Trade Pitch Sees Canadiens Dealing Franchise Icon in Blockbuster

The Montreal Canadiens are a rebuilding team but one deal has them dealing a franchise icon in a blockbuster deal.

The website PuckPedia‘s PuckGM tool lets users create their own trades. One user proposed a deal that would see the Canadiens deal Brendan Gallagher to the San Jose Sharks.

Canadiens acquire:

• Marc-Edouard Vlasic
• 2026 seventh-round pick

Sharks acquire:

• Brendan Gallagher
• Riley Kidney
• 2025 fourth-round pick

The proposed deal would be a blockbuster as Montreal and San Jose would both deal franchise icons in Vlasic and Gallagher.

The Canadiens would acquire defenseman Vlasic who’s 37 and holds the team record for most games played by a defenseman for the Sharks. Vlasic is entering the seventh year of an eight-year $56 million deal. With the Canadiens having several young defensemen like Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, Lane Hutson, and David Reinbacher, Vlasic could help mentor them.

Vlasic is also from Montreal so he would get to end his career playing for his hometown team which would be special.

As for the return, the Canadiens would deal Gallagher who has spent his entire 12-year career with Montreal. Gallagher is entering the fourth year of a six-year $39 million deal. The gritty forward would add some veteran experience up front to a young Sharks lineup. Last season, Gallagher recorded 16 goals and 15 assists for 31 points in 77 games.

Kidney, meanwhile, is a 21-year-old forward prospect who was selected in the second round of the 2021 NHL draft by Montreal. In the AHL last season, Kidney recorded 7 goals and 13 assists for 20 points.

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Canadiens GM Believes Team is Better

Montreal finished the 2023-24 NHL season with a record of 30-36-16 which was last place in the Atlantic Division. It also was the fifth-worst record in the league.

However, the Canadiens core group is now a year older and the team went out and traded for Patrik Laine. With that, Montreal general manager Kent Hughes believes his team is much better ahead of the 2024-25 NHL season.

“I think we’ll grow organically and be better than we were last year. The one unknown that we’ve dealt with in varying degrees over the last few seasons is the injuries. But if we’re healthy I expect that we’re a better team organically,” Hughes said.

“If we have Kirby Dach for 82 games instead of one and a period we’re a better hockey team. We expect that our young players get better. I expect that as a team we improve the more that they work together and understand. You add building blocks when you have continuity in terms of a group,” Hughes added.

The Canadiens have missed the playoffs in three straight seasons.

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Sharks Add Plenty of Forwards in Offseason

San Jose finished with the worst record in the NHL last season. The Sharks were rewarded with the first overall pick which San Jose used to select Macklin Celebrini first overall.

In the offseason, Sharks general manager Mike Grier went out and added Ty Dellandrea, Carl Grundstrom, Barclay Goodrow, Alex Wennberg, and Tyler Toffoli to their forward group. Along with those veterans, Celebrini and fellow rookie, Will Smith will be making their NHL debuts this season.

However, Grier says he isn’t worried about the amount of forwards and who will play, as he is focused on turning the Sharks around.

“I’m not worried about [the amount of forwards. I think the NHL is all about competition, and none of these kids should be handed anything, right,” Grier said. “If you’re good enough to play, you’ll play, and if you earn your way onto the roster, you’ll play.”

San Jose hasn’t made the playoffs in five straight years.

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