The Canadiens Completed a Trade That Cost Them Big and Turned Into a Huge Overpay
I wondered if the trade for Christian Dvorak, made by the Canadiens in 2021, was a good idea. At the time, the Hurricanes presented Jesperi Kotkaniemi with a $6.1 million offer sheet, and Marc Bergevin chose to let him go.
In return, the Canadiens received two draft picks, one in the 1st round and one in the 3rd round.
But Bergevin didn't stop there.
He traded the 1st-round pick and another 2nd-round pick (in 2024) to acquire Dvorak.
At first, it seemed like a good plan to replace the loss of Kotkaniemi.
However, since arriving in Montreal, Dvorak has never been the player they hoped for. He has never surpassed 33 points in a single season.
In my opinion, that's not enough considering the price the Canadiens paid.
A trade that cost the Montreal Canadiens dearly, including a 2nd-round pick that could have been very valuable in the 2024 draft
The 1st-round pick turned into Filip Bystedt, a forward who could become a solid player.
Other interesting players like Jiri Kulich were also available in that draft.
The 2nd-round pick, now with the Jets, turned into Alfons Freij, a young defenseman who could develop further.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens used their 3rd-round pick to draft Adam Engstrom, who appears to be a promising defenseman.
But imagine if they had kept those picks and drafted players like Kulich or even Cole Hutson.
I think that would have been really exciting for the team's future.
For me, Dvorak has to show a lot more to say that the Canadiens won this trade.
There's still time, but it's hard not to think about what they could have had instead.
