The Montreal Canadiens continue to rebuild on the fly as general manager Kent Hughes has remained patient with his group. The Habs sit with a 12-12-3 record on the season and even with some recent contract extensions handed out, there’s expected to be some serious movement off their roster this season. While Samuel Montembeault, who just signed a three-year extension is likely taken off the board now, here’s three other Canadiens trade candidates who are primed to be moved at some point before the trade deadline in early March:
Sean Monahan
Monahan’s name has surfaced throughout multiple reports of late and the trade buzz won’t be slowing down any time soon. As a veteran centre, with Stanley Cup Playoff experience and the skill set to play up and down the lineup, Monahan is a top target throughout the league.
The 29-year-old Brampton, ON native has battled his fair share of injuries of late, but has managed to get his game on track when dressed. So far this season in 27 games, Monahan has scored eight times and added eight assists. He’s winning cover 57% of his faceoffs and has been playing a huge role on the Canadiens special teams units, playing heavy minutes on the power play and killing penalties on Montreal’s second unit.
His versatility to slide over the wing if needed doesn’t hurt his trade value, and neither does his contract. Monahan is due just $1.98 million this season, the final year of his deal and he does not hold any trade protection and can be moved at will. Recently, hockey insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff listed Monahan as his #2 trade target and had this to say about a deal:
Strong teams are built down the middle. When healthy, Monahan shapes up to be one of the great trade chips of this deadline. He’s been productive, playing at nearly a 50-point pace this season, and he doesn’t cut corners in his own end. Monahan appears to be an ideal third-line center option on a Stanley Cup contending team.
This is a matter of ‘where’ and not ‘if’ Monahan will be traded as Hughes will try and cash in as much as possible.
Jake Allen
With Montembeault locked in long-term, veteran netminder Jake Allen finds himself among many trade boards. The Canadiens have pulled off the rare feat so far this season, carrying three goalies. This is not expected to last all season long.
Allen, 33, has one season left on his contract at $3.85 million per season and he does hold trade protection against seven teams, which then goes down to three teams starting next summer. So far in 10 appearances this season, Allen has recorded a 3-5-2 record, to go along with a 3.74 GAA and .898 Sv.%. He hasn’t had a winning record in over four seasons, however the Canadiens haven’t been a wagon either for him to play behind.
With 29 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience under his belt, plus some serious production when it matters most, Allen will be on the radar of several contending teams looking for some depth in their crease. His last playoff run in St Louis he posted a 1.89 GAA and .935 Sv.%.
As for potential fits, the Edmonton Oilers have monitored Allen’s game throughout most of this season and appear to have a level of interest. The Colorado Avalanche have also recently been named a potential fit and will be a team to keep an eye on as they have trade history with Hughes in Montreal.
Tanner Pearson
While Hughes would ideally love to get out of Josh Anderson’s massive contract and perhaps even Christian Dvorak’s, veteran winger Tanner Pearson is one player Hughes will hear from other teams about. Pearson is a pending unrestricted free agent who is owed $3.2 million this season.
Pearson’s played some decent hockey since joining the Canadiens via trade from the Vancouver Canucks, recording eight points in 27 games on the season. He’s shown 20-goal capabilities in the past and his 51 games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience goes a long way for onlooking GM’s.
Pearson’s not a typical bang-and-crash third-line winger, but he’s defensive responsible and versatile enough to move up into a more offensive role should someone get hurt or the team needs a temporary fix. He’s certainly just a depth piece at this point of his career, but if properly placed on a contending team, could help move the needle heading into the postseason.
The Canadiens are one of the rare teams in the NHL with cap space. They have Hughes, an aggressive GM who isn’t scared to make a bold move and they have a frenzied fan base who want the team to get back to relevancy. Montreal should be active on the trade market this season and it could very well start with Monahan, Allen and Pearson.
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