The Montreal Canadiens are starting to see their core taking shape. Former first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovksy earned a contract extension after a breakout performance in 2023-24. They did miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024. But Slafkovsky's emergence alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield gives Montreal a solid foundation as they continue their rebuild.
Montreal has others waiting in the wings, as well. David Reinbacher came over to North America this past season after going fifth overall in the 2023 NHL Draft. In 2024, the Canadiens selected Ivan Demidov with the fifth overall pick. Demidov was seen as one of the best players in the entire draft class.
All that said, the rebuild is not over. Montreal has finished dead last in the Atlantic Division in each of the last three seasons. And the Canadiens still don't quite stack up to the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, or Buffalo Sabres. At least, they don't stack up on paper.
The Canadiens are still working through their rebuild despite the progress made. That could see them move some of their veteran players at some point within the next year. With this in mind, here are two Canadiens trade candidates to keep in mind ahead of the 2024-25 season.
Joel Armia is a sneaky trade candidate
Joel Armia was once a top prospect in the NHL. In fact, he was apart of the big Tyler Myers-Evander Kane trade between the Buffalo Sabres and Winnipeg Jets in 2015. However, the former first-round pick has fallen well short of expectations in this league.
That said, Armia did have a very good 2023-24 campaign. The 31-year-old scored a career-high 17 goals with 25 points for the Canadiens. It's his best offensive output since the 30-point season he had in 2019-20. Additionally, he finished with a whopping 9.7 goals above replacement and a 1.6 WAR, according to Evolving Hockey.
Armia had a rough two seasons prior to this year. And a regression offensively would certainly not be shocking. But the Canadiens could sell high on a veteran winger who has shown the ability to score goals. As he is on an expiring contract, Armia is one of a few obvious Canadiens trade candidates entering the 2024-25 season.
David Savard may be made available
The Canadiens signed David Savard back in 2021 to help stabilize their blueline. And to that end, Savard hasn't been a complete failure in Montreal. However, he also hasn't had the greatest time statistically with the Habs.
That said, much like Armia, he had a better 2023-24 season than in years past. He scored six goals and 24 points in 60 games with Montreal. This is his best offensive season since 2015-16 when he put up 25 points with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Savard's value is entirely in the offense that he brings to the table. He had 6.7 offensive goals above replacement in 2023-24, according to Evolving Hockey. However, his defensive goals above replacement were -6.1. Additionally, he had the highest goals against per 60 minutes (3.12) of any Canadiens defender in 2023-24. His defense likely dragged down his WAR (0.1) from this past season.
If Savard can continue putting up points, there will be contending teams who take a chance on him. In saying that, he needs to continue putting up points for that to happen. The Canadiens likely won't get a ton for him in a trade if he is not putting up points around the NHL Trade Deadline in 2024-25.
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