Habs arrive in their window of contention.

Also to be noted: I’m not suggesting that I want the team to lose games, but there’s an obvious benefit to a decrease in the team’s performance. The quality of the Canadiens first-round selection in June will increase. Matheson and/or Savard will bring in more picks or under-25 talent, both of which will help the team.

Monahan got dealt, and while it hurt, the Canadiens were able to absorb the impact with little issue. And the idea of him returning in the summer after a Stanley Cup run isn’t out of the question. So why isn’t that same idea considered for one of the two veteran Canadiens defenders?

This team isn’t ready to compete, but when they are, it doesn’t simply mean they will go to the Stanley Cup final. For the young core, that is okay, in fact it’s expected. And that’s precisely why you don’t keep guys that are already 30 or swiftly approaching, since they will be 32-33-34 years old before it happens.

Bringing In A Veteran Needs To Make Sense

Ottawa Senators v Montreal Canadiens / Minas Panagiotakis/GettyImages

I am all for having a veteran or two during the playoffs, I think we all are.

But let’s be honest, the Canadiens still need some time to earn their right to be called a playoff team. Right now, the focus is on development, which comes from playing time - repetition will serve the youth best. It’s more important to develop and accumulate picks and assets to address the goal-scoring issue right now than to hold onto valuable trade commodities.

But when the time comes and the Habs are in their window, then Hughes should consider signing a player or two who are a bit seasoned compared to the Habs core.

I think a great chess player shares many qualities with a general manager. If they’re a few steps ahead of their counterparts, the chance to win increases. Hughes learned from holding onto Anderson too long, which is why he moved Monahan in short order.

If moving Matheson is the difference between acquiring help for the top six. Or helping the Canadiens secure multiple picks in the top tier of the 2024 Draft, I can’t see how that gets ignored. The Habs' need is obvious, and they have the depth to make such a move with little consequence.

Once a veteran’s value starts to drop, it’s hard for it to come back. Matheson is hot right now, it’s your move Kent.

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