Four key pieces of the Canadiens have been identified for a trade at the draft
Summer 2023 is about to be an important moment for the future of the Montreal Canadiens. Several big decisions will have to be made, in order to add the best pieces for the organization's future.
On one hand, the Canadiens will enter the first round of the draft with two selections to make, including one in the top 7 of the draft. There is no acceptable margin for error with this high pick, considering it will be among an exceptional crop of players.
On the other hand, Kent Hughes will free up over $20 million in contracts at the opening of free agency, in addition to salaries he could trade or buy out in a few weeks.
The GM of the Habs mentioned in his end-of-season report that he would like to be active again this year at the draft, also expressing interest in trying another "Kirby Dach-like" transaction by adding a young, active player already in the league to accelerate the rebuilding process, while still respecting the long-term plan.
Hughes will have several interesting assets to trade in order to make good moves on June 28th, and here are the best pieces to conclude a trade :
The Florida Panthers' first-round pick
There is no surprise in mentioning that the Habs would be open to moving their second first-round pick to conclude this famous Kirby Dach 2.0 transaction. If the Panthers are eliminated in the first two rounds of the playoffs, this selection will become the 17th in the draft.
Of course, several analysts believe that this pick could very well end up in a transaction involving forward Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Otherwise, Hughes could still make an offer including another pick, in order to climb and improve his selection ranking.
Unsurprisingly, with the surplus of left-handed defensemen, the 29-year-old veteran has become a trade asset at the blue line. Despite his great leadership contribution, Edmundson will play out the last year of his contract and it is certain that he will not be back the following year. He becomes a very interesting piece to add a pick in the draft.
The Canadiens received calls regarding Dvorak at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, his $4.45 million salary for another two seasons was too difficult to absorb in the middle of the season.
However, during the summer, teams with more flexibility on their salary cap could come back for the 27-year-old center, which would allow for a spot to be freed up in the lineup and an important salary with the Habs.
We could not finish this list without mentioning Anderson. Even though it seems unlikely that the power forward will be traded by the Habs, the type of play he offered at the end of the season, before his significant injury, is likely to make Hughes' phone ring loudly.
The Habs' number 17 compiled 21 goals, despite a decimated lineup due to injuries. He really stepped up his game when he had a lot more responsibilities on the ice, including penalty killing.
He is one of the few veterans who could spark an offer for a favorable trade for the Canadiens, which means that even if he has no intention of moving him, Hughes must still listen to offers for his big forward.
Which of these pieces would you sacrifice the most in the draft for the future of the Canadiens?
| POLL | ||
Which pieces would you be most willing to sacrifice at the draft for the future of the Canadiens? | ||
| Panthers's first choice | 59 | 21.9 % |
| Joel Edmundson | 85 | 31.6 % |
| Christian Dvorak | 109 | 40.5 % |
| Josh Anderson | 16 | 5.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
