We have arrived at a particularly exhilarating moment of the NHL season. Teams across the league are scrambling for last-minute upgrades to keep playoff aspirations alive before the Olympic trade freeze takes over. The Montreal Canadiens are no exception.
The Habs’ season kicked off strong; the team put up one dominating performance after another in October and quickly regained its composure in December after a lukewarm November. A win is almost certainly necessary after two consecutive losses, and that is the Habs’ priority right now. Now is also the moment when Kent Hughes will look to address any significant roster gaps and optimize the team to make it truly playoff-worthy.
Insider Weighs in on the Montreal Canadiens’ Two Major Problem Areas in the Lineup
When one looks at the Canadiens right now, it makes sense for them to believe that what the team needs most desperately right now is a goalie. However, to Marco D’Amico, the team needs to urgently fill its need for a right winger at the top line and a number-two center. According to D’Amico, the Habs must address this as a priority; if not through trade, then the solution must emerge from within the existing roster.
“There’s two major areas of need today that need to be addressed either internally or via trade. And that is top line, right wing, and that is number two centre,” D’Amico stated during a recent episode of the Starr & D’Amico Show.
The insider also stated that while it is alright to look to the team to solve these issues, ideally, Hughes should try to acquire a versatile player via trade: one who can seamlessly play left, right, and even centre.
“Like if they feel like either Kapanen or Michael Hage is the number two centre of the future, fine, but then you have to address who’s going to be playing on that top line long term. If the idea is to have Slafkovsky on the second. And so this is why I believe a hockey trade for a player that could be versatile, that could play left, right, potentially even centre, is probably where the Canadians are at here when it comes to trying to find a player to add,” D’Amico added.
D’Amico further explained that the St. Louis Blues have options like Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou who could interest the Habs. In return, the Blues, who are teetering on the verge of a retool, would want young players, which the Habs are well-positioned to offer. “If the Canadians really did feel like it was time to pull the trigger, that’s a team 100% all day, every day, since the beginning of the summer that I could see them being linked to,” the insider commented on the subject of a potential Blues-Canadiens trade development.
D’Amico also believes that the Columbus Blue Jackets are another team whose partnership with the Habs would make adequate sense.
The NHL community has arrived at a fascinating juncture of the season, and anticipation around the moves of not just the Habs, but of every team in the league, has reached a fever-pitch.
