Trade Deadline: Canadiens Delicate Situation For Armia & Savard

Darren Dreger discussed potential Montreal Canadiens trades between now and the deadline during his segment on Team 690, mentioning that there’s still a possibility the team may move a player or two, despite the recent contract extension given to Jake Evans.

Evans signed a four-year deal on Tuesday that carries a $2.85 million annual average value (AAV), confirming that not only did the player in question want to remain with the Canadiens, but that the action plan put in place by Kent Hughes has turned the tide of perception when it comes to Montreal as a prime destination in the NHL.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Analysis – Impact Of The Jake Evans Contract Extension

Montreal Canadiens Situation

The contract provides great value and stability to the organization, but it also took their most enticing player from the NHL Trade Market, at a time when it’s clear the market is shifting toward being advantageous to sellers.

The Canadiens are still in the rebuild phase, but they have enjoyed solid stretches this season, providing evidence the team is almost ready to take the next step.

As it stands, they’re just one point outside the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

However, due to the forced parity in the NHL, they’re also in the Draft Lottery conversation.

This puts Hughes and Co. in a somewhat delicate situation. You don’t want to miss an opportunity to maximize asset value, while there’s certainly a need to build on the momentum the Canadiens have established in the last stretch. There’s absolutely value to participating in the playoffs, even if a team barely qualifies.

But there’s also the matter of the Laval Rocket, the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate. They’re one of the top teams in the league, and it would be a shame if the team had to pilfer the roster just to acquire a mediocre draft pick in exchange for one of their veterans.

ON TOPIC: Canadiens Must Keep A Close Eye On The Laval Rocket

Potential Montreal Canadiens Trades

With that in mind, Dreger suggests the Canadiens aren’t necessarily done trading, though his comments are far from a confirmation that there’s an impending trade. Please note that most of his comments were not reports, but rather scenarios he concocted.

“I think that Hughes is positioned to make a good hockey trade.” said Dreger.

He mentioned the possibility of moving a veteran defenceman, such as David Savard, but also stated there’s no indication of what type of return the 34-year-old blueliner would garner.

He then walked the line when it came to describing the team as sellers or buyers at the deadline.

“That possibility exists. But how do you define that as buying or selling?” he said, describing Savard as a key piece of the Canadiens lineup. “There’s considerable interest in him. I look at Winnipeg, and I just mentioned those two players, and there’s a place in my mind. Winnipeg may be a splashy team. They’re certainly willing to spend for the right fit. Those players I just mentioned, I think Winnipeg would love to get in on Savard, if he were available. Winnipeg has good solid prospects that may be able to encouraging something like that.”

The Jets are reportedly more interested in Scott Laughton from the Philadelphia Flyers, or Brock Nelson from the New York Islanders, but if either player does not end up in Winnipeg, Dreger thinks Armia and Savard could be a good fit.

“What about Armia?” asked Dreger. “Maybe they look at a bottom-six player that can play in the top-six if there’s an injury. Once again, Kevin Cheveldayoff is willing to part with assets, and there’s history clearly between Montreal and Winnipeg when it comes to making trades.”

Joel Armia steals the puck shorthanded and scores with a perfect shot. Big goal for the #Habs.

3-2 Red Wings. pic.twitter.com/WSeZtwJCcv

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) December 3, 2023

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Even though it’s clearly a seller’s market, we have to be careful not to be carried away be delusions of grandeur when it comes to the potential returns for Armia and Savard.

Savard is a right-handed defenceman, and he has won a Stanley Cup, which means there may be some value there when it comes to improving depth prior to the playoffs, but realistically, a depth defencemen won’t command a king’s ransom.

Is it worth getting a mediocre draft pick just to move Savard a few months early? Well, the immediate reaction from most would probably be negative, but I’d argue it could be an addition through subtraction, as Savard’s impact on all his defensive partners in the last few years has been awful, to say the least. He’s a fantastic person,  and a great veteran to have around in a locker room, but as the old saying goes, if he’s good in the locker room, keep him there. Every young defenceman who is paired with Savard has a very hard time producing good results, and that has a negative impact on their development.

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The real question is whether trading Savard would disrupt locker room chemistry. There’s certainly a risk there, but I also have faith in the team leadership, which leads me to believe they’d be able to smooth over any locker-room disruptions should Savard be moved.

At 31 years old, Armia is a little younger, and he has the ability to help a team win, as evidenced by his strong work on the penalty kill with Evans, which connotes he may get a better return than Savard. That being said, he’s a bottom-six player who is yet to produce more than 30 points in a season. I don’t foresee a team such as the Jets moving one of their top prospects for half of Montreal’s dynamic penalty-killing duo, and if we’re being perfectly honest, the Habs don’t need another B-level prospect in their system.

We also have to be mindful of the Evans contract extension and what it means to Canadiens management. They’re clearly hoping the team can squeak into the playoffs, and to do so, they’ll need both Evans and Armia on the ice whenever their inevitable lack of discipline rears its ugly head.

Elite sniper Joel Armia!

He steals the puck from Dahlin (!) and rips it by Levi to put the #GoHabsGo on the board with a shorthanded goal. pic.twitter.com/6n1uqUndms

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) January 5, 2024