Though the Montreal Canadiens weren’t built to make the playoffs this season, injuries didn’t help their cause and stopped the strong play they had in the first portion of the season. The Canadiens were in an odd spot because they are a bottom-10 team that contended with the salary cap all season. After the below average trade deadline and with contracts expiring in the offseason, there will still be some work to get done involving moving some contracts off the roster. Let’s take a look at three who could be going.
Mike Hoffman
Mike Hoffman was bouncing around all over the Canadiens’ lineup this season as his time in Montreal hasn’t done his career any favours. In his two seasons with the Canadiens, he has his two lowest goals and points in a season of his career. He has spent a lot of time on the third line, but has also been lower in the lineup and even a healthy scratch this season.
A once very prolific goal-scorer and power-play producer has been hampered by the bottom of the league Canadiens and it would benefit both if they could trade him before the final year of his deal. Hoffman has a cap hit of $4.5 million and despite his 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games this season, is known to be a sniper who can score goals. The Canadiens won’t be able to move him without cap retention, but it would still free up some space and room in the lineup for some of their younger players to get playing time.
Christian Dvorak
Christian Dvorak, even with two years left on his deal before he becomes a UFA, is a viable trade candidate for the Canadiens since he does his job and the team has too many better options at center to keep him around. Whether Montreal decides to bring back Sean Monahan for next season, which should be an actual conversation because of the good work he did, the Canadiens have Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach, and Jake Evans.
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Monahan has done better work than Dvorak and would be arguably cheaper to keep around. Evans has proven he can step up into the third line center spot as well. Dvorak has been on the Canadiens for the past two seasons like Hoffman, and similarly, he has also seen a decline in offensive production…from the Arizona Coyotes. Dvorak has a modified no-trade clause starting next season, but it still shouldn’t be too difficult to move him. His cap hit may be a little high to be in a third line center role, but he is still only 27 and could turn things around offensively with a change in scenery.
Joel Edmundson
There were some rumours leading up to the trade deadline this year that Joel Edmundson may be on the move. The Canadins are getting younger, especially on defence with Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj, and Jordan Harris in the NHL along with many more who play the left side in the system. When everybody is healthy, it would be best for Montreal to play the kids as they performed well this season.
Edmundson is a 6-foot-5 defenceman who plays the left side and is ideally placed on the second or third pair. He has a cap hit of $3.5 million AAV that goes through next season, and with a weaker free agency class, more teams could look to the trade market to acquire what they need. The Canadiens should be shopping Edmundson and still have a fair bit of options as he has a 10-team modified no-trade.
