In this edition of the Montreal Canadiens News & Rumors, there could be a desire to add to the roster for the long term. Sean Monahan’s days in a Habs jersey are numbered, injuries keep hitting the team, and there is an exciting decision to recall Joshua Roy.
Related: Trevor Zegras and the Canadiens Would be a Great Fit
Despite injuries continuing to plague the team, Montreal has been hovering around a playoff spot all season but is starting to fall back as teams that were struggling are starting to outpace them for the final wild card spot. General manager (GM) Kent Hughes will have significant work and hard decisions as the trade deadline approaches.
Canadiens’ Interest in Zegras
It is no secret that Montreal is in desperate need of some elite offensive skill at forward to add to the current young core. One player that could be available, according to TSN Insider Darren Dreger, is Trevor Zegras. Even if the Canadiens show interest, the asking price for him will not be cheap.
The pros could likely outweigh the cons in any attempt to make a trade with the Anaheim Ducks, enough to make Hughes think twice before paying the price of adding Zegras. Would it be a top prospect? A high first? Both? Hughes has those assets and more. It is possible that the cost could be one of his many high-quality left-handed defencemen. Fans might be willing to part with Arber Xhekaj, but Anaheim may ask for Lane Hutson or even Kaiden Guhle instead. The Ducks could also decide they would rather have a forward prospect like Joshua Roy, or both him and one of the defencemen. But that is likely still not enough and a first-round pick could be required in a package deal with the two prospects.
Canadiens Promised to Deal Monahan
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reported that the Canadiens and Monahan made an agreement when he was re-signed in the offseason to a one-year, $1.985 million contract that Hughes would deal him to a contending team before the trade deadline. “You gotta go back to the offseason and when the Canadiens signed the veteran forward. They had an agreement that said we will trade you when the time is right to a contending team or a team of your choice. Nothing has changed there. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if Monahan was among the first forwards to get dealt before the deadline.”
The 29-year-old center has scored 11 goals and 24 points in 41 games. He has averaged over 18 minutes per game and has won 57.7% of his faceoffs. He is on pace for around 50 points this season, has the size GMs love, especially at center and has the veteran experience of over a decade as a top-six center. Contending teams would pay handsomely for a player of his skill set. Hughes should have no problem landing a first-round pick or a top prospect from a contender. This would just add to the excellent return on investment for Montreal as Monahan was acquired by Hughes in the summer of 2022 from the Calgary Flames, along with a first-round pick, in return for the Canadiens to take on his contract.
Canadiens Injury Bug Bites…Again
The Canadiens announced on social media that forward Josh Anderson is dealing with a lower-body injury and will not play on Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers.
Anderson, 29, suffered the injury in a game where he played 17:48 in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, and scored a goal. He showed no signs of an injury during the game and is considered day-to-day. But Anderson isn’t the only injury update as the American Hockey League (AHL) Laval Rocket added four names to the Canadiens’ system injured list.
These injuries remove a top-four veteran defenceman in Brady Keeper and three top-nine forwards. However, Laval has been able to continue climbing the standings thanks to the strong play of Xhekaj and Roy.
Canadiens Recall Roy
Joshua Roy, drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, is in his first professional season. He started the season in Laval and was dominant for the first quarter of the season before cooling off. However, he has begun to produce offensively again and has 12 goals and 30 points through 34 games. His offensive skills and work ethic have earned him a call-up to Montreal.
The hope by many in the fanbase was for Roy to play a full season in Laval, instead, he earned a callup thanks to Anderson’s injury and he will make his NHL debut when the Canadiens host the Oilers. Roy will be placed in a position to succeed by playing in the top nine on a line with Monahan and Joel Armia. This gives Hughes a chance to assess Roy’s progress in his development.
Canadiens Complete a Trade
Montreal has acquired forward Flip Cederqvist from the Buffalo Sabres for future considerations. The 23-year-old has netted one goal and three assists over 19 games with the Rochester Americans, Buffalo’s AHL affiliate, this season. The 6-foot-3, 196-pound forward was selected in the fifth round (143rd overall) by the Sabres in the 2019 NHL Draft. He provides the Rocket with some size and grit, but more importantly some depth for a forward group decimated by injuries and call-ups to the NHL.
Going into the 2024 Trade Deadline, Hughes has assets contenders need; a solid goaltender, and a reliable second-line center among many others. He is known to be a GM who sets a price for his players and won’t make a transaction unless that price is met. The next few weeks will be an important stretch for the Canadiens. With the NHL playoffs progressing and the NHL Draft fast approaching, the Canadiens’ roster will be facing significant change over the offseason.
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