The Montreal Canadiens are in a five-game slump and heading to the bottom of the standings. They are in a perfect position to be major sellers at the NHL trade deadline and gain prospects or draft picks to help with their future. General manager (GM) Kent Hughes already traded a significant piece when he moved Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first-round pick and the rumours are flying about other Montreal veterans like Jake Allen and David Savard. Allen, of course, could be moved, but Savard is a question mark. Although these two players will be the focus of a lot of talk, other younger players could be getting attention from GMs around the league. Here is a look at who those players might be.
Canadiens Could Move Barron at Deadline
Justin Barron was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in the Arrturi Lehkonen trade in 2021-22. The puck-moving right-handed defenceman has a lot of offensive upside and has played well at the American Hockey League (AHL) level. With 47 points in 90 AHL games, the young defenceman, if appropriately developed, could be a steady top-four option on any team. The issue Montreal is having is turning his success at the AHL level into consistent success at the NHL level. He has a good shot and can move the puck quickly between zones, but he has a lot of issues in the defensive zone playing the defence side of the game. You could argue he doesn’t need to be excellent on his end if he is successful in the offensive zone, but at the NHL level, he isn’t finding enough consistency in his offence to maintain an NHL spot.
Last season, Barron was a late call-up due to multiple injuries and used that time to shine, playing 39 games and scoring 15 points with four goals. This season, it was hoped he would be a shoo-in for the right side, and although he started with the Canadiens, his inconsistent play forced management to send him to the Laval Rocket to work on his game. The upside to Barron is that he is only 22, has high potential to be a solid offensive defenceman, and could simply take a little more time to develop. Teams may want to acquire him based on these factors, especially if they have the time to let him develop or can pair him with more experienced defencemen at the NHL level. With Logan Mailloux and David Reinbacher expected to be a huge part of Montreal’s future, there may not be any room for Barron very soon.
Jesse Ylonen Might Have Played His Way Out of Montreal
Jesse Ylonen is an offensively skilled forward for the Canadiens who has a great shot and excellent stick handling. Drafted in the second round in 2018, he played parts of three seasons with the Rocket, amassing 85 points in 120 games. He hopes to be a solid, high-scoring third-line two-way player who can fit in nicely with the top-six when needed. His NHL production, however, has not been as linear as one could hope. In 99 games with the Habs, he has only scored 28 points and has been mired in a prolonged slump this season. His production has also regressed: he had 16 points in 37 games with Montreal last season and so far, he has less than half of that (seven) in 47 games.
Related: Jordan Harris Holds High Trade Value for the Canadiens
An argument could be made that Ylonen hasn’t had the opportunity to display his skills at the NHL level. He plays mainly on the fourth line, averaging just over ten minutes a game, with players who are not as offensively skilled as he is. The issue is that when he got his chance on the third or even second line, he didn’t seize the opportunity or show that he belonged any higher than the fourth line. He is 24 and will become a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the season, and with his dwindling production, Hughes and company will have to make a big decision whether or not they should re-sign him. It might be easier for them to sell Ylonen at the deadline and see if they can get something in return. Other teams may see his potential and think that a change of scenery is all he needs to get the spark going. He is a solid two-way forward who could do well if his offensive upside starts showing up.
Canadiens Harris Could be a Good Option for a Contending Team
Jordan Harris has been showing up on some rumour radars as a possible trade chip for the Canadiens. Harris, like Barron, is another top-four projected defenceman who is still young and developing. He played 65 games and scored 17 points as a rookie last season and has been scoring at the same pace this season with eight points in 35 games. Due to injuries and healthy scratches, he has missed over 20 games, but at 23 years of age is still developing into a solid two-way defender. He is part of a good-to-have issue in Montreal, and that’s too many skilled left-handed defencemen. Someone will be the odd man out, with Mike Matheson, Arber Xhekaj, Kayden Guhle, and Jayden Struble battling for consistent playing positions among three spots. Next season, it could get even more crowded, with Lane Hutson and Adam Engstrom possibly eyeing a place on the Canadiens roster.
You can almost bet that Guhle will remain. Matheson could be moved, but waiting to see if Hutson can replace him might be wiser. Struble will be given at least another year, and he and Xhekaj are perfect as five, six, or seventh defencemen. Harris could play the right side, which he has. Still, they have Jonathan Kovacevic and Savard there until the end of next season – if not traded beforehand – and Mailloux, Reinbacher, and Russian Bogdan Konyushkov could all be in the mix on the right side as early as next season. Harris isn’t showing that he can replace any of the top young defencemen on the team, and this season could be an excellent time to move him for assets that can help in other areas or use him as a chip to help push another player. He is signed for the next two seasons at a low $1.4 million salary; with his age and skill set, he could be an excellent addition to any contending team, and he won’t leave a hole in Montreal’s roster in the process.
These players all have their good and bad points, and it seems like they may not be working out in Montreal, but they are all young enough to have the potential to grow and may do that faster in a new environment. Harris and Barron could end up being pushed out due to other players passing them on the depth chart; with Ylonen, it might just be a matter of a new start. I don’t see a trade involving these players, but they could be good members to use in a package, if not at the trade deadline, maybe at the draft or during the offseason.
