The Daily Faceoff Show: How will the Canadiens approach the trade deadline?
After the Montreal Canadiens announced the hiring of former player agent Kent Hughes as the team’s new general manager on Tuesday morning, the focus now shifts on what the Habs will do at the trade deadline.
At 7-25-5, the Canadiens have now fallen below the Arizona Coyotes into dead last in the NHL.
Carey Price hasn’t played yet this year. Shea Weber may never play again. And Cole Caufield, who many expected to win the Calder Trophy this season, has scored more goals for the AHL’s Laval Rocket than in the NHL.
Yet with the Canadiens’ new brain trust of Hughes and Jeff Gorton about to enter their first trade deadline at the helm, the moves they make – or don’t make – may be telling about the direction that the franchise chooses to take.
On Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Faceoff Show, Mike McKenna and Tyler Yaremchuk discussed the Canadiens’ options. In particular, Montreal’s five pending unrestricted free agents.
Yaremchuk: “When I look at this list, Lehkonen can probably get you something at the deadline. Chiarot will definitely get you a nice haul at the deadline. Names like Paquette and Kulak maybe get you a lower pick. Perreault and Wideman, I’m not even convinced of that. There’s not a lot there.
“If you’re looking to kickstart the rebuild, I think the Habs would have to dig deeper than just dealing off pending free agents. They might have to look at moving a guy like Jake Allen or maybe even a bigger piece than that, no?”
McKenna: “I think you’re right about this, Tyler. When you look at these pending UFAs, RFAs, you look at these UFAs especially. They have to move Ben Chiarot.
“That’s the most valuable piece they have, at least on the back end. That’s also going to make a hole on defense for a team that really needs help in that position. Especially with Shea Weber’s future completely in question. We don’t know whether he’ll ever play again. They need defense.
“You start to think about this not just from a draft pick standpoint, but can the Canadiens make a hockey trade to make that team better? Would they be willing to move out Jonathan Drouin at $5.5 million at one year left – can they find a taker?
“Would Carey Price be on the table? That’s somebody who can easily get you defense in return.”