The Montreal Canadiens are holding onto a playoff spot, and the team is expected to be active ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Canadiens acquiring gritty defenseman Zach Whitecloud from the Calgary Flames in an intriguing move.
Canadiens acquire:
Flames acquire:
- Jayden Struble
- 2026 third-round pick
- 2026 fourth-round pick (New Jersey’s)
The proposed deal would be an intriguing one as Montreal bolsters its blue line and adds a solid third-pairing defenseman. Calgary, meanwhile, gets a young NHL defenseman and two draft picks for its rebuild.
The Canadiens would acquire Whitecloud, who’s in the fourth year of his six-year, $16.5 million deal. Whitecloud would be a perfect third-line defenseman for Montreal and would add some more experience to the blue line. He began the year with the Vegas Golden Knights. But, he was traded to Calgary as part of the Rasmus Andersson trade, and he now could be flipped again. Whitecloud is a solid defensive defenseman who can help Montreal’s defensive systems. He’s recorded 2 goals and 9 assists for 11 points in 58 games this season.
In return, the Canadiens would give up two mid-round picks and Struble. Struble is 24-years-old and is in the first year of his second-year, $2.825 million deal. He’s skated in 40 games, recording 9 assists this season.
Whitecloud Named ‘Bargain-Bin’ Trade Chip
Calgary acquired Whitecloud as part of the Andersson return, and the team may also move him already.
Whitecloud is a right-shot defenseman, and his name has come up in trade rumors. Ahead of the deadline, NHL analyst Adam Vingan of Sportsnet named Whitecloud a ‘bargain-bin’ trade chip.
“Whitecloud just arrived in Calgary as part of the return for defenseman Rasmus Andersson, so the Flames may not want to flip him so quickly. But right-handed defencemen are a precious commodity, especially those who have won the Stanley Cup,” Vingan wrote.
“In 11 games with the Flames, Whitecloud has averaged 23:20 of ice time per game — up from the 18:46 he averaged for the Vegas Golden Knights. Whitecloud’s first passes are often on target; his 9.81 outlet-pass completions per 20 minutes are fourth most out of 542 qualified defensemen. The Flames have been winning Whitecloud’s minutes at five-on-five; Calgary has outscored opponents 4-3 and generated 57.1 per cent of the expected goals when he has been on the ice.”
Whitecould has skated in 379 career NHL games after going undrafted.
Canadiens Looking for Defense Help
Montreal is holding onto a playoff spot, and the Canadiens are looking to bolster their blue line.
NHL insider Marco D’Amico of RG.org hinted at the Canadiens looking for defense help.
“Well, it looks like they’ve started doing the same on defense lately. The club looks to take the next step and add new elements to the team,” D’Amico wrote. “On top of looking for the right piece at forward to play on the top line, the Canadiens are working the phones on many levels.
“They’ve now extended their search for additions in the form of experienced defensive defensemen that could help them in the more crucial defensive missions down the stretch. The Canadiens have a problem closing out games. So, bringing in a depth defenseman with experience in being able to shut down a game could be a sneaky good add for the team down the stretch.”
Whether or not the Canadiens will land a defenseman before the trade deadline is uncertain.
Trade Pitch Sees Canadiens Acquiring $16.5M Gritty Defenseman to Bolster Blue Line