The NHL trade deadline is officially done and dusted, and there’s clearly plenty to talk about. For all their bluster, the St. Louis Blues didn’t actually end up shipping too many of their top players out, whereas the Montreal Canadiens and Minnesota Wild were left a bit disappointed after failing to land their primary targets.
The Canadiens’ chase, in particular, went right down to the wire, but they were ultimately gazumped by the already-rich Colorado Avalanche.
NHL Trade Deadline: Inside Montreal Canadiens’ Failed Chase For Nazem Kadri
Leading up to the trade deadline, all the noise coming out of Montreal was that the franchise wouldn’t force a trade through. If there was an opportunity there for the taking at a reasonable cost, they would pounce. Otherwise, they’d stand pat.
And stand pat they did when everything was said and done.
However, in the witching hour of trade deadline day, the Canadiens were reportedly trying to swing a trade for then-Calgary Flames veteran Nazem Kadri.
Kadri, whose $49 million contract was seen as a roadblock for a number of teams, ultimately ended up being traded to the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs also swung a trade for former Maple Leafs center Nicolas Roy and brought former Oilers veteran defenseman Brett Kulak in last month.
Reporting on the Canadiens’ chase for Kadri, Montreal insider Marco D’Amico had this to say: “Montreal did circle back one last time on Calgary. The dialogue was on with Colorado from the start. The deal was close before, and then the Avs and Flames engaged in a trade call less than an hour before the trade deadline.”
The Flames, of course, retained 20% of Kadri’s $7 million a year contract to do good by their veteran center.
But the Canadiens chose to keep their powder dry for a reason. Montreal GM Kent Hughes made it clear that the Canadiens are not going to hold back when it comes to swinging for the fences.
Montreal seemingly wanted to take a big swing at the deadline and missed, but Hughes remarked that it was a deal that they could still revisit in the summer.
As things stand, it will be status quo in Montreal. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The Canadiens are still a top-10 team in the NHL, but appear to be a year or two away from actually giving the big dogs like Colorado, Minnesota, and Dallas a fight. They also lack a bit of veteran presence down the middle, even though young stars like Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov have made their presence felt early on.
When all is said and done, the Canadiens are well-positioned to make some noise in free agency this summer.
