Canadiens Trade Bait: Projecting Realistic Deadline Returns

With the NHL’s Trade Deadline set for March 7, 2025, the sword of Damocles is swinging precariously above the Montreal Canadiens.

Okay, that’s a little dramatic, but Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes does have a few decisions to make before the deadline, including whether he’ll sell off some of the team’s expiring assets.

The Canadiens still have a legitimate chance to qualify for a Wild Card spot in the East, as they’re currently just six points behind the New York Rangers. However, thanks to the forced parity in the NHL, the Habs are only six points up on the Buffalo Sabres, who are currently 29th in the league.

The results in the last two weeks have cast a dark shadow over the team’s playoff hopes, a sobering reminder that rebuilding a franchise is a painstaking process that involves many more ebbs than flows, at least in the first few years.

To make matters more interesting, it seems like we’re moving toward a seller’s market this season, as evidenced by the first-round picks included in recent trades.

With that in mind, let’s take a realistic look at the latest batch of Canadiens players that could garner some trade interest between now and the NHL trade Deadline.

Before we get going, while some tend to overvalue players, I almost always go the other way, in an attempt to mitigate some of the bias comes with watching the same players every night. If you feel like I’m undervaluing some Habs players, make sure to let me know in the comments.

Montreal Canadiens Trade Target Players

Joel Armia

Daily Faceoff listed four Habs players on their recent trade-bait board, starting with forward Joel Armia, who was listed 12th overall.

The 31-year-old Finn has scored nine goals and 14 assists in 52 games, and though that doesn’t necessarily sound great, when we even the playing field by evaluating production per 60 minutes of 5v5 ice time, Armia is tied with Jake Evans for fifth among Canadiens players, connoting that he’s been a decent source of secondary offence given his ice time.

He’s also formed a formidable penalty killing duo with Evans.

Short-handed goal for Montreal!

Scored by Joel Armia with 09:25 remaining in the 1st period.

Assisted by Jake Evans.

Anaheim: 0
Montreal: 1#MTLvsANA #FlyTogether #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/fFqxCARfQk

— NHL Goals (@nhl_goal_bot) February 2, 2025

He’s on the last year of a four-year contract that carries a $3.4 million annual average value (AAV), and though some have suggested keeping the dominant fourth-line of Armia, Evans, and Emil Heineman together for the next few years is a wise approach, I’d counter that by saying this will probably be the only time the Canadiens will be able to acquire an asset for Armia, and that Heineman was the main catalyst to Armia and Evans’ successful season. That’s not to say they have no value away from him, but they have faded since the car accident that forced Heineman to the sidelines.

If a team is looking to bolster their depth, Armia is an interesting choice, especially since he’s established himself as a premiere penalty killer in the NHL. That being said, I can’t foresee a situation in which a team offers a quality asset for Armia, even in a seller’s market.

A mid-round pick or a B-level prospect is likely the type of offer Hughes will receive for Armia.

Jake Evans

Here’s what I wrote the last time we discussed Evans’ contract situation:

“It’s not surprising Kent Hughes and Co. are yet to engage in contract talks with Evans. There’s little, if any value in negotiating a contract extension with a player whose shooting rate is roughly three times his career average. And Evans’ 31.3 percent shooting percentage isn’t the only concern from a managerial standpoint.”

That was written on December 30.

Since then, Evans has scored just one goal, and his shooting percentage has dropped to a little over 20 percent. Expect that number to continue to drop between now and the NHL Trade Deadline. I promise I’m not trying to be mean toward the hard-working forward, but even if he’d go without a goal for the rest of the season, his shooting percentage would still end up higher than his career average, the ultimate red flag when discussing a pending free agent.

He’s 28-years-old, which means he’s just about to exit his prime years.

He does great work on the penalty kill, and if he’s used with a skilled winger such as Heineman, you can expect a certain amount of offence, something the Montreal Canadiens cannot scoff at given his usage and the team’s lack of offensive firepower.

However, if a team is willing to part with a first-round pick, the Canadiens do have to strongly consider the offer. After all, we’re talking about a guy who is best suited to play on the fourth line. Rejecting a decent offer, and then giving a player whose shooting percentage is unsustainable a significant raise is the exact type of scenario rebuilding teams should avoid.

Some will argue the Canadiens do not need more draft picks, and while I respect the position, I disagree vehemently. The Canadiens, as well as every team in the NHL, can put draft picks to good use, as they did when they made a trade to secure the Michael Hage draft pick last season.

David Savard

There’s always a market for right-handed defencemen, particularly those who have won a Stanley Cup, such as David Savard.

While it’s easy to understand why the Canadiens enjoy having the veteran in the very youthful locker room, the on-ice results from Savard have been awful, and that’s putting it nicely.

Every single defenceman has struggled while playing alongside Savard, and that includes phenom Lane Hutson, as well as his current partner, Jayden Struble.

ON TOPIC: Finding A Role For Montreal Canadiens Defenceman Jayden Struble

At this point, the on-ice results have clearly overshadowed the off-ice value, even if we consider the Canadiens lack depth on the right side of the ice. He’s negatively impacting the development of the young blue liners, as well.

Of course, the question becomes whether a mid-round pick would be enough to entice the Habs prior to the trade deadline. There’s a slight chance someone may even pony up a decent pick, in the second-round range, but realistically, we’re probably talking about a very mediocre return should the Habs decide trade the 34-year-old defensive stalwart.

Josh Anderson

Speedy forward Josh Anderson was one of the last players listed by Daily Faceoff, likely due to his recent resurgence as a bottom-six player who is willing to work hard despite being given limited ice time.

We have to give full marks to the 30-year-old, as reinventing yourself after spending almost a decade in the league is quite the difficult proposal. He’s on pace to reach roughly 30 points while spending most of his time on the third line, and he’s given a yeoman’s effort every night.

I’m a little surprised to see Anderson’s name listed, but has a style of play that makes him quite attractive to teams that are looking to add size, speed, and some secondary scoring to the mix.

If the Montreal Canadiens can move Anderson without spending additional assets to compensate for the fact that he still has two years left on a rich contract that carries a $5.5 million AAV, they’d be foolish to ignore the opportunity.

I said the same thing in 2022, when Anderson held a lot of value on the NHL’s Trade Market and was sought after by a few teams. The decision not to trade Anderson was a mistake, one that the team cannot afford to repeat should any suitors come calling.

Josh Anderson’s goal tonight (5-3) pic.twitter.com/I4iRrApBSY

— HFTV (@HFTVSports) October 11, 2024