The next NHL trade deadline is March 7. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes will have important decisions to make between now and then, particularly if the Canadian continues his good momentum. Who will leave Montreal? Who will stay… at the risk of leaving in the summer?
Jake Evans, 28 ans.
The fiery center player will most likely be the element most in demand for the Habs. He is having the best season of his career, showing defensive efficiency while putting points on the board. Thanks to his performances, he risks fetching up to $4M per season, if not more, with his next contract. If it’s not in Montreal, it will be elsewhere.
So what do we do? Playoff race or not, I’m keeping Jake Evans in Montreal… on one condition! Gorton and Hughes will have to be confident that they will be able to come to an agreement with him for a few years, preventing him from testing the free agent market. I would personally be willing to give three to five years and up to $3.8M per year to the right-handed forward. If the two clans are still far from an agreement as the deadline approaches and the Canadian moves away from the playoffs, bye bye!
Note that Jake Evans is having a more difficult period offensively in recent weeks. As colleague Simon from TSLH pointed out to me, he still hasn’t blackened the scorecard in 2025! That gives him a streak of eight games without collecting a single point.
David Savard, 34 ans.
Since his debut with the Habs in 2021-22, nothing to say about the work of David Savard. He has obviously been an excellent mentor to young people and continues to be so. I like to talk about culture and the Quebecois is no stranger to what is happening with the Canadians currently. Really not.
However, I believe that, regardless of Montreal’s position in the standings as March 7 approaches, it would be preferable to send Savard elsewhere. At 34 years old, the veteran is losing momentum, but remains the type of player that a team that wants to go all the way will pay a high price. If a first round pick is on the table, you take it and run, in my humble opinion.
Nothing will prevent Savard, even if it’s a bit of magical thinking I agree, from re-signing with Montreal on July 1st. It’s not something very common, but for a Quebecer at the end of his career like the right-handed defender, I think the possibility is real.
Joel Armia, 31 years old.
For years, I have made a habit of coming to Joel Armia’s defense. In the right chair, he’s a player every NHL team would want. I am convinced of it. This is why I would keep the Finn in Montreal if he wants to remain a member of the Bleu-Blanc-Rouge for a few years.
-8 goals, 20 points, differential of +5 while playing a little less than 15 minutes per game, especially on the numerical disadvantage… perfect player for the depth of a club! That being said, I believe that teams contender could be aggressive in the Armia case. If so, Gorton and Hughes will obviously have to listen. But if he wants to stay for 2-3 seasons at around $2.8M per year, let him stay!
Christian Dvorak, 28 ans.
Here I must say that I am a little indifferent. If a team wants a center player, I wouldn’t ask for the moon. At the same time, Dvorak can remain a depth piece until the end of the 2024-25 season before exploring his options next July. I wouldn’t trade him for a common 5th round pick, for example, but I wouldn’t be greedy either.
And outside of future free agents…
Obviously, future unrestricted free agents are often the most likely to change addresses as the trade deadline approaches. This is why I wanted to focus on the Evans, Savard, Armia and Dvorak files above. I’m not talking about Michael Pezzetta, because I would place him on waivers almost hoping that another team claims him…
Outside of these few names, who could be available from the Canadian? Cayden Primeau, who is having good times with the Laval Rocket, could perhaps bring home a late pick. If the demand is there for Mike Matheson, the CH staff could listen, but I would be very surprised to see the Quebecer change address before the 2025 draft at the earliest. A change of scenery for Kirby Dach? I’d be surprised to see Gorton and Hughes give up on him already.
Conclusion: I expect the next few weeks to be very quiet for the Canadian in terms of transactions. Perhaps improvements à la Alexandre Carrier, but no more than that. Everything will also depend on the progress of the negotiations in the Evans and Armia cases. My priority would be to maximize the value of David Savard, quite simply. The rest of the work will be done at the draft in June!
In the meantime, let’s enjoy the next few weeks which promise to be exciting for the Canadian. Particularly considering that by the end of the 2024-25 season, the CH will compete according to the Tankathon site the 9th easiest schedule of the entire Bettman circuit! Does it smell like series?
