The Montreal Canadiens are in a much better place than anticipated this season. The Habs’ rebuild is well ahead of schedule, leading the club to move into buyer’s territory this season.
But just because the Canadiens are staring at the prospect of a strong playoff run, doesn’t mean they are going to splurge. If anything, the Habs will exercise patience.
That’s the sentiment expressed in a January 9 piece by Marco D’Amico. The piece focused on how the Canadiens are now in a position of strength despite seemingly being in a tight spot.
The injuries sustained by forwards Patrik Laine, Alex Newhook, and Kirby Dach led pundits and analysts to declare an emergency in Montreal. But as D’Amico pointed out, that’s no longer the case. The emergence of Olive Kapanen as a viable second-line center and prospects on the way have afforded the team patience this season.
That situation means that the Canadiens have pivoted from looking for center depth to seeking another type of player. An unnamed NHL source told D’Amico the following:
“The Canadiens are still looking to add that rare combination of physicality and goal-scoring to their middle six. I heard they were still in on (Kiefer) Sherwood, checked in on (Blake) Coleman and if ever Alex Tuch becomes available, that’s a player I could see Montreal going for as well.”
The names mentioned are the hottest ones around the league. Just about every team has kicked the tires on Sherwood, with Coleman becoming one of the most sought-after forwards.
But if Canadiens fans are expecting a big move, they might be disappointed, at least this season.
Canadiens Prospect Minimizes Urgency for Trade
The losses of Newhook and Dach earlier this season triggered a flood of speculation. The thought was that the Canadiens would be desperately seeking a center to round out their depth.
The club partially filled that need with the Phillip Danault trade. But Danault wasn’t quite the top-six forward the Canadiens were purportedly seeking.
While Danault has provided stability in the middle six, the player the organization hopes will eventually solve the center depth issue is Michael Hage.
Hage had a fantastic showing at the World Juniors earlier this month. That situation has prompted the Canadiens to be bullish on Hage’s potential at the NHL level. Considering how Hage could be a major piece down the line, the urgency for the Canadiens has reduced significantly.
Habs Ready to Pull the Trigger If Right Deal Comes Along
D’Amico concluded his piece by pointing out the following:
“They’ve (Canadiens) been monitoring the St-Louis Blues, Nashville Predators, Calgary Flames, and Vancouver Canucks for some time, so they’ll be ready if anything further shakes loose on the trade market.”
The abovementioned teams are all on the bubble. They could turn into sellers at any point this season. So, it will be interesting to see what pieces may become available. If the right deal comes along, the Canadiens will be ready.
The consensus is that the Habs want to prioritize long-term moves that can complement their budding core. So, short-term fixes and rentals won’t cut it in Montreal.
Canadiens Trade Targets Revealed: Rumor