New Canadiens Connection: Habs Trade Fever

The NHL Draft is coming up on Friday and Saturday. Normally, this would be the time when fans of the Montreal Canadiens are debating prospects, comparing scouting reports, and arguing over who the team should select in the first round. And, quite frankly, we’re typically doing the same thing right here on Canadiens Connection in the weeks leading up to the Draft!

But something feels different this year. If you’ve been paying attention to the conversations around Montreal, it almost feels like the draft itself is an afterthought! There isn’t a lot of discussion about who the Canadiens might pick. There isn’t much excitement about which prospect could be available when they’re on the clock. Instead, most of the speculation seems to revolve around one thing: a major trade.

Whether it’s a top-six forward, a top-pairing defenseman, or some other major addition, there seems to be an assumption that the Canadiens won’t even make their first-round selection. That the pick, along with other assets, will eventually become part of a bigger deal.

Now, maybe that’s a sign of how far this organization has come. A few years ago, the focus was entirely on accumulating draft picks and building the prospect pipeline. Today, fans are talking about converting those assets into proven NHL talent.

But is that actually the right move for the Canadiens at this stage? Are expectations for a blockbuster trade getting a little ahead of reality? And if Kent Hughes does decide to move that first-round pick, what should he realistically be looking to get in return? And what would the general manager have to pay to get it?

This Week’s Show

On this week’s episode of the Canadiens Connection podcast, we review the list of possible trade targets, and describe this type of precarious tightrope that the Canadiens are attempting to walk at this stage in their evolution.

NEW PODCAST: NHL Draft Week: Habs Fans Have Trade Fever | Canadiens Connection ep 405

We also discussed these important topics on this week’s episode of the podcast:

Latest mock draft has the Canadiens selecting a power forward in the first round.
A Canadiens prospect is named CHL defenseman of the year.
Which Canadiens players have the most inefficient contracts?

CC Question of the Week: If the Canadiens trade their first-round pick, who is your trade target? And which top prospect would you be willing to part with?

It is our eighth season, with a new episode of the podcast dropping every Saturday afternoon. Be sure to subscribe using your favorite podcast app! Or watch our episodes on YouTube!