It goes without saying that the Montreal Canadiens will be trading or trying to trade more than one player before the NHL trade deadline. Perhaps a player who can fill an immediate need could be acquired in one of these trades but there are also prospects already in the organization who will be pushing for spots.
Beginning with the goaltenders, Cayden Primeau would be a prime trade candidate but at the moment his market value has to be close to zero. Still, there are a couple of players in Laval who could challenge him for the backup goaltender position before the end of the year. Jakub Dobes and Connor Hughes have both been playing well.
Moving on to the defenders, David Savard is a solid RH defenceman that should appeal to a Stanley Cup contender. He has been a stabilizing influence on an unstable defence corps and could command a reasonable return in a trade. Canadiens fans have to look no further than Laval to see Logan Mailloux as his replacement for the remainder of the season if Savard was traded. He is tearing the league up offensively and while he brings a different element to the game than Savard, he is the most obvious replacement.
Should teams get in a bind through injuries, one of Montreal’s many young LH defencemen could also be a target. The scene at that position remains crowded and Kent Hughes has some decisions to make, particularly if Adam Engstrom continues to show progress in Laval. But that kind of trade seems more suited to a post season transaction.
At forward, Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Jake Evans are on expiring contracts. Only Evans could be expected to bring a reasonable return, while moving Dvorak and Armia would create opportunities for young players knocking on the door. Owen Beck and Oliver Kapanen could step in at center while Joshua Roy and Ivan Demidov should be ready to assume NHL roles very soon.
With only one salary retention spot available to the Canadiens, Hughes has to weigh that option carefully if it involves Savard or one of these three.
Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson are unlikely to be moved. The young Canadiens still need a veteran presence and both have been playing relatively well in their bottom six roles. Their contracts add to the unlikelihood of a trade.
The real wildcard in all of the trade speculation is Mike Matheson. He has eaten up big minutes for the Canadiens and provides offence from the blueline, all at a very reasonable cap hit. In the event of a trade, his place on the first PP would be filled by Lane Hutson and in the interim, his position next to Kaiden Guhle could be filled by Justin Barron. It’s not like pairing Guhle and Barron would cause Montreal to drop further in the standings.
Unfortunately, neither Guhle or Matheson has proven to be adept at playing on the right side. David Reinbacher is unlikely to be NHL ready next season but he will eventually earn a spot at RD on the Canadiens. In the interim, Barron could assume that role.
The price demanded by Hughes for Matheson would undoubtedly be very high but the Canadiens’ GM has shown in the past that he is not afraid to pull the trigger. While moving Matheson remains highly improbable it is not out of the question.
None of these scenarios assumes that the Canadiens could land an NHL ready player in one of these trades. That could happen but it’s a longshot.
The off-season will be the time when the Canadiens are more likely to fill the holes in the lineup in an effort to be more competitive. Second line center is the most obvious, with no one currently in the system quite ready to assume that role. Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook have fallen short. Goaltending has also become a position of need but on of Dobes or Hughes may show enough over the remainder of the season to alleviate concerns in net.
Historically, there is not much player movement until after the all-star break, so more patience is required. Habs fans should look at the trade deadline as a time where the team can open up opportunities for young players going forward while the off-season is when the team can add talent through the draft, trades and free agency.
