As we inch towards the NHL trade deadline, cap space is king. For a team with muted playoff chances, having cap space is a way to become a team that can help other teams wash higher salaries and get a draft pick or picks as a result of the transaction. 

The Canadiens don’t need to save money on the cap. They have 6,694,167 to spend according to PuckPedia.  If you don’t want to trade David Savard, it’s a mistake, but ok, try and make the playoffs. They didn’t trade Jake Evans and you saw my mixed reaction. But hear me out, you can try and make the playoffs and still weaponize your cap space. At the very least, the Canadiens should be doing this.

Hockey trades for good younger players have been few and far between and chasing that is like chasing a unicorn. Kent Hughes may tire of that and that’s why this is the next logical step. If you are a fan and don’t want more draft capital. I don’t get it. You can always turn picks into players at the draft. Those trades do happen and loading up for that isn’t a bad plan.

Help the teams you want to help or help the deals that get you the best draft pick in return. If you have to take on a player for the rest of the season, so be it. But these are the kinds of moves that show up much later on. This is the long play. The team can still strive for the playoffs, do this, and still advance the ball until they are a perennial playoff team.