Canadiens have a few weeks to decide the trade deadline plans
TSN: Pierre LeBrun on TSN noted that the Montreal Canadiens had their pro scouting meetings yesterday. The week of the 20th they have their bye week, and then there is the All-Star break. That is when they could decide how they’ll approach the trade deadline.
“Have they made hay in the six games that they have between now and then as far as getting back into the playoff race? If not, then it will be time to start selling pieces.
By the way, one interesting piece could be Ilya Kovalchuk, who they just got off the scrap heap for $700,000. He’s looked OK so far. It’s early returns but if he keeps it up, could be a player they flip along with a few others, before the trade deadline.”
Penguins looking to move Galchenyuk, and as well as finding a top-six winger
TSN: Pierre LeBrun on TSN said the plan is for the Pittsburgh Penguins to trade forward Alex Galchenyuk, and they’ve already started trade talks.
“I think the Penguins in return would look for either a draft pick or a bottom-six forward because that’s where he’s playing right now. He’s essentially a fourth liner. It’s not a good fit for his skillset to be in that role. For whatever reason, it hasn’t worked out in Pittsburgh and the Penguins certainly could move him between now and the 24th.”
TSN: Bob McKenzie said the Penguins top priority is to find someone who could help replace the injured Jake Guentzel – a winger to play with either Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin.
“Now they have the available cap space, $6 million a year with Guentzel gone but obviously they need to make a commitment to spend those $6 million on a real player.
Everybody assumes that the Penguins are going to dip into the winger rental market with names like Chris Kreider and Tyler Toffoli being premiere amongst those possibilities but I think general manager Jim Rutherford is also looking at the possibility of making “the old hockey trade”, that is trading for players with term, trading players off his roster, doing whatever is necessary to get that top six forward and I think he’d like to do it sooner rather than later. He likes to shop early before the deadline and I think that’s the priority right now.”
