As the Montreal Canadiens enter the fourth year of their rebuilding process, young forwards are ready to graduate to the National Hockey League.
Here, we are thinking of names like Emil Heineman, Alex Barré-Boulet, Joshua Roy, and without a doubt, Oliver Kapanen. (who was absolutely incredible yesterday in Brossard)
According to TFP, this congestion could lead Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to trade an older forward before the season begins.
If they are naming them, we can conclude that these are three players available on the trade market in Montreal, and three players who could realistically be traded within the next few weeks.
Christian Dvorak, 28 years old, is entering the final year of his six-year contract, earning him $4.45 million annually. According to them, he could certainly interest a contending team as a depth piece.
Joel Armia, 31 years old, is also entering the final year of a four-year contract, earning him $3.4 million annually. He was waived last season but had a strong 2023-2024 season, making things different this time around.
Finally, Josh Anderson, 30 years old, is signed at $5.5 million annually through 2027.
In short, Kent Hughes will have an interesting challenge to handle in the coming weeks, especially if young players like Oliver Kapanen force the Canadiens to include them in the regular lineup to start the season.
And you, which of these three players would you trade first?
Personally, I would keep Armia for now, but I wouldn't hesitate to trade Christian Dvorak before the start of the season.
As for Josh Anderson, even though his attitude is outstanding and he is well-liked as an individual, if Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton have an opportunity to trade his contract, I believe they must, unfortunately, take it.
Clearly, there could be action soon in Montreal and on the trade market, especially with a team like the Columbus Blue Jackets that absolutely need to acquire a forward (ideally with a high salary).
In fact, on that note, we've had an announcement from General Manager Don Waddell regarding the acquisition of a forward:
Rest assured, the Habs are watching them closely, especially now that communication channels are open between the two organizations for a trade.
POLL | ||
Would you trade Josh Anderson for a 7th-round pick? | ||
Yes | 249 | 34.5 % |
No | 473 | 65.5 % |
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