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

Marco Scandella

The whole reason the Montreal Canadiens traded for defenseman Marco Scandella was so they could potentially flip him at the trade deadline. So yeah, it would be a bit shocking if they didn’t trade him.

Since Scandella will be a UFA after this season, it makes very little sense to keep him around. But once you factor in the Canadiens’ already crowded blueline and that top prospect Alexander Romanov will likely be on the NHL roster next season, trading Scandella makes all the sense in the world. They gave up a fourth-round pick for Scandella, so one can assume the Canadiens would like to at least get that back.

In 40 games this season, the former Buffalo Sabres and Minnesota Wild defenseman has nine points. Scandella is averaging 19:22 of ice time per game in Montreal. He has a plus-minus rating of +7 and he’s proven himself to be quite reliable on the penalty kill.

Stanley Cup contenders are usually looking for defensive depth at this time of the season. Scandella is a capable defenseman who would slide in nicely on a lot of third pairings and can even play up on the second pairing with the right partner.

I believe if the Canadiens are willing to retain part of Scandella’s salary, they shouldn’t have much trouble getting a fourth-round pick back for him. Heck, they might even get a third-round pick back for him if they play their cards right.