The Montreal Canadiens need to improve their center depth. With Kirby Dach‘s health putting his availability for training camp in question, the Canadiens may have to look elsewhere to find someone. While Mason McTavish, Nazem Kadri, and Marco Rossi are all centers who are available and could fulfill the role, another center could have a lower acquisition cost than those three.
Heavy.com proposed a trade that would see the Canadiens acquire Casey Mittelstadt from their bitter rivals, the Boston Bruins.
Canadiens Acquire:
- Casey Mittelstadt ($5,750,000, 50% retained: $2,875,000)
Bruins Acquire:
- Arber Xhekaj ($1,300,000)
This would be a big trade for both the Canadiens and the Bruins. The Canadiens get a low-cost reclamation project for their second-line center, and the Bruins get a hard-nosed defender.
In this proposal, the Canadiens acquire Mittelstadt, a 26-year-old center who was selected eighth overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. The 6-foot-1, 195 lb left-handed forward recorded 40 points in 81 games last year between the Bruins and the Colorado Avalanche.
Going the other way is Arber Xhekaj. The 6-foot-4, 240 lb left-handed blueliner came into the league as an undrafted prospect. The 24-year-old recorded six points and 118 penalty minutes in 70 games this past season.
Canadiens Can Benefit From Bruins’ Disappointment
Heavy.com reported on the availability of Mittelstadt over the weekend.
Nestor Quixtan wrote, “By the looks of it, Mittelstadt is hardly in the Bruins’ plans moving forward. As such, the club may give Mittelstadt one last kick at the can before shipping him off to another club.”
This was sparked by a James Murphy report that came out earlier. Murphy reported that the Bruins didn’t want Mittelstadt, but accepted him as part of the trade that sent Charlie Coyle to the Avalanche.
“There was a common feeling that he wasn’t their main target when they traded for him,” Murphy wrote in an RG exclusive. “Zellers and the second-round draft pick were.”
“I know their amateur scouts were hellbent on getting Zellers. They were intent on restocking with picks and prospects, and he was one of the prospects they were really targeting. That being said, where or how does Mittelstadt fit into their plan going forward?”
Now that every team in the league knows the Bruins didn’t want Mittelstadt, the acquisition cost for any team looking to add depth down the middle should plummet.
Canadiens Already Linked to Casey Mittelstadt
Felix Forget of DansLesCoulisses.com highlights a connection that the Canadiens already have with Mittelstadt and believes that there is a short-term fit between the player and organization.
“We know that Montreal is looking for a center, after all, and that the club seriously needs a left-handed center,” Forget wrote. “Going for a player whose value is diminished right now could be interesting.”
“Especially since he could help hold the fort until the arrival of Michael Hage or another future center.”
“And we also know that Casey’s brother, Luke, is part of the Canadiens organization,” Forget revealed. “This would be a great opportunity to reunite the two brothers, but also to motivate them.”
Mittelstadt Not the Only Bruins’ Center Canadiens Should Have Interest In
Also listed in Murphy’s report is that Joonas Korpisalo and Pavel Zacha have been floating around the trade rumor mill. Both of those players could be beneficial for the Canadiens.
However, the Canadiens are happy with their goaltending (according to another RG report) and Zacha might be a better fit for a Stanley Cup contender, which the Canadiens are not (yet).
If the acquisition cost is as low as it seems, it’s in the club’s best interest to jump at the opportunity, especially if no other options are available.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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