Which One?: Canadiens Expected to Move One of Savard or Armia

The Montreal Canadiens are open to trading pending unrestricted free agents David Savard and Joel Armia, but they are unlikely to part with both, according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

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Likely sellers to a certain degree, GM Kent Hughes isn’t looking to send the message that he’s giving up on the club and pulling important pieces as they make their playoff push. At the same time, he’s not about to give up trying to add important assets in a seller’s market.

Canadiens Listening on Trade Offers for Savard and Armia

While the Habs are listening to offers, Hughes is trying to balance adding pieces and rewarding his players while they fight to stay in the playoff race. Montreal isn’t interested in collecting more late-round draft picks, so the trade returns have to be significant for either Savard or Armia.

As names come off the board, the supply of serviceable players for contenders dwindles, and the prices go up. It’s an opportunity to make a solid profit on a couple of pending UFAs. Armia has a $3.4 million cap hit. Savard comes in a $3.5 million.

Savard, a veteran defenseman, brings playoff experience and a steady presence on the blue line, making him an attractive target for contenders. He’s been part of several Stanley Cup playoff runs, which will be important to contenders looking to go deep.

Meanwhile, Armia’s size and defensive reliability could appeal to teams looking for depth scoring and penalty-killing support.

Canadiens Also Looking at Hockey Trades

LeBrun also pointed out that the Canadiens aren’t just looking at rental deadline deals. Hughes is exploring potential hockey trades—particularly for a center—that could benefit the team both now and in the long term.

We’ve seen a few of those made this season, with teams not shy about giving fresh starts to some of their players. Hughes has pulled off deals like these in the past and he’s clearly not afraid to do so again.

Next: Rantanen Gives Hurricanes His Answer, Carolina to Talk Trade