The Canadiens should consider pursuing Jacob Trouba if he tests free agency this summer.
One of the Montreal Canadiens' goals this off-season should be to add another right-shot defenseman who is capable of playing top-four minutes. When looking at this year's pending unrestricted free agents (UFAs), Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jacob Trouba stands out as an interesting potential option for the Canadiens to consider.
If the Canadiens signed Trouba, he would give them a hard-nosed defenseman with plenty of experience. This would not be a bad thing for a Canadiens club that is entering its Stanley Cup window.
If the Canadiens signed Trouba, he would be a candidate to play on both their second pairing and penalty kill. Yet, even if he had a bottom-pairing role for the Canadiens, he would still have the potential to provide their roster with a nice boost if successfully signed.
Trouba showed this season with Anaheim that he is still capable of providing a bit of everything from the point. In 81 games this season with the Ducks, the 6-foot-3 defenseman recorded 10 goals, 25 assists, 35 points, 143 hits, and 149 blocks. With numbers like these, he would have the potential to provide the Canadiens with a bit more offense from the point. Yet, his physicality and toughness are the main reasons why Montreal should consider pursuing him.
With Trouba being 32 years old, a three-year deal is probably the longest that the Canadiens should consider signing him for. He still has some good hockey left in him, and it will be intriguing to see if the Canadiens sign him this summer from here.