Trade target – Page 3 – Cheering The Logo

By JD Lagrange – You have pretenders and you have NHL Insiders. While all of them can be off, the difference is true, legitimate insiders have a proven track record of having legitimate sources around the NHL. In Canada, the most prominent ones are Pierre LeBrun, Darren Dreger, Elliotte Friedman and Frank Seravalli, although Kevin Weekes, Chris Johnson and Jeff Marek are making a push to join them.

One of them released his top-25 trade targets recently. Alex DeBrincat tops Seravalli’s list but the Montreal Canadiens have three names on that list: Jeff Petry sits at number 11, while Shea Weber’s contract is number 20 and Josh Anderson (?) is number 24. In Anderson’s case, Serevalli mentions that the Canadiens are not trying to trade him but they have resisted some generous offers so far and they may be tempted if the offer is too good to pass.

Interesting for the Habs

Analyzing the list, there are some very interesting candidates on there, and some surprising ones too. Many young players made it to the list, making you wonder why those players are available. Some of them could be of interest for Montreal so let’s have a look at some of them.

Alex DeBrincat

CHI

82GP, 41G-37A-78Pts

$6.4M, 1 Yr

Seeing DeBrincat’s name up there is rather shocking. But hey, who are we to question one of the NHL’s best Insiders? If he’s available, the Canadiens must do their due diligence and call the Blackhawks to find out what they’re looking for. One would think that the Hawks would want the Habs’ first overall pick though…

Kevin Fiala

MIN

82GP, 33G-52A-85Pts

RFA

Another surprising name on that list, this one very much salary driven. Hard worker, he has plenty of playmaking ability, skates well and is also a good finisher. It seems like he would fit extremely well into what the Canadiens are wanting to do. It would also allow to trade one of Jonathan Drouin or Mike Hoffman.

Jakob Chychrun

ARI

47GP, 7G-14A-21Pts

$4.6M, 3 Yrs

The Canadiens are very deep on the left side of the defense but few have the offensive potential that Chychrun brings. If the Habs are high on Slafkovsky or Cooley, could something be worked out for a swap of first round pick (Arizona has the 3rd overall pick) and Shea Weber’s contract?

#2 Overall Pick

NJD

Of course, the Canadiens must do their due diligence and at least enquire about the asking price for that pick. But anything short of Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield won’t do it for the Devils, not when you have established young players available on the market. And no, quantity never equals quality so don’t even try.

Tyson Barrie

EDM

73GP, 7G-34A-41Pts

$4.5M, 2 Yrs

Up until recently, we didn’t think that Barrie would be available but like Montreal, the Oilers are trying to shed some salary. Barrie is not only a right-hand shot, but he can help the Canadiens on the power play too. At $4.5 million, he brings a good quality-value aspect ratio.

Pavel Zacha

NJD

70GP, 15G-21A-36Pts

RFA

With Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier ahead of him eating up key minutes at center, Zacha is not able to fully flourish in New Jersey. Acquiring him could allow Hughes (Kent, that is) and the Habs to contemplate trading Christian Dvorak in a cap saving move.

John Marino

PIT

81GP, 1G-24A-25Pts

$4.4M, 5 Yrs

After John Klingberg, Marino is my favourite option, perhaps equal to Barrie mentioned above. The Penguins’ defenseman is very much unknown and highly underrated by many. He is on an affordable contract for a long time, and would allow for Logan Mailloux to develop properly, buying him time to do so.

Semyon Varlamov

NYI

31GP, 10-17-2, 2.88GAA, .912Sv%

$5M, 1 Yr

Kent Hughes wants an insurance policy, a veteran goaltender in case Carey Price can’t go. If the Islanders are willing to eat up some salary, Varlamov is a possibility. Although my personal choice would be Ilya Samsonov, in Washington. Younger and cheaper, with some potential.

Filip Zadina

DET

75 GP, 10G-14A-24Pts

RFA

Along with Kravstov, Zadina has been on my radar for some time now. Still young, he played in the QMJHL so he’s familiar to Quebec. He was upset that the Canadiens and Senators passed him on at the Draft and he has some untapped potential. At 22, he’s worth the risk. Could a deal involving Petry be worked out?

Ethan Bear

CAR

58 GP, 5G-9A-14Pts

RFA

If Marc Bergevin was still in place, this would be a non-starter. Although I’m sure that Tom Dundon still holds a grudge against Geoff Molson about the Aho offer-sheet and the whole Kotkaniemi fiasco, new management in place in Montreal should not prevent hockey trades. Bear has very good potential but on a deep Carolina defense, he cannot find his spot. In Montreal on the right side, he would be a shoe-in. And the price to acquire him shouldn’t be too high.

Two young players who are surprisingly not on that list are New York Rangers’ own Vitali Kravstov and Anaheim Ducks’ Maxime Comtois, who also should be targets for the Canadiens.

More reading…

Stars Lining Up For Petry… But Pens In It Too! in Rumour Mill
I Believe… What The Habs Will Do by JD Lagrange
Mock Draft v.2 – Montreal Canadiens by Bob Trask

As a fan base, I think that we’ve all established that most of us prefer a winner no matter the origin of the players on the team. Fans will forgive management if they win without local talent in the line-up, but a loud group won’t let it go if you lose without as many Quebecois players as possible. In fact, they’re much like the self-proclaimed “Freedom Convoy“: they represent less than 10% of the population but they can gather together and make noise like the other 90%, making themselves believe that they are more in numbers than they really are…

But pretty much the entire fan base will agree that having local players, at equal talent, is important. With that in mind, we have put a list of six French Canadian players who would, could or should help the Canadiens for years to come. So let’s look at potential Quebecois acquisitions for the Habs, for the most part, players who have been rumoured to be available at different degrees.

1- Alexis Lafrenière

AGE	20	TEAM	NYR
HEIGHT	6’2″	POSITION	LW
WEIGHT	196 lbs	DRAFT	2020 1st rd (#1)
BIRTHPLACE	Saint-Eustache, QC

He’s been in rumours way too often this season and with that much smoke, there has to be some fire. The cost would be huge, but the reward can also be just as big. Could the Rangers be interested in a package which would include Montreal’s first round pick this year?

Lafrenière needs no introduction. He was the CHL’s Rookie of the Year as a 16-year-old and the number one pick in the 2020 NHL Draft two years later, so he is used to being in the spotlight and handling the pressure that goes along with it. He does have all the tools to be an elite offensive player, both as a shooter and playmaker. He is also not shy about physical contact and steps up in big situations, but he’s still learning about life in the NHL, especially when he does not have the puck. Can you imagine unleashing that talent under Martin St-Louis?

2- Maxime Comtois

AGE	23	TEAM	ANA
HEIGHT	6’2″	POSITION	LW
WEIGHT	210 lbs	DRAFT	2017 2nd rd (#50)
BIRTHPLACE	Longueuil, QC

The Ducks’ winger has fallen out of grace in Anaheim, even being a healthy scratch at times this season. He is rumoured to be available in a trade. He wouldn’t be as expansive to acquire as Lafrenière for sure, but he’s a good player and to get good young players, you have to give away good assets.

He has excellent size for the NHL and a pretty good skater. Comtois a blue collar winger who can complement offensive forwards well. He goes to the net with authority and can be an asset on the power play. He can really snipe too. But he needs to play with good playmakers who can feed him the puck at the right time. Comtois also has some work to do away from the puck and must learn to be a bit more disciplined.

3- Raphael Lavoie

AGE	21	TEAM	EDM
HEIGHT	6’4″	POSITION	C/RW
WEIGHT	196	DRAFT	2019 2nd rd (#38)
BIRTHPLACE	Chambly, QC

Let’s get something clear… Lavoie is not being shopped around. But the Oilers are wasting away the good years of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They have some good young talent up front in Jesse Puljujärvi and Kailer Yamamoto and their defense isn’t getting the credit they deserve. Their issue is goaltending.

A true goal-scorer, Lavoie owns tremendous size and strength, skating ability (displaying both quickness and long speed) and a powerful shot. He has a scoring mentality at all times. Like many young goals’ scorers, he does lack consistency and he needs to improve his play in the defensive zone in order to become an impact NHLer.

4- Julien Gauthier

AGE	24	TEAM	NYR
HEIGHT	6’4″	POSITION	RW
WEIGHT	227 lbs	DRAFT	2016 1st rd (#21)
BIRTHPLACE	Pointe-aux-Trembles, QC

Perhaps not the sexiest of choices on this list, he is still a very good project. Selected 21st overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2016 draft, Gauthier has yet to come close to showing the abilities that made him a first-rounder in the NHL. The Rangers acquired him by giving away Joey Keane, a former third round pick. So the cost of getting him shouldn’t be too high.

He has the size and skating ability to succeed and was a big scorer in both junior hockey and the American Hockey League, but he has yet to put everything together in the NHL. Has to improve his play away from the puck and use his body more effectively in the offensive zone as he moves into his prime.

5- Anthony Beauvillier

AGE	24	TEAM	NYI
HEIGHT	5’11”	POSITION	LW
WEIGHT	180 lbs	DRAFT	2015 1st rd (#28)
BIRTHPLACE	Sorel-Tracy, QC

Stefen Rosner of NYI Hockey Now believes he could be on his way out. Beauvillier is under contract for two more seasons with an annual average value of $4.15 million. According to Rosner, he could be a player packaged in a trade or moved in a cost-cutting deal to clear cap space to bolster the defense.

A speedy, skilled forward, he handles the puck well and has a lot of offensive creativity. He excels at chipping pucks past opponents and retrieving them on the other side. Beauvillier has good hands and excellent moves in tight spaces. He has added strength since entering the NHL but could use more.

6- Jonathan Marchessault

AGE	31	TEAM	VEG
HEIGHT	5’9″	POSITION	LW
WEIGHT	184 lbs	DRAFT	Not drafted
BIRTHPLACE	Cap-Rouge, QC

Vegas is in a mess cap-wise and is very likely to want to cut costs. At 31 years old, he does carry a cap hit of $5 million until 2023-24. Of course, acquiring him would be pending shedding major salary elsewhere but he would help bridge until some of the organisation’s prospects are ready.

An excellent playmaker and stickhandler, Marchessault sees the ice very well and he’s quite patient with the puck. He is also a natural at putting points on the board while being a very versatile player up front. A lack of size and strength hinders his overall value at the NHL level.

More reading…