The Montreal Canadiens are among a fair number of teams looking to upgrade this season. Their solid start has put them in a position where they are seriously looking to contend. But like other would-be playoff contenders, injuries have ravaged the club.
The losses of Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach have put the Canadiens’ forward group in a bind. The Habs’ injury situation has turned up the heat on GM Kent Hughes’ search for a top-six center or a top-nine forward.
As Marco D’Amico of RG Media noted on November 19, the Canadiens are “working the phones aggressively” to address their needs.
However, the issue lies with the current trade landscape being a “seller’s market.” A seller’s market means that more teams are looking to add than teams looking to trade. As it stands, only a handful of clubs look poised to become sellers. The Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues, and San Jose Sharks could be the clubs motivated to trade.
That’s it.
Other would-be sellers like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Chicago Blackhawks are having better-than-expected seasons. So, they’ll be holding to their pieces for a little while longer.
Then, there’s the last-place Calgary Flames. While they could be prime targets to sell, D’Amico stated that the Flames are not looking to blow things up.
So, that situation leaves the Canadiens turning over stones to find a piece they could use. If they happen to find one, it’s not going to come cheap.
Canadiens Part of a Holding Pattern in Trade Market
Teams looking to sell are in a holding pattern at the moment. These clubs are waiting for one team to get desperate enough, like the Canadiens, to overpay. When that happens, other teams will have to pay up.
As such, the Canadiens don’t want to be the first team to blink. They’ll try to hold on as best they can for as long as they can. But there will come a time when someone makes a mistake. It might be a team like the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, or Edmonton Oilers.
When that happens, the Canadiens may fall pretty to a situation in which they’ll have to pay exorbitant prices.
It’s either that or hope that internal solutions can step up and deliver.
Sharks Could Become Trade Partners for Montreal
The Sharks remain the most intriguing team this season. The club is off to a much better start compared to last season. The club has gotten a fantastic season from Macklin Celebrini. But it’s Michael Misa who could unwind things in San Jose.
The Sharks will need to move a contract or two if they want to keep Misa in the NHL. While the rookie forward is ailing at the moment, the team will need to decide what to do about him.
That situation could force the Sharks’ hand, leading to a move. If that’s the case, the Canadiens could land a decent piece. Of course, it won’t come cheap.
Ultimately, the market may come to a head once Thanksgiving rolls around later this month. All it will take is for one GM to panic, leading to a deluge of overpays and fleecings. It may sound like a cutthroat market, but it’s just business.
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