Canadiens Trade Deadline Preview: Injuries will make it tough to be active

2 8 minutes read

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It has been a few weeks since groups across the NHL started sitting gamers out of video games for “trade-related functions” whereas the Montreal Canadiens have been impatiently ready to get their injured gamers again into them simply to be ready to doubtlessly commerce them earlier than Friday’s deadline.

Sean Monahan, who’s been out of motion with a lower-body because the first week of December, was basically dominated out of that course of on Saturday night time, when it was introduced he wouldn’t journey with the Canadiens on Sunday to San Jose.

They’ll play the Sharks on Tuesday and the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday with out the 28-year-old centre, and the probabilities they capitalize on what his worth was perceived to be earlier than he was compelled to the sidelines are virtually nil.

The Canadiens acquired a first-round choose only for taking Monahan and his expiring $6.375-million cap hit from the Calgary Flames final summer time, and it was trying like a respectable risk they’d get one other one forward of the deadline after he posted 17 factors in 25 video games.

Draft picks

2023: 1st, 1st (FLA), 2nd, third, 4th, 4th (PIT), 4th (VGK), fifth, fifth (CGY), sixth, seventh

2024: 1st, 2nd (COL), third, 4th, fifth, sixth, seventh, seventh (EDM)

2025: 1st, 1st (CGY), 2nd, third, 4th, fifth, sixth, seventh

Wants

Futures of any variety.

That’s what the Canadiens are after, whether or not they be gamers who nonetheless have upside like Gurianov, prospects or picks.

Potential targets

Not like another groups we’re previewing right here at Sportsnet, the Canadiens don’t have laborious targets we will record off.

The prospect of them surprising the hockey world by shopping for property — they actually received’t be renting them — is alive however infinitesimal. And understanding that, it would be purely speculative to counsel a reputation or two they could look to add.

We all know the Canadiens would love to acquire a 3rd first-round choose for this upcoming draft, however the possibilities of that had been all however eradicated with the accidents Monahan and Edmundson sustained.

Belongings to commerce

Even when Monahan and Edmundson would each be tough to transfer, each are nonetheless in play.

So is Jonathan Drouin.

Whether or not or not any crew will take him is one other story. Drouin hasn’t scored a aim since January 2022, and even when he’s put up 13 assists over his final 17 video games, performed persistently nicely since late January, has a historical past of elevating his recreation within the playoffs, and comes at half his $5.5-million price ticket, there simply may not be a crew prepared to hand over something of value for him.

Might one come calling at 2:45 p.m. ET on Friday simply to scoop the 27-year-old up on a budget? Positive.

However that may be the one means Drouin strikes.

Hughes ought to be in consideration for GM of the yr if he can push Mike Hoffman out with out having to hand over draft picks to do it. He’s going to attempt, and energy to him if he succeeds, however it’s extra possible he’ll be caught with him by means of the deadline.

We all know Canadiens followers noticed Nino Niederreiter — who has one yr after this one at $4 million and 28 factors on the season — get traded from Minnesota to Winnipeg for a 2024 second-round choose earlier this week and thought that may be a template for a Hoffman commerce as a result of the participant additionally has one yr left after this one at $4.5 million on the cap and has 27 factors. However they’re fantasizing on that.

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Buying and selling Christian Dvorak appears far out of attain, too. Positive, centres are at all times in demand and Dvorak can be a serviceable one, however he nonetheless has two years left beneath contract after this one and counts yearly on the cap for $4.45 million.

It’s conceivable a few groups will come calling on Josh Anderson. Some would possibly even be prepared to pay a hefty worth for the ability ahead who has 18 targets and a $5.5-million cap hit by means of 2027.

However whether or not or not they’d pay as a lot as Hughes would be asking for is debatable, particularly forward of the deadline.

We don’t suppose Hughes will commerce David Savard, both. We don’t suppose Hughes is attempting to commerce Savard. The participant’s worth is greater to the Canadiens than it possible is to anybody coveting him.

Different issues

• The Canadiens have let groups know they’re prepared to use their cap area and be a third-party dealer in offers requiring one. However with simply over $4 million in area and 47 contracts on the books, they’d be restricted to serve on this position — particularly in the event that they aren’t ready to transfer any gamers out earlier than the deadline. Additionally they have incentive to avoid wasting room for faculty free brokers and their very own faculty prospects (like Sean Farrell and Jayden Struble).

• Probably the most fascinating issues to monitor between now and Friday will be which gamers get positioned on the Laval Rocket roster to be made eligible for the AHL playoffs. As soon as these gamers are papered to Laval, the Canadiens solely have 4 non-emergency remembers they will make from post-deadline by means of finish of season.

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