Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours from the crew at Last Word on Hockey. It’s finally draft day! And with that comes a ton of rumours and teams look to swing deals to move up or back in the draft, as well as move out pieces to better their teams for the present and future. One of those teams is the Montreal Canadiens. In this edition of NHL Rumours, we focus on the Canadiens looking to be aggressive to acquire a top-six forward.
All NHL rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours: Canadiens to be Aggressive Heading into the Draft
Rumour: According to Nick Kypreos on Sportsnet Central, the Canadiens are going to be aggressive in their search for a top-six forward.
Analysis: Kypreos mentions that the Canadiens are going to acquire not one, but potentially two top-six forwards this offseason. This should not be a major surprise, as they had a clear hole in their lineup during the Eastern Conference Final matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, every day, there is a new name listed that the Canadiens are tied to. We’ve already mentioned their interest in Anaheim Ducks centreman Mason McTavish, as well as them circling back on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matthew Knies, however, now Kypreos mentions the likes of Kirill Machernko in Columbus as a potential option for the Canadiens.
Kypreos states that Marchenko, as of now, is a hard no from Columbus. However, never say never, as Montreal could sweeten the pot to obtain his services. Marcheko certainly fits the bill of what the Canadiens need in terms of a winger. A big, right-shot goal scorer to play next to Ivan Demidov. Marchenko is just 25 years old and has one year remaining on his current contract, which pays him $3.85 million per season. He will be due for a major pay increase on his next contract, and something the Canadiens would certainly want to have in their control.
Other Options Available for the Canadiens
Other options have presented themself for the Canadiens to target this offseason. Stefan Rosner has mentioned that the Canadiens have checked in on the availability of Mathew Barzal, while Pierre LeBrun mentioned that they also checked in with the Islanders on Bo Horvat as well as with the Rangers regarding Vincent Trocheck and the aforementioned Machenko. All of these names would be a major upgrade for the Canadiens, and they’ll certainly keep an eye on each of them as the day unfolds.
When looking at Barzal, he is currently locked up until 2031 at $9.15 million per season. Solid cap-hit for the centreman who is coming off a 19-goal, 72-point season. Having him locked up long-term under $10 million is certainly something that suits the Canadiens, as it fits right in with the contracts they currently have on their roster. The other nice thing about Barzal is that he is capable of playing the wing as well. So he can shift over to the wing once prospect Michael Hage is ready to enter the league.
Vincent Trocheck is also another interesting option. Trocheck is 32 years old and has three years remaining at $5.63 million per season. Really nice cap number, which will allow the Canadiens space to acquire more offensive help if they were to acquire Trocheck’s services. Trocheck would be the perfect stopgap to let Michael Hage grow into the player the Canadiens expect him to be, where he could then take over as the number two centre in Montreal once Trocheck moves on. Trocheck is still playing at a high level, scoring 16 goals and 53 points in 67 games with the Rangers last season.
Canadiens On the Verge of Making a Move
With all these rumours swirling, it truly sounds like the Canadiens are on the verge of making a swing. Kypreos mentions that with the Atlantic Division being so aggressive already and the Canadiens not wanting to be a one-and-done team and miss the playoffs this season after already taking that next step with the run they went on this year, the Canadiens are going to have to be aggressive and use some of the assets they compiled during their rebuild. While Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes won’t make a panic move, they’ll continue to scour the market until they find exactly what they need. Which we’re sure will happen this offseason as they look to solidify themselves as a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
Main Photo: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
