Canadiens Wrap-Up: Habs Trade Analysis, NHL Draft Lottery

MONTREAL — There’s never a dull moment when it comes to the Montreal Canadiens, but many fans lead a very busy life, meaning it’s not always possible to keep up to date with every news story.

But don’t worry, we’re here to help!

Every Sunday (Monday for today!) we will recap the most exciting and relevant news stories that you may have missed throughout the week.

Monday

• The Montreal Canadiens got some good news at practice today as Joel Edmundson, Kaiden Guhle and Denis Gurianov practiced with the team in San Jose, causing quite a few like changes.  [Joel Edmundson]
• The Canadiens have had their NHL Trade Deadline activity diminished due to untimely injuries, but they do still have some options with veteran Sean Monahan. [Sean Monahan]
• With many buyers striking out on Timo Meier, the Canadiens could be in a strong position leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline.. [NHL Trade Deadline]

Tuesday

• Despite not yet being ready to return to play, the interest in Canadiens veteran defenceman Joel Edmundson ahead of the March 3rd NHL Trade Deadline remains quite high. [Joel Edmundson]
• Gary Bettman announced the NHL would scrutinize any trade involving a player on the long-term injured reserve, which could come into play if the Habs find a suitor for injured forward Sean Monahan [Sean Monahan].
• The Canadiens finally received some good news on the injury front, as defenceman Kaiden Guhle returned to play on Tuesday night against the San Jose Sharks. [Kaiden Guhle]
  
• Guhle and newcomer Denis Gurianov stole the show in the Canadiens’ late-game rally over the San Jose Sharks. [Denis Gurianov]

Wednesday

• The Canadiens were able to secure a deal for the speedy Denis Gurianov on Sunday, but they weren’t the only team in the mix. [Denis Gurianov]
• It’s time for the Canadiens prospect power rankings! Riley Kidney and Sean Farrell battle for the top spot, while Logan Mailloux cracks the top 5 for the first time this season. [Canadiens Prospects]
• The Montreal Canadiens announced they had signed prospect Xavier Simoneau to a well-deserved two-year entry-level contract. [Xavier Simoneau]
• This week’s edition of the Canadiens Mailbag looks at the trade value of Josh Anderson, the latest on Sean Monahan, and some NCAA free agents the Canadiens could sign. [Josh Anderson]

Thursday

• It appears that there is indeed still a market for Montreal Canadiens defenceman Joel Edmundson, but the Tampa Bay Lightning likely aren’t a good fit. [Joel Edmundson]
• It seems like the NHL Trade Deadline came early this year, but that may be both a blessing and a curse for the Montreal Canadiens. [NHL Trade Deadline]
• With the lull in the action, we can take a look at three pressing questions facing Hughes and the Canadiens ahead of the deadline. [Kent Hughes]

Friday

• The Montreal Canadiens made two minor deals on Friday. The first sent Laval Rocket forward Nate Schnarr to the Los Angeles Kings for defenceman Frederic Allard. [Canadiens make minor-league trade]
• They followed up the trade by participating in a three-way deal. Montreal facilitated a trade by acting as salary cap brokers between the San Jose Sharks and the PIttsburgh Penguins in the Nick Bonino deal. They also acquired prospect Adam Engstrom’s defensive partner, 27-year-old Tony Sund. [Canadiens involved in Bonino trade]
• General manager Kent Hughes addressed the media following the deadline, discussing Sean Monahan’s health, among other things. [Hughes gives Monahan update]
• The Canadiens wanted to ‘paper’ three players, which would have allowed them to join the Laval Rocket for a playoff push down the road, but only two of the players were accepted by the NHL. [NHL refuses Barron]

Saturday

• The Montreal Canadiens were not as busy at the deadline as some may have hoped, but general manager Kent Hughes was handcuffed by factors out of his control. [Canadiens’ underwhelming, but understandable deadline]
• Five Habs players are currently signed to expiring contracts: Jonathan Drouin, Sean Monahan, Alex Belzile, Chris Tierney, and Paul Byron. [Canadiens must decide the fate of five UFAs]
• The Canadiens may have more points than the Vancouver Canucks and the Arizona Coyotes, but they’re still in a healthy position to end up lower than them in the standings, which should help their draft lottery odds. [Canadiens schedule beneficial for NHL Draft Lottery]

Sunday

• The Montreal Canadiens may not have been able to trade Sean Monahan at the NHL Trade Deadline, but they could keep him and try again next year. [Sean Monahan]
• By now you’ve surely heard about the exploits of Montreal Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson, and while the highlights have been plentiful, it’s important to view his impressive production with the proper context in mind, because it makes his season look even better. [Lane Hutson]

The Season So Far

If you’d like to go back and comb over some of the biggest news so far this season, here’s a list of each weekly Wrap-Up so far:

Feb 26th – Habs Trade Proposals, NHL Trade Rumours

Feb 19th – Habs Trade Outlook, 2023 Draft Targets

Feb 12th – Habs Likely Trade Chips, Prospects Thriving

Feb 5th – Habs To-Do List, NHL Trade Rumous

Jan 29th – Habs Prospects Take Over, NHL Trade Talk

Jan 22nd – 2023 Draft Plans, NHL Trade Chatter

Jan 15th – Trade Deadline Targets, NHL Trade Rumours

Jan 8th – 2023 Draft Odds, Habs Prospects Traded

Jan 1st – Big 2023 Draft Lottery Odds, 2019 Re-Draft

Dec 25th – Popular Habs In Trade Talks, Xhekaj Fights

Dec 18th – Habs 2023 Draft Gamble, NHL Trade Talk

Dec 11th – Habs Interest In Boeser, Prospects at WJC

Dec 4th – Caufield Extension, Montreal’s Plan For 2023 Draft

Nov 27th – Habs Trade Talk, Monahan’s Growing Value

Nov 20th – Kent Hughes Active, NHL Trade Rumours

Nov 13th – Hughes’ Trade Strategy, Kirby Dach’s Growth

Nov 6th – St-Louis Strategy, Caufield, Slafkovsky

Oct 30th – Habs Trade Talk, Roster Shuffle & Waivers

Oct 23rd – Juraj Slafkovsky Impressing, Xhekaj And More

Oct 16th – Hughes’ LTIR Strategy, Carey Price, Waivers

Oct 9th – Hughes Roster Strategy, Roy, Slafkovsky