July 2, 2023
The opening day of free agency for the Montreal Canadiens went as expected, defined more by who left than who was added. The trade of Joel Edmundson was the biggest move of the day.
Edmundson was dealt to the Washington Capitals for third and seventh round picks in 2024. Montreal retained 50% of Edmundson’s contract, thereby freeing up $1.75M in cap space. The deal also meant they freed up a roster spot for a crowded group of defenders. From here, Kent Hughes may try to add a right shot veteran defender on the cheap, but he may also choose to run this D group and just wait for their kids to mature.
We know this is not the defense group that will be on the ice when the Canadiens are contenders again. If all goes as planned, we will need to insert both Lane Hutson and David Reinbacher, and perhaps Logan Mailloux into this mix. But for now, this crew works.
The Return
At the beginning of last season I predicted the Habs would acquire another first round draft pick at the trade deadline in exchange for Joel Edmundson. The prediction was a good one, since that’s exactly what Hughes tried to do as the season progressed.
Unfortunately, potential suitors know exactly how many games Edmundson has played in the last couple of years. They know about his chronic back issues, and the extent to which his effectiveness on the ice has been tempered when he is actually able to play. An early round pick had become a long shot and, if this season went anything like the last two, holding out for a better return might turn on them and leave them getting nothing for the big man.
The most important return for Hughes in this deal was the roster spot and a little breathing room on the cap. He accomplished both, while also getting a mid and late round pick, and that’s a very good outcome.
The identity shift
Three summers in a row former GM Marc Bergevin added a stay at home defenseman. In 2019 he signed Ben Chiarot to a 3 X 3.5M contract. In 2020 he signed Joel Edmundson to the exact same deal. In 2021 he signed David Savard to a contract with the same AAV, but with an extra year. Bear in mind that the Habs already had a stay at home defender in Shea Weber.
As I’ve written many times before, if you ice too many stay at home defenseman you will find yourself staying at home a lot. That has, unfortunately, been the reality for the Habs.
Hughes has been gradually shifting this identity. At last year’s trade deadline, Chiarot was moved for a first rounder that became part of the package for Alex Newhook last week. He also dealt Artturi Lehkonen for Justin Barron, a modern-day puck-moving defenseman.
So far this summer, Hughes drafted David Reinbacher, who fans have erroneously labelled a stay at home defender. Reinbacher is a smooth skating, responsible defender with a strong breakout pass who knows how to get pucks through to the net and isn’t afraid to step up into the offense, but without leaving the blue line vulnerable. A two-way defender with top-pair upside is a country mile in a blizzard away from the guys Bergevin signed.
Now, with the Edmundson trade, another stay at home defender has moved on, and with him the “staying at home a lot” identity has shed another layer. When I get around to writing predictions for next season, I will predict that Savard is moved at this coming trade deadline and the Bergevin D identity will finally give up the ghost.
The leadership shift
Some have suggested that with such an uninspiring return on the trade that the Habs should have retained Edmundson for his leadership. I find this take a bit of a puzzle – it’s hard to be a strong leader when you’re missing so much ice time. Certainly he was present and the kids loved him, and no one should diminish the leadership role Eddie played. But this trade freed up more than a roster spot – it also freed up a leadership opportunity.
It’s time for leadership to transition to the new group.
The Habs still have a ton of veteran leaders. Gallagher, Matheson, Anderson and Savard, and many others, remain on the roster to support the kids. It was time, and it will be fine.
The Trade in the Context of Day 1
Aside from some additions for Laval, the only other changes the Habs experienced on the opening day of free agency is a couple of other veterans moving on.
Jonathan Drouin wound up where everyone predicted he would. I’m not sure about it. Yes, there is the familiarity of Nathan MacKinnon, and that may help with the transition. Is the hope that he will play top line and excel there next to his old pal? Perhaps that works, and I wish him well toward that end. I do find myself wondering how long it takes Jo to shift to wondering about his own trajectory when he’s earning 6.5% of what MacKinnon makes.
Either way, another Bergevin error has been dispensed of and Habs fans can move on.
Alex Belzile also moved on yesterday. He’s looking for a bigger role than Hughes could commit to with a crowded forward group and kids knocking on the door. Belzile fetched a two-year, one-way contract from the Rangers and you can’t blame him for pouncing on that. We probably would have blamed Hughes if he handed out that same contract.
Belzile has earned this opportunity, and with his departure another veteran presence moves on.
Habs news will probably be scarce for the next couple of weeks. Cap space is minimal and Hughes prefers to not place Price on LTIR during the off-season. He will try to offload more cap before making further deals, but that will have to wait until the UFA market dries up a little.
Hab At Her 