Montreal Has Attractive Players With Term Left on their Deals
There has been a recent trend over the last couple of seasons in the NHL, especially at the Trade Deadline.
Teams are looking to add players who have term left on their contract, who are more of a controllable asset than someone who is an unrestricted free agent that could leave at the end of the season.
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Even the value of these controllable players has increased. Not to say the value for a UFA rental is not high, it still is, but players with term left on their deals have become more attractive than UFAs.
Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period was on TSN Radio in Montreal and spoke about how David Savard and Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens could be attractive for teams looking to add grit to the backend.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
Host: “Dave, what I’m wondering about is the market for defenseman because David’s Savard’s came back Gustav Lindstrom was scratched. He needs waivers to go back down to the American Hockey League. Jordan Harris, at some point, is going to come back from injury. Struble has been playing so well since he’s been inserted in the Canadiens lineup. Arber Xhekaj is playing with the Laval rocket. And then if you think even further ahead, you know Reinbacher and Hudson and other prospects coming along the way here. If the Canadiens want to make a trade and deal one of their defensemen, what would be the value?
Pagnotta: “Well, I think more so than anything this might be a situation where in terms of hockey type trades it’s difficult to pull off obviously, almost at any point but especially during the season because of all the financials that are involved the cap situations all that un-fun crap that teams have to have to deal with.
So in terms of moving up because you’re right, the cupboard is pretty full with respect to young defensemen in the system and on the roster. So they do have the luxury of being in a position for some other teams that are looking to fill their own cupboards to kind of create deals and package some assets, specifically some of their defenseman as part of a deal to upgrade their forward situation.
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But most of these types of moves are more geared towards your talent for talent type of swaps, packaging, some guys, for a player that is under control, has some years on his contract and can have an impact and say, you know, your mid six or even your top six, but those types of deals typically are more geared towards the offseason for me my curiosity is peaked more so around a guy like Savard who’s coming back with one more year left on his contract.
Teams and we’ve seen this last I say four or five seasons, where some teams are a little bit more interested in looking at at acquiring a player not necessarily on an expiring deal as as a pure rental, but looking at somebody who has an extra year left. So there’s a little bit more control. There’s a little bit more stability in the acquisition. And for some of these teams, they feel like it’s not just this season that they can make a run, but next season as well. So let’s create that familiarity with this player for beyond just this season.
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And I think that’s where a guy like David Savard would certainly come into play with so many teams looking to bring in more defensive minded guys that have a little bit of jam in their game and have that that veteran presence both on and off the ice. I wouldn’t be surprised later and I know we’re hearing Mike Matheson the same kind of out there a little bit. He’s got two more years left on his contract. He has some no trade protection. A local guy is so good in the room and helping along with these young kids. I think we may start to hear more of David Savard as the season progresses, and much less of Mike Matheson.”
