The Montreal Canadiens have a need for another center, and a trade idea has them making an intriguing one-for-one center swap.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Canadiens acquiring Peyton Krebs from division rival Buffalo Sabres in a one-for-one swap.
Canadiens acquire:
Sabres acquire:
The proposed deal would be a one-for-one swap as Montreal would add Krebs while Buffalo would get Newhook in a classic change-of-scenery deal. Both are young players who haven’t lived up to expectations and could use a different look.
Montreal would acquire Krebs, who can be a third or fourth-line center for the Canadiens. The 24-year-old is entering the final year of his two-year, $2.9 million deal and is an RFA at the end of the deal. Krebs is a hard-working player who brings energy to the Canadiens’ lineup. He recorded 10 goals and 18 assists for 28 points in 81 games last season with the Sabres.
In return, the Canadiens would give up Newhook, who has struggled to live up to expectations for Montreal. Newhook is 24 and was selected in the first round in 2019. He’s entering the third year of his four-year, $11.6 million deal. Newhook would be the Sabres’ third-line center and add more offense than Krebs. He recorded 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points in 82 games.
Canadiens Confident in Center Group
Montreal has been linked to adding centers all offseason, but that hasn’t been the case.
However, heading into the offseason, Canadiens’ Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations, Jeff Gorton, says the team is confident in the center depth.
“No, I think we’re comfortable. We know we’re not a finished product,” Gorton told RG. “We’re going to still look and try to improve our team always. A lot of people are talking about centers. But we have centers in our organization, and we’re comfortable with that going into camp.
“I have mentioned before that we don’t look at it like opening day as the end of when you can change your roster. There are a lot of teams around the league that add players after that and all the way up to the deadline, so we’re comfortable with where we’re at and the moves we’ve made.”
Montreal’s top-two centers are expected to be Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach, but Dach’s health has been an issue.
Sabres Coach Praises Krebs
Krebs is known as a hard worker and being an energy guy on and off the ice.
With the Sabres, Krebs is asked to play multiple roles, and coach Lindy Ruff had nothing but praise for him.
“There’s not been a job too big or too small. I think he’s the one guy that embraces every shift he’s on the ice. It doesn’t matter (what his job is). He’s played almost every position, he’s played up and down the lineup,” Ruff said about Krebs. He’s been on the power play, he’s been on the penalty kill, and he’s taken big faceoffs.
“But he looks at every opportunity he’s on the ice as an opportunity to help the team. And I think as a young player – as a younger player – he’s had to earn almost everything from where he came from, where he was drafted, now to earning his way. And I can say that he tries to earn his way every time he gets on the ice.”
Krebs would play the same role with the Canadiens.
Canadiens Deal $11.6M Center to Rival in 1-for-1 Change of Scenery Trade Pitch