There’s an À Vendre sign on the Montreal Canadiens roster as the team prepares for its first early golf season since the Randy Cunneyworth-led 31-win campaign in 2011-12. Thirteen points out of a playoff spot with six teams to leapfrog, the Habs need to win 22 of their remaining 24 games to get to the 95 points that the second wild card Toronto Maple Leafs had a year ago.
Not happening.
So, as the trade deadline looms, the team has a number of players that could be dealt over the coming days. It’s a time of the year where goal scoring and blueline depth are always in demand, and the Habs have both to offer to contending teams.
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Max Pacioretty
At the top of that list is their captain, Max Pacioretty. The 29-year old is in the midst of a trying season where he’s on pace for 23 goals, the lowest full-season output of his career. He has yet to form chemistry with newcomer Jonathan Drouin, instead spending much of his time playing with Phillip Danault.
Despite those issues, Pacioretty scored 205 goals over the past six seasons, good for sixth-most in the league over that time span. The only other players ahead of him? Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, John Tavares, Joe Pavelski, and Tyler Seguin.
Teams that could be a fit include the Calgary Flames, whose ill-fated signing of Jaromir Jagr has them in need of scoring depth, and the Carolina Hurricanes, who are on the playoff bubble, but seem to be reinvigorated under a new owner and philosophy. Montreal Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin would be wise to ask for a young center in any package for Pacioretty, who is signed through next season at a very reasonable $4.5 million.
Tomas Plekanec
Another Montreal forward available is pending free agent Tomas Plekanec. While he certainly won’t provide scoring depth - his 0.36 points per game is 12th on the league’s 3rd-worst offensive team - he’s still valuable as a checking center. It is also impressive that on a team with a -35 goal differential, Plekanec has an even +/- rating. He’ll likely fetch a draft pick by Monday, with the Pittsburgh Penguins and San Jose Sharks as potential fits, with the Habs likely to eat some of his salary.
Jordie Benn
On the blueline, Jordie Benn is an attractive depth option for playoff-bound teams willing to sacrifice a mid-round draft pick. Signed through next season at $1.1 million, Perhaps Benn is still a serviceable third-pairing option for a team like the Colorado Avalanche, who have recently been hit by injuries to Erik Johnson and Anton Lindholm.