Montreal Canadiens Gamers Who Ought to Be Traded This Season – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens

The 2025 NHL Commerce Deadline continues to be distant (March 7), however groups have already began making strikes to unravel points and enhance themselves, such because the Jacob Trouba saga with the New York Rangers. There was chatter surrounding nearly each membership, together with the Montreal Canadiens. Realistically, who would and even ought to normal supervisor (GM) Kent Hughes use as commerce bait? What can be the return? Let’s focus on.

Savard, Dvorak, Armia Are Powerful Sells

There’s a massive distinction between the gamers Montreal (and their followers) need to eliminate and those that might be dangled as real bait. 

For some, instances like ahead Christian Dvorak and defenceman David Savard are lower and dry. They don’t contribute sufficient, price greater than sufficient, and don’t garner a lot enthusiasm amongst those that report on or assist the membership. 

Dvorak is 28 years previous and taking part in in his ninth NHL season. He’s too younger to be thought-about previous and too previous to be thought-about younger. Gamers of their late 20s are seen as residing the prime years of their careers. Sadly, in Dvorak’s case, he missed the whole again finish of 2023-24 as a result of of a torn pectoral muscle that required surgical procedure. In 2022-23, he suffered a knee harm, thus placing an abrupt ending to his marketing campaign in March. It’s ostensibly been three years since he’s been largely wholesome. 

He’s taking part in out the ultimate season of a six-year contract that has a median annual worth (AAV) of $4.45 million. In three seasons and alter with the Canadiens (as incomplete as a few of these seasons have been), he has 28 objectives and 50 assists, together with his first marketing campaign in Montreal (2020-21) sporting one of the best stats (11 objectives, 22 helpers).

As an unrestricted free agent (UFA) in July 2025, it’s tempting to think about the Canadiens will merely see him stroll out the door. Possibly if a playoff hopeful is determined for our bodies on the third or fourth line, a deal can get achieved for some draft capital. However which may solely are available late February or early March.

Blueliner David Savard, one of many few Québécois natives on the roster, is 34 years previous. A 15-year NHL veteran, he doesn’t possess the moxie he as soon as did, however he does have a number of issues going for him. First, he is aware of what it’s prefer to play in a troublesome market. He’s been a Canadien for the reason that 2021-22 marketing campaign. Second, he has championship expertise. His time with the Tampa Bay Lightning was transient, however he was a part of the 2020-21 Stanley Cup run. His last recreation as a Lightning was Recreation 5 of that season’s Stanley Cup Last towards, guess who, the Canadiens. 

His arrival in Montreal was courtesy of a four-year take care of an AAV of $3.5 million. That’s not big cash, particularly for somebody who had simply received the Cup on the time. The Habs have been disastrous in each 2021-22 and 2022-23 and so have been a few of Savard’s numbers (minus-22 and minus-14 rankings, respectively), however he and the group have been barely higher since 2023-24. 

Regardless of being older than Dvorak, Savard looks like a better promote, despite the fact that he’ll be a UFA subsequent summer time. The Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, and Rangers all are golf equipment with aspirations of deep playoff runs. For some, it’s championship or bust. That is very true if it’s a matter of taking over barely half a season’s price of wage and to see what occurs within the playoffs. If it doesn’t work out, high-quality. He’s a UFA anyway in July. 

In each cases, the Canadiens may purchase some draft capital, though nothing greater third- or fourth-round picks, almost certainly. One other chance is an up-and-coming proper winger. Josh Anderson is 30, Joel Armia is 31, Brendan Gallagher is 32. That aspect of the ice may use an injection of youth. 

Talking of Armia, he’s one other soon-to-be UFA head-scratcher. The Finn is taking part in the ultimate season of a contract price $3.4 million yearly. He was a part of the 2020-21 squad that made it to the Cup Last. However issues have by no means been rosy. Contemplate that at first of 2023-24, the membership positioned him on waivers. He ended up spending time with the Laval Rocket within the American Hockey League. Truthfully, he most likely walks out of the constructing in July. 

Matheson and Evans as Alluring Bait

That’s to not say that the Canadiens don’t have gamers who may actually be considered as good catches for rival franchises. 

Defenceman Mike Matheson (30 years previous) involves thoughts. Granted, there are two points with this argument. First, he is not going to be a UFA subsequent summer time. He’s taking part in the next-to-last season of a contract that pays an AAV of $4.875 million. That’s a bit more durable to commerce. He’s additionally fared comparatively nicely this season all issues thought-about. On condition that, maybe the Canadiens would like conserving him round to assist out kids like Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, and Justin Barron. 

Associated: Subban-Weber Commerce Revisited

Then once more, he’s the roster’s fifth left-handed defenceman. Montreal has solely two regulars who shoot from the opposite aspect (Savard and Barron). A bit like with the Savard argument, a Cup contender may use Matheson’s companies. In return, the Habs may purchase a right-handed shot and perhaps a low-round draft choose. 

Then there’s ahead Jake Evans. The Torontonian is just 28 and has been within the Canadiens group for his complete skilled profession since being drafted in 2017. No matter hopes permeated about his potential after an honest 2021-22 (13 objectives and 16 assists in 72 video games) by no means paid dividends. It could be time to name it quits with him. On the plus aspect, like once we mentioned Dvorak, he’s nonetheless comparatively younger and might be a strong third or fourth-liner centre elsewhere, particularly if a playoff hopeful will get bitten by the harm bug. Higher nonetheless, he solely prices $1.7 million and will likely be a UFA in summer time of 2025. Frankly, with the Canadiens’ high six forwards largely settled on, they could as nicely see what they will accomplish by buying Evans round to rebuild a portion of the underside six. 

There are different contracts on the roster Hughes and firm can’t do a lot about. In need of the Christmas spirit infusing an admirably beneficiant rival GM, no person is selecting up Brendan Gallagher’s $6.5 AAV (his no-movement clause and modified no-trade clause ends after 2026-27) or Anderson’s $5.5 AAV (his modified no-trade clause ends after 2026-27). By no means say by no means, but it surely wouldn’t do to carry one’s breath in the event that they’re hoping to see both of these two dealt elsewhere. 

Lots of people are preaching endurance on the Bell Centre. That’s completely high-quality. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t harm to expedite the rebuild course of by a minimum of trying to dump some gamers who’ve been with Montreal for some time and are unlikely to be crucial elements to the franchise’s options. If it doesn’t work they usually play out their offers this season or subsequent, so be it. Keep in mind: one misses 100% of the probabilities one doesn’t take.