While the playoffs are ongoing, many teams have already started their offseason planning. What storylines lie ahead around the league? Our Offseason Keys series continues with a look at the Montreal Canadiens.
Not a lot went right in Montreal this season. A year after winning the Atlantic Division, they found themselves out of the playoff race in a hurry while many of their key players were injured or struggled considerably. As a result, plenty of changes are expected again this coming summer. Here are their keys to offseason success.
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This one has been at the top of the list for a long time now. GM Marc Bergevin attempted to address it last summer with the acquisition of Jonathan Drouin with the hopes that he could play down the middle but that experiment didn’t go as well as intended. Bergevin himself even admitted that in a perfect world, Drouin would be on the wing. Needless to say, a true number one center is at the top of the priority list.
The need at that position doesn’t stop there, however. Phillip Danault (a pending RFA) slots in as their number two but he’s more ideally suited for a third-line role. There are no other in-house options and even if Tomas Plekanec gets his wish and signs with the Canadiens in the summer, he’s not a fit in that role either. Basically, they also need a number two unless they’re content with keeping Drouin away from his natural position. Finding one top-six center is hard enough so two is going to be a real challenge.
Partner For Weber
Lost in the aftermath of the blockbuster trade two summers ago with Nashville is the fact that Shea Weber has not had a top-notch partner to play with like he did with the Predators. Two years ago, Nathan Beaulieu and Alexei Emelin saw the bulk of the minutes. The former was traded to avoid being left unprotected in expansion while the latter was left unprotected (and was picked) in expansion. Back to the drawing board they went.
Montreal’s big offseason signing on the back end last summer was Karl Alzner and his style of game doesn’t mesh with Weber’s so those two didn’t see much five-on-five time together. That wound up resulting in rookie Victor Mete spending a lot of time in that role. The results were mixed and ultimately, he’s not an ideal solution there at this stage of his development and neither is the collection of depth defenders that they have on the roster. Basically, it’s back to the drawing board again.
Unfortunately for the Canadiens, the UFA market for left-shooting rearguards isn’t exactly robust so their options to improve there are limited. Accordingly, this void may have to be filled via a trade as if they have eyes on contending for a playoff spot next season, it’s hard to imagine them wanting Mete back in that spot full-time.
Decision On Pacioretty
Like many of Montreal’s top players, it was a tough year for winger Max Pacioretty. He tallied just 17 goals in 64 games, failing to reach the 30-goal mark after doing so the previous four years. He was also prone to several stretches where he struggled and for the first time, trade speculation started to pick up.
Ultimately, he wasn’t dealt at the trade deadline as the asking price was said to be too high, same for most of the non-rental wingers that were made available. However, that speculation is sure to be back in full force in the weeks to come.
Pacioretty is entering the final year of a team-friendly deal that carries an AAV of $4.5MM. He’s set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer and will certainly be looking for a considerable raise. Is Bergevin going to be comfortable handing that out to a player who turns 30 in November? If not, the time may be right for a trade, at least on the surface.
However, with the stated goal to get back to the postseason, trading a top forward (and their captain) may be somewhat counterintuitive. Quality goal scorers are hard to find and on a team that struggled to score, dealing Pacioretty would only make a big problem even worse. It’s not going to be an easy decision to make either way but this feels like a situation that needs to be addressed before next season begins.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bergevin is in tough to fix this roster and this is his last shot to do so. No stone should be left unturned to add two centres. I know a lot of Habs fans want John Tavares(I do too) but he’s in all likelihood going to cost over $11 million per season. It might be better to go the trade route and target two guys already under contract who make the same combined as JT would cost by himself. Targets should include Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Sam Bennett(in a buy low manner). Another avenue that should be exhausted(but won’t because of archaic thinking) is to target RFA’s like Boone Jenner, Dylan Larkin, JT Miller, Elias Lindholm or even Andreas Athanasiou via offer sheet.
As for LD, the pickings are pretty slim. The “best” options in FA are Toby Enstrom and Calvin de Haan but neither really fit what the Habs need(puck mover capable of running the PP). Best option trade wise might be to target a team close to the cap and see if you can snag a LD that way. Maybe even see if Edmonton has soured Oscar Klefbom(not likely). Other than that, I really don’t know.
Gardiner and a 2nd for the habs 1st. There’s your puck moving lefty
Lol
Tanev and Baertchi (Canucks) and their 2nd rounder for the 3rd overall
Gives Mtl some scoring and a top 4 D
I did this in NHL 2018 and it passes so it’s legit