Canadiens may break rivalry taboo in trade deal with Maple Leafs

The Canadiens and Maple Leafs making a commercialized sounds unlikely. These bitter rivals person completed conscionable 3 trades since 2000. Yet circumstances heading into the March 6 deadline could softly propulsion some organizations toward breaking that taboo.Montreal sits 2nd successful the Atlantic Division with 72 points done 58 games. The playoff propulsion continues for GM Kent Hughes, who wants calculated reinforcement without sacrificing semipermanent assets. And Toronto, with 63 points successful 57 games, mightiness conscionable beryllium what the Canadiens need.

Maple Leafs Could Pivot to Selling To Recover From Disastrous Season

The Maple Leafs look captious decisions done the last weeks earlier the deadline. Their nine-point shortage is not insurmountable, but continued struggles could unit absorption to pivot toward selling pending unrestricted escaped agents alternatively than chasing a playoff spot.Calle Järnkrok, Scott Laughton, Bobby McMann and Troy Stecher each go unrestricted escaped agents connected July 1. None are franchise-altering players, but each offers extent and playoff versatility that contenders covet successful March. Järnkrok provides reliable two-way play anyplace successful the lineup, portion Laughton brings grit and leadership. McMann adds a secondary scoring punch. Historical rivalry makes trades betwixt these clubs difficult.

The Maple Leafs acquired Doug Gilmour from Montreal for a sixth-round prime successful 2003. Toronto obtained Mikhail Grabovsky for Greg Pateryn and a second-round prime successful 2008. The Canadiens sent Tomas Plekanec and Kyle Baun to Toronto for Kerby Reichel, Rinat Valiev and a second-round prime successful 2018. Three trades successful implicit 2 decades amusement however seldom these rivals behaviour business. No GM wants to acquisition a rival a playoff difference-maker. But pending unrestricted escaped agents correspond antithetic hazard levels than halfway pieces with presumption remaining connected contracts.

But Montreal acquiring 1 oregon 2 seasoned extent players fits perfectly with their competitory window. The Canadiens are not successful win-now-at-all-costs mode but privation to fortify a young halfway without disrupting semipermanent plans. Adding playoff-tested extent for tenable prices makes strategical sense.Toronto recouping mid-round picks oregon extent prospects for players who mightiness locomotion successful July represents logical plus management.

A third-round prime oregon young imaginable from Montreal could beryllium much invaluable than keeping a pending unrestricted escaped cause done a mislaid spring.The commercialized deadline arrives astatine 3 p.m. ET connected March 6, pursuing the Olympic roster frost that ends February 22. Teams person 2 weeks aft the Olympics to finalize deals. Montreal resumes play connected February 26 against Ottawa, portion Toronto returns February 25 versus Boston.Rivals seldom cooperate, but worth alignment could nutrient a quiescent deadline woody that looks insignificant successful March but feels important erstwhile the playoffs begin. If Toronto wants to ascent from their seventh-place to a wildcard position, a commercialized mightiness beryllium the cardinal aft all.