Marc Bergevin looks like a genius thanks to the Marco Scandella trade
On January 2, 2020, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Quebec defenseman Marco Scandella in return for a mere fourth round pick in 2020.
Not surprisingly, Scandella will have brought back a lot, even if he only played 20 games in a Canadiens uniform, collecting three points in the process. Remember that Scandella is known as a defensive defenseman.
The Habs were not expected to make the playoffs that year, so Marc Bergevin sold off some veterans at the trade deadline to get the most draft picks. On February 18, 2020, one month after the trade, Marco Scandella was traded again, but this time to the St. Louis Blues. The Habs obtained a second round pick in 2020 and a conditional fourth round pick in 2021.
Scandella's value had risen considerably during that month, hence the price paid by the St. Louis Blues. At first glance, you can see that Marc Bergevin made a genius trade, but when you look deeper, you realize that it's downright a home run.
Full transaction:
Marco Scandella vs. Second round pick (2020) + Fourth round pick (2021)
Then
Second round pick (2020) vs. second round pick (2021) and fourth round pick (2020)
So the full recap:
Marco Scandella vs Second Round Pick in 2020 and Fourth Round Pick in 2020 and 2021.
*The second round pick in 2020 is now forward Oliver Kapanen
*2020 fourth round pick became forward Sean Farrell
*2021 fourth round pick became defenseman William Trudeau
In Kapanen, Farrell and Trudeau, the CH got their hands on three quality prospects. Getting that much for a guy like Scandella, who has only played 20 games for Montreal, is clearly a masterstroke. However, let's not get too excited, because only time will tell if these youngsters will be able to help the big club one day. However, it is promising.
Sean Farrell, a young American forward, is coming off a stellar season in the USHL. He accumulated a total of 101 points, including 29 goals, in 53 regular season games, and added 10 points in 8 playoff games. He will report to Harvard University next season. He is also often compared to Johnny Gaudreau of the Calgary Flames.
Oliver Kapanen, a young Finnish forward, is known as a good goal scorer. He scored a total of 25 goals in 37 games with the Kalpa U20 team in Finland last season. He also added 5 points, including 3 goals, in 5 games in the Mestis league in the Finnish second division. He is the cousin of Kasperi Kapanen of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
William Trudeau, a left handed defenseman, is very versatile. He is slowly building his offensive game, as he is becoming more and more confident in his abilities on the ice. He collected 31 points, including 8 goals, in 40 games last year with the Charlottetown Islanders in the QMJHL. He maintained an impressive +34 rating along the way. He will be 19 years old next October.
