There is zero doubt the Montréal Canadiens have presented one of the most aggressive postures on the trade market to open the season.
They’ve made a pitch to Detroit to be added to Dylan Larkin’s trade list, they competitively pursued Kirill Marchenko and GM Kent Hughes has made the only trade of consequence since the regular season began, generating a second-round pick for Jayden Struble from their glut of defencemen.
Here’s the thing: the start of the season from some of their young players has the Canadiens internally weighing how aggressive they want to be on the trade market.
The solutions may be within. Consider: Luke Mittelstadt has popped in a big way on the Laval blue line. Nineteen-year-old Alexander Zharovsky has five points in his last three games and is Top 25 in KHL scoring. Scouts consider Adam Engstrom one of the best defencemen without a fully defined NHL role right now. And Michael Hage is tearing up the NCAA at Michigan with 14 points in six games.
To be clear, Hage is unavailable. He is a non-starter. But as the Canadiens navigate these next few months they have to consider how they see Engstrom, David Reinbacher and maybe Mittelstadt fitting into their plans. Any of them could move if needed, but their play may instead force out Kaiden Guhle or, eventually, Mike Matheson.
It feels like rival teams have confused Montreal’s run to the Eastern Conference Final for meaning they’re in win now mode. Lane Hutson is 22; Juraj Slafkovsky is 22; Ivan Demidov is 20; Cole Caufield is 25 and captain Nick Suzuki is 27. Their window is just on the way up. The last thing the Canadiens want to do is acquire an older veteran who will be on the decline to potentially limit how long that window stays open.
That’s why Montréal’s big move this season might be more along the Phillip Danault path, a stabilizing force without a large future acquisition cost or more importantly, any long-term strings attached.
Canes engaged on Hellebuyck
If there’s one thing you can say about Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky, it’s that when he focuses on a difference maker available, he’s like a dog on a bone. The groundwork for a Mikko Rantanen trade made on a sleepy Friday night in late January a couple years ago was laid the previous summer and the two sides kept in touch as Rantanen’s contract negotiations hit a wall in Colorado.
Tulsky has been all over Connor Hellebuyck and the Winnipeg Jets since word broke – while his team was still playing – that the three-time Vezina Trophy winner was looking to be dealt. He’s similarly played the long game and we’re reaching the witching hour now with Hellebuyck’s suspension ending.
If Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff is feeling any time constraint, he hasn’t shown it, as sources say his tone in talks has indicated no additional urgency.
This pursuit is a definite departure from Carolina’s standard operating procedure on goaltenders. Historically, the Canes haven’t devoted much (cap space or assets) to goalies. The difference is a goaltender of Hellebuyck’s calibre hasn’t been up for grabs.
Preds still looking for defence
Two weeks after trading for Struble, the Nashville Predators are still keeping an eye on the defence market. Preds players have been very complimentary of new GM Chris MacFarland and his clear communication of the plan for the future.
Teams are closely monitoring where this season goes for Nashville (3-2-3) as Ryan O’Reilly remains a prime target.
Trouble keeping pucks out of the net
Only two teams in the NHL’s salary cap era have ended a season with a goals allowed per-game north of four. Both were in the same 2022-23 campaign: Anaheim (4.09) and Columbus (4.01), resulting in 335 and 329 goals against.
Don’t mean to alarm anyone, but the Canucks (4.64) and Flames (4.63) are on track to smash those numbers. It’s easy to make a case with an uncharacteristic start for Dustin Wolf on why those numbers will trend down in Calgary … but it’s more difficult in Vancouver.
Slap Shots
• Scout watching on Tuesday: “The Capitals really miss Pierre-Luc Dubois. He stabilizes their entire group.” Dubois has missed the last five games with illness, set to return soon, but that’s a strong statement about a player whose career was at a crossroads three seasons ago.
• Are the Utah Mammoth this year not the Montreal Canadiens from last season? Incredible power play, dangerous off the rush, still make head-scratching mistakes in their own zone – but arguably one of the most fun teams in the league to watch. Will they have the same playoff success?
• As Zeev Buium navigates his sophomore season under the pressure of a massive new contract, does that not further support Alexander Nikishin’s case for a new deal in the same realm? Part of the issue is some teams see him as a $6 million defenceman instead of a $9 million defenceman – even if it’s all changing.
• With Patrice Bergeron soon to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, a reminder that he did it right with retirement. He skated off as that season’s Selke Trophy winner still at the top of his game and stepped away quietly in the summer. Watching Alex Ovechkin’s ice time and role diminish, it makes you wonder if Sidney Crosby wants no part of that.
