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The Canadiens’ impromptu week off thanks to Covid turned out to be a busy one for the front office staff. Marc Bergevin met the media to explain what was going on and then proceeded to tell everyone he would not be active on the trade market…until he was. It was no secret that the Canadiens had 2 concerns as the season progressed; a need for a veteran centre and a puck moving defenceman that could play with Shea Weber. Even before Ben Chiarot went down to injury, it was clear that an update was needed.
Bergevin has addressed the first need by rescuing Eric Staal from the Buffalo Sabres, but there’s still a piece of the puzzle missing on the blue line. With the Canadian government officially agreeing that the quarantine period could be 7 days and not 14 days, the deadline could be busier than expected league wide.
The GM’s actions are speaking louder than his words these days and whether he says it or not, he does appear to be all in. The circumstances mean that his team could have a chance of making the 3rd round of the playoffs and Bergevin is ready to roll the dice and go for broke. There are a few names that could interest the Canadiens and are reportedly on the market right now. Mattias Ekholm is probably the biggest fish in the pond and could be of interest to many teams which could make the price higher. Other potential targets could include Brandon Montour from the Sabres, David Savard from the Blue Jackets, Vince Dunn from the Blues and Sami Vatanen from the Devils.
Let’s start with the dream catch, Mattias Ekholm. Unlike the other names on this list, he’s not a rental and has one more season at a reasonable $3.75 M cap hit. Reasonable of not though, the Canadiens couldn’t fit that under the cap and there would need to be some money going out. If the Predators remain sellers (they are now only 2 points out of the playoffs picture right now), they will need a good offer to send this top blueliners to Montreal. Don’t dream of them taking on Paul Byron, it won’t happen. To pry him away, I think we’d need to sacrifice as established roster player, a pick and perhaps a prospect. For me Tatar comes to mind here, if the trade happens quickly, Nashville could flip him again for picks before the deadline. Problem is, the Habs don’t have that many left wingers right now. Still, if Bergevin is going to let him walk in the Summer, it might be worth considering, even if it hurts the offense.
As for Brandon Montour, that would mean going back to the Buffalo well, but it could be a great idea. He’s a good skater, a good puck mover with a good point shot, but he’s a righty like Shea Weber. If he’s able to play on his off side, he could be a good fit. He’s got a $3.8M cap hit, Buffalo would need to take salary back because eating half of the cap hit probably wouldn’t work. I’m guessing Bergevin might have tried to get them to take a player back last time and it didn’t work though…
David Savard has 9 years of experience in the league, he’s from Quebec, but again, he’s a righty. His cap hit is the highest of them all at $4.25 and a trade would require some major cap gymnastic. Savard definitely has skills though, he has plenty of mobility, can move the puck and is a shutdown defender. The Jackets are over a million under the cap and they might be hungry for some picks. They have 7 this year but only 5 next year when the Habs have 8. Could Marc Bergevin make them take on Armia, Lehkonen or Byron by sweetening the deal with some picks? Perhaps…
St-Louis is even more stuck under the cap than Montreal is and that’s why they may consider trading impending restricted free agent Vince Dunn. Right now, he only commands a $1.875 M salary but that is sure to go up in his next contract and they may not be able to accommodate him. Furthermore, St-Louis only has 5 picks in the upcoming draft and the Canadiens’ cupboard is still stacked. They may not be opposed to taking on an expiring contract like those of Lehkonen or Armia if the GMs can make the money work. A lefthanded modern day type of defenseman, he could make a viable solution to the Weber’s partner issue.