There are many items on the Montreal Canadiens' GM to-do list when it comes to the trade market, but what should be his first order of business?
In just five days, the NHL will hold its annual draft, and since Kent Hughes took the helm of the Montreal Canadiens, that has generally meant some trade action as well. As a result, rumours are swirling around in town with fans and pundits trying to guess what or who the GM will be acquiring this time around.
Despite reaching the Eastern Conference Championship, the Canadiens still need to improve on many fronts. A Stanley Cup-winning team wouldn’t have Jake Evans as its second-line center; it would have a player with offensive abilities worthy of Ivan Demidov. A real contender wouldn’t be relying almost exclusively on Josh Anderson to land big hits when things get insanely physical in the playoffs, and it would also have a much more balanced blueline, with real top-four blueliners and depth that Martin St-Louis would trust.
Of all those issues, the most interesting one to address and likely the flashiest trade would be for a second-line center, but is it the most urgent one? A case could be made that it isn’t and that Hughes should turn his attention to the defense corps.
Success in the NHL comes when everyone is in the right chair, so to speak, and as things stand, the Habs' defensemen aren’t. Lane Hutson is playing on his off-side, even if his numbers are much better when he plays on his natural side. Alex Carrier sometimes ends up playing top-four minutes even if he should be a third-pairing guy in an ideal world. The fact that St-Louis doesn’t really trust his depth defensemen, or at least one of them, means that the other blueliners are overworked. When Mike Matheson plays too much, he tends to make more questionable plays and turnovers. That’s natural when an athlete is tired.
Solidifying the defense would have wide-ranging ripple effects at both ends of the ice. Hutson would be more comfortable and would produce more. Matheson’s mistakes would be cut down, and Carrier would play better if he could have some stability in his pairing. Unsurprisingly, the Quebecer’s play is of higher quality when he plays with a better partner. When you pair him with, say, Arber Xhekaj, his play suffers; it’s a shame, but it is what it is.
While the organization has David Reinbacher in high regard, he’s likely not ready to step into such a high-profile role, and the Canadiens could use a stopgap solution.
That’s a lot of reasons why sorting out the blueline should be at the top of Hughes’ to-do list; however, the loss in the Conference Final wasn’t caused by the defense, but by the offense being not only unable to produce but even to generate shots on goal. You won’t score if you don’t shoot, even if the goaltender in the opposing net is far from being the second-coming of Patrick Roy.
While no guarantee that having a bona fide second-line center would have made a huge difference, it certainly wouldn’t have hurt and having Evans move down the lineup would also have helped solidify the bottom-six. In other words, it’s a toss-up; whatever move Hughes makes will help, and going out focusing on a single need is a trap that must be avoided, as it could lead to making the wrong trade just because it’s the only one available.
Fans seem to be particularly anxious for the GM to get a second-line center, but they should be ready for the possibility that it’s not what happens. Dylan Larkin is reportedly not interested in playing for the Habs; Robert Thomas is no longer available, and many teams are looking for a second-line center. In an ideal world, Hughes could strike a deal for a pivot while many teams are focused on landing Larkin and not courting other options. It provides a welcome diversion. Once Larkin is off the market, the price tag on other options and the number of suitors will go up. If and when that domino falls, it stands to reason that Hughes’ odds of filling that need will diminish.
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