3 trades the Canadiens missed out on at the NHL trade deadline
Despite helping themselves at the NHL trade deadline, the Montreal Canadiens could have been more active in ‘buying’ some young talent from other teams.
The Montreal Canadiens have a clear rebuilding plan in place, so it made sense for them not to buy at the NHL trade deadline. However, as a young hockey team in rebuilding mode, they could have simultaneously bought and sold in trades with a few potential contenders and perhaps even a team that was far from contention.
There were plenty of young NHL talents in the rumor mill whose time with their respective organizations hasn’t gone as planned. And since the Canadiens had plenty of seasoned veterans to trade away, they could have flipped those players in a deal that involved a youngster who may have fared better in Quebec than in their current systems.
Some of the players whose names were swirling were Jake Allen (ultimately traded to New Jersey) and David Savard. Other veterans aged 30 or over who were either pending unrestricted free agents or with one more full season on their respective deals include Tanner Pearson and Joel Armia.
Montreal Canadiens could have sold more at the NHL trade deadline
Montreal also traded Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets the month prior, but next to making a pair of low-key AHL trades, including one on Monday, Allen was the only one who went, and that was for a conditional draft pick. But what if the Canadiens found ways to send Savard, Armia, and Pearson elsewhere?
There are quite a few players they could have gotten in return, and while these hypothetical trades wouldn’t have carried a ‘blockbuster’ label, they could have helped the Canadiens in the long run. No, none of the names you are about to see are anywhere near an NHL All-Star level, but they wouldn’t have cost much to flip to either a contender or even an organization looking to reset.
Jonatan Berggren could have come to Montreal for a bargain
The Canadiens could have made a deal with the Detroit Red Wings to bring in Jonatan Berggren, whose time in Detroit’s system could have easily ended at the deadline. General manager Steve Yzerman has made big trades in the past - such as collecting a couple of first-round picks at the previous deadline and making notable offseason acquisitions like Ville Husso (2022) and Alex DeBrincat (2023), so another big deadline would have been no surprise.
However, Yzerman took an idle route at the deadline despite losing top forward Dylan Larkin. It also looks like Berggren will be with the big club for the foreseeable future, thanks to Larkin’s injury. Still, the 23-year-old hasn’t been overtly productive during his chances in the NHL and the Canadiens had an experienced forward in Joel Armia to move.
While Yzerman should be giving his younger players like Berggren another chance, flipping him for a more experienced player like Armia (with possibly other assets involved on both sides) at a time when his team is in contention would have made more sense. Berggren is running out of opportunities as it is, and Armia, though not a scorer, has been part of several hockey teams that have made deep playoff runs.
Bringing sound help on the penalty kill, plus a respectable on-ice save percentage of 91.9 at 5-on-5, Armia would provide sound defense to Detroit’s lower lines. It’s something the ailing Red Wings need at the moment, and it’s also something they missed all season.
Philip Broberg would have been another promising blueliner in the system
While the Canadiens weren’t linked to Philip Broberg, he’s been buried in Edmonton’s system for a while now despite receiving quite a few chances to play throughout the years. Broberg hasn’t caught on, and a change of conferences would have been an ideal move for the 22-year-old.
Unlike Armia, who likely would have required more than a simple player swap, the Canadiens could have ‘bought’ Broberg and perhaps even a late-round pick by sending over an experienced player in David Savard, who the Oilers could have immediately plugged into their lineup. And he’s someone Edmonton could have used despite scoring a recent shutout win over the Pittsburgh Penguins with goaltender Calvin Pickard.
The truth is, their primary goaltender, Stuart Skinner, has not fared as well as his record and numbers show, evidenced by his nine ‘really bad starts.’ He is also beyond inconsistent - either ultra-hot or ultra-cold in stretches. Right now, Skinner is ultra-hot, having allowed two or fewer goals in each game between February 26th and March 9th.
In his six starts before that, Skinner logged an 0.858 save percentage and was one of the league’s worst goaltenders in that stretch. By sending Savard to Edmonton for at least Broberg, Edmonton would have gotten a physical blueliner capable of blocking would-be shots on goal and clearing the net, and the Canadiens would have acquired an intriguing asset.
Adam Boqvist would have added more youth and experience to the Canadiens
Some teams looking to ‘buy’ at the NHL trade deadline aren’t always contenders, but they are instead looking to tear everything down, or at least tear a few variables down that aren’t working. The Columbus Blue Jackets could be the next team to face a complete rebuild, so trading some young players was something they were looking to do at the deadline, and Adam Boqvist was one of those players.
Note the ‘looking to buy’ quip from earlier, as it’s not unheard of for teams in Columbus’ situation to take on what’s left of a player’s contract if they are interested in ‘selling’ one of their own. This could have been the case with Tanner Pearson, whose contract expires following the season.
For Boqvist, Columbus would have wanted more than just a player they would likely not opt to re-sign following the season, especially if they’re giving up a 23-year-old full of potential. But for a high-potential player like Boqvist, general manager Kent Hughes should have had no qualms with handing a draft pick or two, given his amount of draft capital.
With another season left on his deal, Boqvist would have a full year to show that he deserved a long-term deal to stick around in Quebec. If not, then the Canadiens could have let him walk following the 2024-25 season, and try again elsewhere.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference, trade information provided by Cap Friendly)