With the NHL trade deadline a few days away, rumours are flying about who the Montreal Canadiens will trade and what type of return the team may get for each player. The biggest trade-bait fish the Habs had was already moved when they traded Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round pick. After the Monahan deal, there isn’t much value left that general manager Kent Hughes is willing to give up easily. Hughes is notorious for standing pat until he gets a deal that he feels is good for the team, and because of this, Montreal could have a very quiet deadline.
Netminder Allen’s Value Is Dropping as Deadline Approaches
The Canadiens still have some quality players that could be moved at the deadline. Monahan was their largest trade chip, and Hughes trading him to the Jets for a first-round pick was a masterclass, considering they also got a first-round pick when they acquired him from the Calgary Flames. Any time you can get two first-round picks for one player is a stroke of asset management genius. With Monahan gone, the Canadiens have few other highly touted trade assets: David Savard and Jake Allen would be the next two big players on the trade market. With the Canadiens running a three-goalie system, Allen’s numbers have suffered as he has struggled to stay consistent, and his value has plummeted.
If Hughes has a price for Allen and it’s the same as earlier in the season, teams may walk from a deal due to Allen’s poor play. The best Hughes can do is either sell Allen’s playoff experience and leadership to get the return he wants or lower his expectations. The goaltending market isn’t as hot as it was, but some big names like Juuse Saros and Jakob Markstrom might be off the table; it will depend on how desperate a contending team is for a backup goalie and what they are willing to pay. Hughes has said recently he is okay with finishing the season with three goalies, but that could be just a tactic to gather interest. Odds are, however, that Allen will more likely be moved in the offseason when teams are looking to solidify their goaltending for the 2024-25 season.
Canadiens’ Savard Could Cost Too Much
Hughes sees high value in Savard as a trade chip and a veteran leader guiding a young defence corps. It has been mentioned by media outlets that he isn’t actively shopping Savard but is listening to other teams inquiring about him. The rumoured asking price for Savard is a first-round pick and a prospect. This might seem like a vast overpay for a third-pairing defenceman of a non-contending team to outsiders. Chris Tanev was traded last week from the Calgary Flames to the Dallas Stars in a three-team deal, with the Flames receiving a prospect, a second-round pick and a conditional third-round pick; Dallas also gave up a fourth-round pick to the New Jersey Devils. Tanev was considered the top defenceman to be moved at the deadline, and the Stars didn’t have to give up a first-round pick to get him.
Related: Canadiens Have Work Cut Out for Them to Trade Savard
Hughes could be overvaluing Savard, but he sees the importance of having his veteran presence on the team. In management’s eyes, Savard right now is worth more to the Canadiens than picks and prospects unless they are high-value picks and prospects. Hughes valuing Savard so highly could be a tactic to garner interest and maximize the return for him, hoping he can get what he wants or close to it. The high asking price could also scare teams away, especially if they can get someone else without giving up so much. But Savard does have experience in the playoffs, winning a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning, and he is the type of defenceman teams covet for the playoffs.
Canadiens Better Off Being Third-Party Broker
The Canadiens have other assets they can try to move, like Tanner Pearson and Joel Armia, but interest may not be as high. Pearson missed time due to injury and hasn’t produced well enough to be considered a trade piece for anything significant. Armia is having a good season and redeeming himself as an excellent bottom-six two-way forward, but with a year remaining on his contract, teams may shy away from the extra year left on his contract and wait until next season. There have been rumours of Jordan Harris being moved, but that is more likely to be an offseason move in a larger package. Mike Matheson’s name has also been floated around, but he will more likely be moved when the team feels that prospect Lane Hutson is ready to take his place.
The Canadiens do have tradable players, but they may not get a return of anything significant at this deadline. This shouldn’t stop Montreal from being a third-party broker in deals to help other teams with cap space. The Habs have enough cap room at $5.6 million. They can retain parts of contracts to facilitate a player’s trade with two different teams; this way, they can gain assets like picks or prospects that could be more valuable than what they would get trading their players. This could be the majority of activity that we will see from Hughes instead of player movement.
If you are expecting lots of excitement at this season’s trade deadline, you may be disappointed. Then again, just when you think you know what Hughes is up to, he throws a curveball and goes in a completely different direction. Either way, it should be an interesting deadline; it just may not involve the Canadiens too much.
