Following their appearance in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens underwent a roster overhaul. Almost exactly one year after their cup final appearance, the Habs picked first in the NHL draft, selecting Juraj Slafkovský. Now the Candiens have Ivan "Demidragov" on the team (Rocky IV, anyone) and seem poised to be a perennial contender.
The Habs are a team the Penguins should contact this offseason to improve their team.
While the Candiens are in the playoffs now, they also have a treasure trove of young players and draft capital that every other team in the league should envy. Now that the Habs have tasted the playoffs, they can cash in on some of those future draft picks or young prospects and acquire some players that will help them immediately. Luckily for them, the Penguins are a team that has some players who will help them immediately.
Why would the Habs do this?
Patrik Laine is a complex player to analyze. When he was in Winnipeg, he was a borderline star player, then he was traded to Columbus, and his career semi-derailed, and he was traded, in addition to a second-round pick this offseason, in a salary dump. Laine still has a laser for a shot and strikes fear on the powerplay.
Unfortunately, Laine is also a headache off the ice, and he was benched in the third period of game two versus Washington and has been scratched in the last two games. His time in Montreal appears to be over, and they would happily replace him with Rikard Rakell.
Now the compensation seems excessive, but there is a caveat. In this trade, the Penguins will absorb the entirety of Laine's $8.7 million contract, which frees up $3.7 million in cap for the Canadiens. In exchange, the Candiens will relinquish one of their two first-rounders this year, a first-round pick next year, and one of their two seconds this year.
Rakell would fit nicely on the Canadiens' second line with Christian Dvorak and presumably Ivan Demidov. Rakell is coming off his best year of his career and is under contract until 2028. Rakell would give the Candiens another scoring option and can fill in on their top powerplay unit in the case of injury and be a legit option on their second unit.
Why would the Penguins do this?
After the Penguins agreed to mutual part ways with head coach Mike Sullivan, they are heading towards a roster shakeup. Dealing Rakell for several high picks would kickstart the rebuilding process, or they can use the picks to acquire other players.
Acquiring Laine is also not an issue; the Penguins will have plenty of cap space for his contract, and Laine is also in the last year of his deal before he becomes a UFA in 2026. If he plays well for the Pens this year and finds his form, great! He could then be signed for a cheaper deal in 2026; he is only 27 years old. If he plays bad or is a headache, the Penguins can bury him in the minors or scratch him until the season ends and let him walk in free agency.
"To be or not to be, that is the question" Hamlet uttered while contemplating his life. For the Penguins, they need to ask themselves a question: how long do they realistically think it will take before they are contending again? If the answer is more than three years, they really need to consider moving on from Sidney Crosby. I know that sounds like treason, and I feel dirty writing this but all good things come to an end at somepoint.
If the Penguins want to set the table for future success, this is a course they should consider, and Montreal is ripe with draft capital and young prospects. The Penguins would never consider trading Sid unless it was for an absolute haul and this is quite a haul.
Mailloux is a young defender who is potentially expendable because the Canadiens also have 2023 fifth overall pick David Reinbacher on an entry-level contract. Dach is a 23-year-old center who was drafted third overall in 2019 by the Blackhawks. His time with Montreal has not worked out, but he is promising and worth taking a flyer on. The picks will also help ensure the future of the Penguins, and since Montreal has two first-rounders this year, they would be more than willing to trade one for Sidney Crosby.
Would Sid agree to this?
That is the million-dollar question. Sid has made it known he wants to stay in Pittsburgh and play his entire career for one organization. Would he want to play for Montreal? Honestly, no idea. I do not have his phone number, so I cannot give you a definitive answer, even if he responded to me, which he probably wouldn't.
This is all speculation, but Crosby might consider playing for Montreal. Why? He is Captain Canada, and the prospect of playing for a Canadian team to end his career might be appealing. His favorite team growing up? The Montreal Canadiens, the same team that drafted his father in 1984.
Crosby is a god in Canada. If he ran for Prime Minister tomorrow, there is a chance he would get elected. If he could bring Montreal its first title since 1993 and the first championship for a Canadian NHL team since 1993 (assuming a Canadian team does not win it this year), he would be immortalized.
Again, this is all speculation, and if Sid says no, then you cannot trade him. Furthermore, Sid has earned the right to finish his career how he wants to. If that is in Colorado with Mackinnon ( I can already feel Paul Bisionnette doing voodoo magic to make this happen), you have to let him go there. However, I think he would seriously consider playing for Montreal, and they are also the team that would provide the best package for Sid, although it is hard to determine what fair value would be for him.