Ranking The Montreal Canadiens Defenders Most Likely To Be Traded At Trade Deadline
The Montreal Canadiens approach the trade deadline as clear sellers, but without any real obvious things for sale.
I suppose you could say everyone is for sale in the National Hockey League if the price is right or if a team gets their socks knocked off, but there are not many clear trade candidates on the Canadiens roster right now.
Sean Monahan was the most likely player on the roster to be dealt, and he was. Moving him to the Winnipeg Jets made sense for the Canadiens as they have an extra first round pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft at their disposal now.
The fact he has six goals in his first nine games with the Jets means they are loving the deal right now as well.
The Canadiens are going to have to get a little more creative with their next trade. Their only pending unrestricted free agents, since Monahan was dealt, are Tanner Pearson, Colin White and Chris Wideman. None of them are expected to have any value on the trade market, so don't expect them to be moved before next Friday's trade deadline.
So, who could be on the move? Well, the Canadiens have a plethora of defensemen on their roster and a few more coming soon. Could they move out a veteran now to make room for a younger player on the back end? Or could they move a young defenseman to try and fill a bigger need up front?
It could happen soon, as it seems inevitable that the dynamic on the blue line has to shift soon to make room for Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher as well as Logan Mailloux. This is shortly after Jayden Struble stole a roster spot and youngsters Jordan Harris and Arber Xhekaj have long NHL careers in front of them as well.
Who could on the move? Let's rank the ten defensemen who spent time on the Canadiens roster this season who are most likely to be traded in the coming week.
The "Not Going Anywhere" Tier
These defensemen are the least likely of any who have been on the Habs roster this season to be traded ahead of the trade deadline.
10. Chris Wideman
You may have forgotten Chris Wideman was still on the Canadiens roster. He has been on long term injured reserve all season long after a surprise announcement on the eve of training camp ruled him out for the season.
If healthy, he may have actually been traded to a contender looking for a number six or seven defenseman who can help out on the second wave of the power play, but Wideman will not go anywhere due to his health.
9. Kaiden Guhle
Of all the Canadiens defensemen already on the roster, Kaiden Guhle has separated himself from the pack. He is a lock to be here long term and is far more likely to sign a lucrative eight year contract than he is to be traded somewhere.
The 22 year old has an intriguing combination of speed and size and is a budding two-way force on the back end. He will be staying in Montreal for a very long time.
8. Jayden Struble
No one on the Canadiens roster has improved their stock as much as Jayden Struble this season. He has cemented himself on the opening night roster next season, even though there are several options that have more pro experience. He can fly out there and is a physical beast on the ice as well. He is not going anywhere.
The "Very Likely Not Going Anywhere" Tier
Either because of poor performace and not being wanted, or being a unique player the Canaidens want to keep, these players would shock the Canadiens fanbase if they were to be traded.
7. Arber Xhekaj
It is tempting to suggest there is absolutely no chance Arber Xhekaj could be traded by the Montreal Canadiens. He is a physical freak that dominates any battle he gets in on the ice. He also has a bit of offensive upside and an absolute cannon from the point, as seen when he launched a puck over 107 miles per hour at the Canadiens skills competition.
However, it sometimes seems like maybe Xhekaj and Canadiens management are not on the exact same page. He did spend 17 games in the minors earlier this season, after not playing a game there last season, and St. Louis has been hesitant to come to his defense after some penatly calls.
It still seems nearly impossible they will deal him, but if a huge offer comes along, it is possible that Xhekaj could be moved. Incredibly unlikely, but possible if another team really, really wants him.
6. Justin Barron
The Canadiens are a rebuilding team who need to add as much young talent as possible to improve their position in the standings in future years. That means they should be looking to add smooth skating young players like Justin Barron.
However, their right side of the future is almost sure to feature Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher fairly prominently. They also have David Savard and Johnathan Kovacevic playing there now, and players like Jordan Harris and Kaiden Guhle who have performed well on their off side.
So, if a team offers a really good young winger for this really good young defensemen, the Canadiens should pull the trigger. It seems more likely to be an offseason kind of trade, and it is also possible the Canadiens have no interest in moving him, but there is a chance a great offer comes along.
5. Mattias Norlinder
Mattias Norlinder has not played a game with the Canadiens this season, but he was up on the roster for a while without playing a game. He had a great training camp but has not had a great AHL season. At 23 years old there may be a team out there that offers up a struggling forward that needs a chance of scenery for the smooth skating Norlinder.
It wouldn't be much of a blockbuster trade, and isn't extremely likely to happen, but serves as the grovery stick between the less likely defenders to be dealt and the ones who have a higher probabillity of being moved soon.
The "Could Happen But There Is No Rush" Tier
These two players will likely have their names out there in trade talks, but are under team control for a while yet so don't need to be moved this week.
4. Mike Matheson
Mike Matheson is having a great season with the Canadiens. He is having one of the best offensive seasons we have seen from a Canadiens defenseman in years and is among the league leaders in ice time as well.
He is also signed for two more seasons after this one at a very reasonable cap hit of $4.85 million. He just turned 30 which means this is probably as good as it will get, but with his skating abililty and offensive instincts, his production is not going to disappear overnight.
The Canadiens have a lot of young defenders but there is risk in having too many young players without the proper mentors around. Matheson is a good mentor and leader for the younger players and is providing a lot of value to the team right now and can help them over the next two years when they try to contend for a playoff spot again.
Of course, if the Tampa Bay Lightning offer a boatload of picks and prospects, the Canadiens have to say yes at some point.
3. Johnathan Kovacevic
Johnathan Kovacevic was picked up off waivers a year and a half ago but has proven he is a contributor at the NHL level. He is big, shoots right and plays a physical style which makes him an attractive player for other teams.
The 26 year old would be joining a team as their sixth or seventh defender, but there is plenty of upside in the 6'5" and 223 pound blue liner and teams will be interested.
The "Can't See Them Being Here Long Term" Tier
These two players just don't seem to have a fit on the team long term and it would make sense to trade them now while they are healthy and have plenty of trade value.
2. Jordan Harris
Jordan Harris was drafted by the Canadiens the third round of the 2018 NHL Draft and signed with them in 2022 even though he could have chosen to become a free agent that summer. He has a connection to Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes going back to his minor hockey days so that would make it difficult for Hughes to trade him.
But, with so many options on the blue, where does Harris slot in? I think he is a good young player that makes a lot of smart plays on the ice, but he isn't phenomenal in any area either. He should develop into a reliable defender who could probably play on a second pairing.
That's great, but the Canadiens already have Guhle, Hutson, Xhekaj and Struble just on the left side. Reinbacher, Mailloux and Barron are going to be looking for spots on the right side.
Where does Harris fit? Probably in a trade and since he is signed through next season at just $1.4 million he is affordable at the trade deadline and contending teams will be calling on his availability.
1. David Savard
David Savard is the most likely Canadiens defender to get moved before the March 8th trade deadline. He checks so many boxes for contending teams that they are going to come calling with strong offers.
Savard is a right shot defender that kills penalties, blocks shots, prioritizes defensive responsibility, is a good leader and has Stanley Cup winning experience. These are all things NHL general managers absolutely love so they are definitely going to be interested in acquiring Savard.
He is signed through next season with a cap hit of $3.5 million, but that is not an impossible number for other teams to acquire late in the season, and with the salary cap increasing greatly in the summer they will be able to squeeze him in.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks and Vegas Golden Knights could all be interested which could lead to a nice return for the Canadiens.
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