The Montreal Canadiens are expected to finally land one of their top offseason targets. General manager Kent Hughes has compiled a solid young NHL roster in recent years. Nevertheless, he is still one key piece away from being truly content with his lineup. Montreal is looking to add a quality top-six forward to their current group.
Ideally, the Canadiens would prefer to acquire a center to play on the second line. This, however, has proven to be a difficult task for Hughes. As a result, the team’s top exec is open to signing a winger to play on the Ivan Demidov line. Columbus Blue Jackets star and fellow Russian, Kirill Marchenko, has been linked with a move to Montreal practically all summer.
While a deal has not yet been worked out, Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz predicts a trade will ultimately be struck between the two teams. According to the reporter, the Montreal Canadiens have all the necessary pieces to appease Columbus general manager Don Waddell.
“Montreal has all of its first-round draft picks over the next three years and plenty of prospect depth it can deal from,” writes Gretz. “There might not be a team in the NHL better positioned to make a move like this in terms of need and having the type of assets Columbus might be interested in.”
Montreal Canadiens Willing to Give Kirill Marchenko New Contract
The Montreal Canadiens are not just rumored to be interested in Marchenko. Several NHL insiders, including Pierre LeBrun, have reported that Hughes directly discussed a trade for the Russian with Columbus. Despite the links, Waddell still expects the winger to feature for the Blue Jackets at training camp. Columbus officially kicks off preparations for the upcoming season on September 16.
Nevertheless, the Blue Jackets GM has also hinted that a potential trade could still happen soon. “He’s a player under contract,” Waddell told The Columbus Dispatch. “We control the situation, like with every player under contract. Teams have called me, but if we’re going to make a deal, it’s going to be a deal that helps the Columbus Blue Jackets.”
Marchenko is set to enter the final season of his three-year, $11.5 million ($3.85 million AAV) contract. Because he has been a nearly point-per-game player over the last two seasons, he will receive a significant pay raise next summer. The Montreal Canadiens appear willing to give the winger a hefty new deal. Marchenko has 141 points in his last 155 games with Columbus.
Montreal can Give Columbus a Quality Trade Package
As Gretz alluded to, the Montreal Canadiens have the assets to pull off a significant trade. The Athletic’s Corey Pronman recently rated Montreal’s prospect pool as the third-best in the NHL. Hughes also has attractive draft picks over the next few years, and NHL-ready players to work with. The Canadiens have nearly $10 million in projected cap space as well.
Because the Canadiens are loaded on the left side of defense, they could look to offload a player in this position. It was recently reported that Montreal is open to trading away Adam Engström, and Arber Xhekaj’s future has yet to be sorted out. Nevertheless, Hughes may prefer to send the enforcer out of the Eastern Conference if he does opt to move him.
Canadiens Predicted to Trade for $11.5 Million Star Forward