Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens Trade Options: 5 Wingers Habs Should Consider

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Oct 15, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Montreal Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien speaks to his team in the third period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. The Senators defeated the Canadiens 4-3 in a shootout. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Marc Bergevin has been rumored to be interested in making some more additions on the roster. Also, the Canadiens may want to add another scoring forward to bring more offense to the team.

The Montreal Canadiens have been primarily rumored to be interested in acquiring a top four Defensemen or another Center. However, the Canadiens have had some very inconsistent offensive play lately, and they may want to upgrade on the wing just to improve their scoring. Also, after Alexander Radulov, there haven’t been to many wingers who have produced consistently this season.

Two Wingers Struggling

Brendan Gallagher has struggled mightily to generate any scoring. Currently, Brendan has scored only 5 goals and 14 points in his first 25 games. Last season Brendan was on pace for a 30 goal season but missed many games due to injury.

Gallagher hasn’t been the same type of pest that he was last season either. He’s shown up in some games but most of the time he hasn’t brought the same level of aggressiveness that were used to seeing. The Canadiens certainly need him to snap out of his slump, and in a hurry.

Max Pacioretty has also had his fare share of struggles this season but he was recently moved up to the Canadiens first line. However, during his first full game on the top line, his new line mate Alex Galchenyuk got hurt, and is now out indefinitely. Pacioretty has enjoyed scoring success in without Galchenyuk, as he is a four time 30 goal scorer.

However, Max has only scored seven goals this season and is not on pace for another 30 goal season. Paciorrety is still getting a decent number of shots but hasn’t been the same force that he was in recent years.

Unproven Wingers

The Canadiens have gotten some key contributions from Forward Paul Byron and he is having his best career season. Byron has scored 8 goals and totaled 14 points so far this season. However, Byron has never shown the capability to be a consistent producer as a top six forward and his production may start to drop off.

Also the Canadiens have many young players on the wing who haven’t proven themselves as consistent scorers either. The Canadiens started the season with Artturi Lehkonen in their top six forward group, but he simply hasn’t been able to produce. Lehkonen has only scored four points in 17 games this season.

Canadiens Should Make a Move

Clearly, the Canadiens find themselves in an uncomfortable situation of having to many slumping forwards and unproven talent in their top six. The Habs should definitely try and add a little more offensive flare on the wing. Here are five wingers the Habs should consider trading for.

Dec 3, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk (25) battles for the puck against Vancouver Canucks defenseman Philip Larsen (63) during the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports

Examining why the Montreal Canadiens should consider acquiring Toronto Maple Leafs Forward James van Riemsdyk.

One of the things that the Canadiens have lacked for many years is a big strong power forward. JVR certainly would fit the bill for the Habs, if they desired to make a deal for a big forward. Riemsdyk has a strong six foot three inch frame that he uses to gain strong net presence.

JVR has also shown his scoring ability through the last few years, and has had three seasons with at least 20 or more goals. In fact, last season JVR was on pace to score 28 goals, but he got injured and missed half the season. At that pace, JVR would have had his third consecutive season of 25 or more goals.

Van Reimsdyk is also having one the best seasons of his career. In 24 games this season JVR has scored 11 goals and has totaled 20 points. He is currently on pace to score 37 goals this and the Canadiens could certainly use that offense.

Rumors

There have been rumors that James has been on the trade block. However, Leafs Head Coach Mike Babcock tried to put an end to those rumors and insisted that Toronto wasn’t going to move him. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and you never know what the cagey Lou Lamoriello is up to.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a great young core of Forwards but have some holes to fill on Defense. The Leafs could get a a great return for JVR and this would continue to help the Leafs rebuild. Also JVR only carries a 4.25 million dollar cap hit and his contract would end after the 2017-18 season, making a trade even more attractive.

What Would it Cost?

The Leafs are in the market for some more young talent on the back end. Montreal has a couple of young prospects that could attract Toronto. The Montreal Canadiens have top prospects like Noah Juulsen and Mikhail Sergachev who were first round picks, that would certainly interest the Leafs. Sergachev is very highly regarded around the Canadiens organization and it seems unlikely that Bergevin would ever want to trade him.

Also, the Montreal Canadiens have a current young defender who doesn’t seem to have earned the trust of Habs Head Coach Michel Therrien and this would be Nathan Beaulieu. Nathan has a ton of offensive upside and is a tremendous skater who can make good first passes. Beaulieu may also interest the Leafs as they are clearly building a team that is focused on speed.

Here is what a potential trade could look like:

Leafs get D Nathan Beaulieu, D Noah Juulsen, 2017 1st Rd Pick

Habs Should Make this Trade

Nathan Beaulieu is a terrific young player but for whatever reason he hasn’t been trusted by Therrien. Beaulieu started the season with Shea Weber and played very well. Nathan could develop into a sound top four defender and so could Juulsen.

That being said, Therrien doesn’t want to play Beaulieu top minutes. The Canadiens have other options for bottom pairing Defensemen like Mark Barberio and Zach Redmond who are more than capable to play 15-17 minutes a night.

Also David Desharnais is just a throw in to even out the salary cap. Desharnais contract is also up at the end of the year so the leafs wouldn’t have to be committed to him. The Habs would definitely want to add a 30 goal scorer for that price.

Nov 27, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner (53) celebrates his second period goal against the Florida Panthers at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Examining why the Montreal Canadiens should consider acquiring Carolina Hurricanes Forward Jeff Skinner.

Jeff Skinner is a tremendously skilled forward with a laser shot and posses good overall speed. Skinner is an exact template of what the Canadiens usually covet in a player. Jeff is still only 24 years old despite being in the NHL for seven seasons and has some term on his contract.

Skinner is a natural goal scorer and he has demonstrated this throughout his career. In seven seasons, Skinner has reached the 20 goal plateau four times and topped 30 goals twice. He has had a couple of rocky seasons but the Hurricanes had some bad teams in those years.

The Canadiens currently lack size on the wing and don’t have many players who fit the power forward role. Skinner isn’t small but he isn’t what you would call power forward. Jeff Skinner is 5’11” tall and weighs 200 pounds and fits more of a sniper template as he likes to hang out in the slot.

No Rumors

Before everyone freaks out and then blows up the comments section saying that Skinner isn’t on the trade block, consider the situation the Hurricanes are in. Carolina hasn’t had a strong playoff contending team in years. Also, the Hurricanes goal tending situation is brutal, as Cam Ward and Eddie Lack haven’t gotten the job done.

The Hurricanes have many talented Forwards and Defensemen but they are no where near being ready for playoff hockey. The Hurricanes may consider making a trade and looking for more young talent and more draft picks to continue their build for the future.

What Would it Cost?

Skinner is an elite goal scorer who is just 24 years old, so the cost is going to be very high. The Hurricanes will be looking for a future number one goaltender and draft picks. They will probably also want someone who could help their team in the short term as well.

The Montreal Canadiens have recently had a goaltender emerge with the St John’s Ice Caps. Charlie Lindgren has been really solid and has stolen a few games for the Ice Caps this season. Also, the Canadiens have a franchise Goalie in Carey Price so having Lindgren is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Hurricanes get D Alexei Emelin, G Charlie Lindgren, 2017 1st Rd pick, 2018 2nd Rd pick

Habs Should Make this Trade

The Canadiens are in definite need of more scorers and this trade would give the Habs a huge boost offensively. The Canadiens would have had to give up some money to make the deal work and Alexei Emelin would give the Hurricanes a solid top four Defensemen. Emelin also would give the Hurricanes Defense corps a huge boost in the physicality department.

This trade would also force Therrien to play Beaulieu more often, as this was talked about on the last page. The Canadiens have a solid amount of draft picks over the next few years and they can afford to move a couple of them. Also, Carolina could have their goaltender for the future at a very low cost in terms of cap hit.

Nov 21, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Colorado Avalanche right wing Jarome Iginla (12) against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. The Avalanche won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Examining why the Montreal Canadiens should consider acquiring Colorado Avalanche Forward Jarome Iginla.

The last two players on the list were players with term on their contracts and were huge blockbuster trades. Trading for Jarome Iginla wouldn’t be a trade of the same magnitude and would be more a rental trade than a franchise altering trade.

Iginla has been one of the NHl’s top goal scores during his career and has scored 614 goals. Over the past few seasons Igy has definitely regressed and hasn’t been one of the NHL’s marquee snipers anymore. However, Jarome has still found a way to score more than 20 goals in each of the last three seasons and he still scored 22 goals last season.

This season though Iginla has clearly struggled much like the rest of the Colorado Avalanche. Iginla has only managed to score three goals and has totaled only six points in 24 games. At age 39, it’s clear that Iginla isn’t the same player, but he may be more effective if surrounded by a deeper team.

No Rumors

There aren’t a ton of Jarome Iginla trade rumors flying around right now, but clearly the Avalanche will become sellers. The Colorado Avalanche currently sit in the basement of the Western Conference and League standings. Also the Central division is one of the most talented divisions in the NHL, and this would make the Avalanche’s playoff chances next to impossible.

Iginla is also coming to the end of his contract, and it would make sense for the Avalanche to move him. Jarome has a no movement clause in his contract and he would be in some control of where he ends up. The Canadiens are currently leading their division and maybe Jarome would want one last shot with a contender.

What Would it Cost?

The Avalanche won’t get much for Iginla at this point in his career and all it may take is a draft pick or two. Montreal has plenty of second round picks and the Habs may only have to move one to get Igy. The Avalanche may also want another later round pick as well.

Avalanche get F David Desharnais, 2017 2nd Rd Pick, 2018 4th Rd Pick

The Habs Should Make This Trade

At 39 years old Iginla may not be the elite goal scorer that he once was but he still could be effective in Montreal. The Montreal Canadiens could try use him as a fixture on the Power Play and give Igy a lot offensive zone starts. Iginla might be more motivated to produce with a playoff caliber team.

The Montreal Canadiens would be bolstering their leadership core with Iginla, as he plays with a ton of fire. Desharnais is thrown into the deal just to balance out the Canadiens salary cap. This trade would also be a very low risk move which isn’t the same as the previous trade scenarios.

Nov 1, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Coyotes left wing Anthony Duclair (10) celebrates a goal by left wing Jamie McGinn (88) during the second period against San Jose Sharks at Gila River Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Examining why the Montreal Canadiens should consider acquiring Arizona Coyotes Forward Anthony Duclair.

The Arizona Coyotes haven’t fared much better than Colorado Avalanche this season. The Coyotes currently find themselves sitting in second last place in the Western Conference and in the NHL League standings.

Anthony Duclair has struggled this season after a very solid sophomore season. Last year Duclair hit the 20 goal plateau and totaled 44 points. This season Duclair has only been able to score once, and has four total points in 24 games this season.

Duclair may be needing a change in scenery or may need some more ice time. Whatever the case, Anthony’s production has dramatically dropped off from last season and it seems like the Coyotes are wanting to move on from him.

Rumors

Duclair’s name has been thrown around the rumor mill and the Coyotes are looking for a big return. Nick Kypreos, Sportsnet Insider, made some comments a few weeks ago talking about the situation. Here is what he said:

“I’m hearing teams are saying that Duclair could be had at the right price… If he’s not playing well, what are you truly going to give up? I hear that Arizona would still ask for a pretty penny for him moving forward.”

What Would it Cost?

Kypreos hit the nail right on the head, what would you give up for a young talented but unproven player? The Coyotes have been in rebuild mode for years and they probably don’t want anymore mid range draft choices that they accumulated over the years. The Coyotes may want another young player who has scoring potential.

However, the Coyotes aren’t going to get a “grade A” prospect in return for a struggling forward. As a result they may have to settle for another prospect who could be ready to make the leap to the NHL but without having the top draft pick pedigree. The Canadiens have one player who comes to mind that is still young and hasn’t had much of a shot in the NHL.

That player is Charles Hudon. Over the past few seasons Hudon has been a dynamic play maker for the St Johns Ice Caps and should be in the NHL.

In the last two seasons in the AHL, Hudon has played in 142 games and scored 110 points. This season with the Ice Caps, Hudon has scored nine goals and has totaled 14 points in 15 games. Also, in Hudon’s six career NHL games he scored four points.

Coyotes get F Charles Hudon

Habs Should Make This Trade

Head Coach Michel Therrien for whatever reason simply doesn’t trust Hudon even though the numbers say Hudon has been terrific. Hudon has been recalled a few times, played well, produced, and than sent back to St. Johns. If the Habs don’t believe that Hudon is ready, or that he doesn’t fit their system, they should move on.

In return the Canadiens will get a player who has been inconsistent but is also very talented. Duclair has also proven that he is capable but he seems to be in the same boat that Hudon is in. Their coaches don’t trust them.

Dec 3, 2016; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN; Florida Panthers right wing Jaromir Jagr (68) skates in the first period against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Examining why the Montreal Canadiens should consider acquiring Florida Panthers Forward Jaromir Jagr.

Jaromir Jagr is one of the best hockey players to ever play the game, and he has done it at the highest level for a very long time. Jagr is now 44 years of age but he is still going strong for the Florida Panthers.

This season Jagr’s production has dropped from last season but so has the rest of the Panthers players. Jagr only has scored only five goals and has totaled 13 points in 27 games this season. The numbers may not look great but things in Florida haven’t gone well this year.

The Panthers recently fired Head Coach Gerard Gallant which was a surprising move and this may be a reason for Jagr’s point drop off. Last season Jagr scored 27 goals and totaled 66 points in 79 games and established himself as a team leader. Even though Jagr’s age may scare many off, he is only a rental player, as his contract ends at the end of the season.

No Rumors