Montreal Canadiens: Top 5 players they should trade at the deadline

The Montreal Canadiens will most likely be sellers at the 2020 NHL trade deadline. Here’s a look at three players they should consider trading.

Last season, the Montreal Canadiens didn’t make the playoffs despite picking up 96 points, which was more than three teams in the Western Conference who made the postseason. This gave them hope for the 2019-20 season. Unfortunately, this season hasn’t gone as planned for the Canadiens.

They’ve had two separate losing streaks of at least eight games and will enter the All-Star break 10 points out of a coveted spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canadiens will have to decide whether they want to be buyers or sellers. This is an easy choice, as the latter is the clear answer.

Even if the Canadiens add to their roster, it won’t make them any less flawed. Sure, adding Ilya Kovalchuk has undeniably helped them. But they’re still not close to being a playoff team. Ergo, the Habs will likely listen to offers for several of their players as the trade deadline approaches.

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Which players should the Canadiens be listening to offers for? Who should they trade? Here’s a look at three players the Canadiens should trade, or at least entertain offers for, by the NHL trade deadline on February 24.

Tomas Tatar

If the Canadiens are going to be sellers, they need to listen to offers for just about anyone. Yes, that includes Tomas Tatar, who has been brilliant for the Canadiens this season. Entering the All-Star break, he leads the team in goals (17), assists (26), and points (43), as well as power play goals (7).

Tatar has one year left on his deal after this one, so the Canadiens shouldn’t be in a rush to trade him. They can always revisit a trade in the offseason or wait until next season if they can’t work out an extension. That said, Tatar is their only roster player who would fetch a significant return in a trade. Refusing to listen to offers for him would be negligent. Trading him for anything less than a huge return would be negligent as well.

Ilya Kovalchuk

Nobody batted an eye when the Montreal Canadiens signed Ilya Kovalchuk after he was released by the Los Angeles Kings. Many thought he was washed up. But since joining the Canadiens, Kovalchuk has revived his game, putting up eight points in eight games. By comparison, he had nine points in 17 games this season with the Kings.

The Canadiens signed Kovalchuk to a deal worth $700,000, which is the league minimum. Considering a ton of contenders don’t have much cap space, Kovalchuk is someone that teams could definitely be interested in. Especially if he keeps looking as impressive as he has with the Canadiens.

Anything the Canadiens get for Kovalchuk would be a net gain. After all, they signed him for just the league minimum. A second-round or third-round pick seems reasonable, though. The latter is more likely, though if Kovalchuk maintains or at least stays close to his current point per game pace with the Canadiens, the former is certainly not out of the question.

Eric Engels of Sportsnet believes the Canadiens should hold out for a second-round pick, and I agree with him. The Habs aren’t short on draft picks, nor are they deprived of prospects. Kovalchuk seems very happy with the Canadiens, so it wouldn’t shock me at all if they sign him to an extension if they don’t trade him. And even if they do, don’t be shocked if he signs with Montreal in the summer.

Nick Cousins

Now we’re getting into the more likely players to be traded. Tatar likely won’t be traded unless some team offers a first-round pick and either a top prospect or a young player ready to contribute in the NHL. Kovalchuk might be traded, but it wouldn’t surprise me if the Canadiens elect to keep him. I would be surprised if the Canadiens don’t trade Nick Cousins.

Cousins has been a bit of a Swiss-Army knife for the Habs this season. He’s filled in all over the lineup, though he’s most often used on the third or fourth line. In 44 games this season, Cousins has 16 points, which isn’t too shabby considering he averages under 14 minutes per game. That’s tied for 17th among forwards with less than 14 minutes of average ice time and at least 40 games played.

Moreover, Cousins has proven himself to be quite versatile. He’s a capable option on the penalty kill, even if the Canadiens don’t really use him much there. Cousins is also useful on the power play, as he’s averaging nearly two minutes per game there with the Canadiens this season. Also, he’s amassed at least 70 PP minutes in three of his last four seasons.

While Cousins likely won’t fetch the Canadiens more than a fourth-round pick, trading him would make sense because their lineup is starting to get a bit crowded. Why not trade a surplus forward who could be useful for a contender?

Nate Thompson

As I mentioned earlier, the Montreal Canadiens lineup is a bit crowded. Trading Nate Thompson would help clear things up. As great of a leader as he has been for the Canadiens, he’s taking a spot in the lineup that could be occupied by Ryan Poehling or one of their other impressive prospects in the AHL.

Thompson has just 10 points in 50 games so far this season. However, he’d be an upgrade to many teams’ fourth line. Thompson is terrific in the faceoff circle, where he has won 54.1% of his faceoffs, which ranks in the top 30 among forwards who have taken at least 400 faceoffs. He can also kill penalties and is one of the Canadiens’ most trusted shorthanded forwards, as he averages over two minutes per game there.

Most importantly, his contract is cheap. Thompson has a cap hit of just $1 million, so he could be appealing for contending teams who are tight against the salary cap, but are still looking to make an upgrade. He wouldn’t get the Canadiens that much in a trade, but trading him would open up a regular spot for a younger player.

Expect the Canadiens to get at best a fifth-round pick for Thompson. But as they say, something is better than nothing.