A trade between the Avalanche and the Canadiens involving young player Calum Ritchie has just been proposed in exchange for Sean Monahan

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David St-Jean
February 1, 2024 (9:11 PM)

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Photo credit: Montreal Hockey Now

While the Canadiens are in rebuilding mode since the arrival of Kent Hughes as the team's general manager, the focus is on acquiring the maximum number of good draft picks and young prospects.

In terms of draft picks, things have gone well, but in the case of prospects, it's a bit less promising. The Canadiens need to start making progress, and it won't happen by replacing active players with projects.

With this in mind, Marc-Olivier Beaudoin has proposed a trade between the Canadiens and the Avalanche that makes a lot of sense. Here's what he had to suggest:

"Sean Monahan heads to Colorado in exchange for Calum Ritchie.

The Avalanche will undoubtedly look to improve its center position by March 8, as Ross Colton is currently playing the role of the second center. Colton is not a bad hockey player, but he probably isn't the ideal second center prototype for aspiring to major honors." - Via DLC

It makes a lot of sense when you think about it. Ritchie is currently in the OHL, and his progression is very promising. He is clearly ahead of a player who hasn't been drafted yet.

The Canadiens would finally have a high-quality prospect on the offensive side, who could follow a similar path to Nick Suzuki. That is, making the jump to the NHL directly after his junior stint.

Previously on All Habs

Good news for Marc-Edouard Vlasic, who is a different player

Nick Suzuki teammates with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl: That's what just happened for the All-Star Game

Bad news for the Canadiens in the Sean Monahan trade situation

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1 FEVRIER \| 629 ANSWERS A trade between the Avalanche and the Canadiens involving young player Calum Ritchie has just been proposed in exchange for Sean Monahan Would you prefer a young player in full progression or a first-round draft pick in exchange for Sean Monahan?
Young talented player	439	69.8 %
First-round pick	190	30.2 %
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