Trade Involving Christian Dvorak: Could a Canadiens Rival be Interested in Acquiring Him?

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Elliot Ben Jacob
July 29, 2023 (1:53 PM)

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Earlier this week, Quebec native Patrice Bergeron officially announced his retirement from professional hockey, leaving a huge void at center for the Boston Bruins. Indeed, as of now, Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle, Morgan Geekie, and Patrick Brown are the four players who should, in theory, occupy this position next season.

Let's just say that these are pretty ordinary center lines, and the chances of seeing the Canadiens' rivals repeating the same feats as last season are rather slim, if not nonexistent.

It would therefore not be surprising that Don Sweeney tries to acquire a forward before the start of the 2023-2024 campaign to compensate for the situation. However, let's be honest, replacing Patrice Bergeron will be a nearly impossible task, as he has been a leading ambassador for the Bruins for many years.

The 38-year-old forward has, without a doubt, been one of the best defensive center players in the NHL throughout his time in the NHL, while being able to produce more than 60 points per year. Furthermore, with the uncertainty also looming over a potential return of David Krejci, Jim Montgomery's men could face a very tough season next year if the organization fails to get a center player.

The excellent Josh Wegman who works for The Score drew up a list of five players who could help the Boston roster. Among the names mentioned are forwards Mark Scheifele, Elias Lindholm, Logan Couture, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and a certain Christian Dvorak. Knowing that the Bruins have very little wiggle room under the salary cap, which leaves them with only $6 million for the next season, a transaction involving Scheifele, Kuznetsov, or Couture is less likely.

Josh Wegman believes that Christian Dvorak could be a viable option if general manager Don Sweeney wants to acquire one or two players to improve his team:

"If the Bruins choose to replace Bergeron with multiple players, Dvorak is an interesting option. His two-year stint with the Montreal Canadiens has been a disaster, but he produced excellent results at both ends of the ice during his five seasons with the Arizona Coyotes. He is not a dynamic offensive player, but he has a good shot and is defensively responsible. Plus, he's only 27.

Given his recent struggles, the cost of Dvorak would probably be quite low, and the Canadiens might even be willing to retain some of his already modest salary. He has a no-trade list of eight teams but, given the mediocrity of his stay in Montreal, Dvorak is probably eager for a fresh start - and could profit from it." - Josh Wegman

Wow! Imagine if the Bruins could help the Tricolore unload Christian Dvorak, that would be a serious assist from a direct rival. Of course, the Canadiens' forward will not be Don Sweeney's first option, but if the general manager is unable to add a top-6 forward to his lineup, could he consider this option?

Montreal fans would certainly be very happy to see such an outcome happen!