The Montreal Canadiens have confirmed their intention to be as aggressive as possible in the trade market, and they have some fascinating components to offer.
When General Manager Kent Hughes and EVP Jeff Gorton held their end-of-season press conference, they made no secret of their intention to make moves this summer with the goal of long-term improvement for the club.
Standing pat is always an option, but NHL betting odds do not seem good for the Canadiens’ chances of making the playoffs next season, unless they make some crucial acquisitions.
However, standing pat appears quite implausible. Over the last two years, the Montreal Canadiens have made some significant transactions leading up to or during the NHL Draft, acquiring Kirby Dach in 2022 and Alex Newhook in 2023.
Now that we’re approaching 2024 and there’s a definite need for some scoring forwards, Hughes and Gorton have some ammunition to make bigger moves this summer.
Let’s see what’s accessible.
Winnipeg’s First Round Pick
It would be stunning to see the Montreal Canadiens use this choice on June 28, since it has been viewed as a potential trade asset since the Sean Monahan trade was announced in February.
With the choice likely to fall between 24th and 27th overall, it might be a useful addition to any trade including a young, scoring forward.
Of course, a late first-round pick isn’t worth much on its own, but when combined with another asset or two, you start to see the makings of an appealing package for a rival team.
2025 First-Round Picks
The Montreal Canadiens have also piled up on picks for the 2025 NHL Draft, which is not a coincidence.
The Canadiens, who own the Calgary Flames’ first-round pick (or Florida’s depending on the circumstances), which they received in the first of two Sean Monahan trades, as well as their own first-round pick in 2025, could always attempt to package one of these selections in a trade.
However, trading a choice a year early with no protection is unlikely to be the best option. If one of the 2025 first-round picks is put on the market, the Canadiens will most likely have some protection that allows them to transfer the weaker of the two picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
It’s not an uncommon stipulation to include in trades; for example, the Detroit Red Wings, who had both their own and Boston’s 2024 first-round picks, made it a condition of their blockbuster acquisition of Alex DeBrincat that Ottawa receive the lesser of their two 2024 first-round picks, along with Dominik Kubalik, a 2024 fourth-round pick, and prospect Donovan Sebrango.
These options should be considered if there is a must-have talent on the market who might propel the Montreal Canadiens to the top of the league in the coming years.
Young Defenceman
It’s no secret that the Montreal Canadiens have too many young and potential defencemen to keep on their roster indefinitely.
With Hughes sitting on a half-dozen left-handed defensemen with serious NHL aspirations, a choice will have to be made about who is untouchable, nice to have, and expendable.
In this situation, Justin Barron, Jordan Harris, Jayden Struble, and possibly Adam Engstrom or Logan Mailloux might be pieces Kent Hughes tries to utilize as bait for a young forward or as sweeteners in a larger trade for an impact player.
There is a chance that Kaiden Guhle may be traded in exchange for a top-tier, can’t-miss forward, but the Canadiens do not appear to be interested in the idea right now.
David Savard
There was a lot of interest in David Savard on trade deadline day this year, but a less-than-ideal buyer’s market and minimal cap room for contending teams made the move difficult.
However, this summer, particularly with the increased salary ceiling, is a completely other ballgame.
This is not to imply that Savard should be openly shopped and moved for pennies on the dollar; nevertheless, if the Canadiens receive their price of a first-round pick (or more) for their 34-year-old experienced rearguard, it may allow them to rapidly pivot toward another trade to obtain that scoring forward.
If there isn’t a strong market for Savard, there’s benefit in keeping him and having him work with rookie blueliners Lane Hutson and Arber Xhekaj this season before trying again at the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline.
Prospects Galore
Aside from the defensemen who have just turned professional, the Montreal Canadiens have a large prospect pool.
Most teams will attempt to add forwards like Filip Mesar, Owen Beck, or Joshua Roy in any potential trade; however, I do not believe Beck or Roy will be on the table.
However, players such as Mesar, Sean Farrell, and Oliver Kapanen, the latter of whom is currently competing in an excellent World Championship campaign, might be dangled in trades for teams eager to bolster their prospect pool and inject some youth into their organization.
The Canadiens have more throwaway assets on their backend, but it is not impossible for them to trade a young forward for an established or young, promising forward in order to accelerate the rebuild.
Mike Matheson
Mike Matheson is possibly the most valuable trade piece the Montreal Canadiens can afford to part with, as his inclusion in any trade would make most general managers sit up and pay attention.
Finishing ninth in scoring for defensemen in the NHL this season, Matheson’s 62-point season has seen his value to the organization and the league skyrocket.
That being said, the Canadiens consider Matheson to be their current #1 defenseman and do not appear to be eager to let him go just yet, as he plays significant minutes and protects the younger defensemen from tougher minutes as they develop in the NHL.
That is also valuable.
But Matheson’s output, along with his sweetheart $4.875 million contract for another two seasons, would be an appealing asset to dangle if it meant bringing in a young forward between the ages of 21 and 25 who can compete with Cole Caufield or Nick Suzuki.
