by Gregorio Lentini, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

The Canadiens fooled me.

When Montreal beat Detroit 10-1 on December 2nd to win their fifth straight game, I thought they were finally going to turn the season around. Granted, their five wins were not against very tough competition, but they were playing fast, coordinated and productive hockey. I had hope that they could claw their way up the Atlantic division.

Even when they lost to St. Louis, they climbed back from a 3-1 deficit and lost on a fluke goal. Otherwise, the game was not a blowout by any means. To me, it was an acceptable loss to one of the best teams in the NHL. I was not devastated.

It was only when the Habs showed no drive while they led the Calgary Flames 2-1 that I started to worry. Eventually, they lost a ‘winnable’ game thanks to an unconvincing, concluding performance. Knowing that the team’s most creative forward, Jonathan Drouin, was still injured, I bit might tongue and held onto hope.

Then, with an (apparently) healthy Drouin, Shea Weber and Carey Price all playing, the Habs lost a blowout game against the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. They let in quick goals while looking confused and deflated. For me, this is when panic started to settle in.

There is still more than sixty percent of the season left to play, but the Habs have played enough hockey to show that, even with players like Price, Weber, Drouin, Max Pacioretty and Alex Galchenyuk, this current roster is just not good enough.

It’s time to start discussing potential trades.

As I have mentioned in previous articles, I do not believe that rebuilding is the answer. This is why I came up with few suggestions which I think can right the ship and salvage the season.

Let’s be crystal clear. These are not rumours. They are only my personal musings of moves that, in my opinion, could help the team.

Alex Galchenyuk for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins

Whether you agree with the decision or not, Galchenyuk has fallen (or plummeted) out of favour with head coach Claude Julien. The common theme is that Galchenyuk refuses to engage himself along the boards. He doesn’t compete to win puck battles even though he has the ability to do so. Playing gritty may not be his skill set, but it appears that the Canadiens coaches see Galchenyuk’s problem as a lack of effort.

That being stated, he has a fantastic set of offensive skills. Galchenyuk can move the puck with ease and has a lethal shot. In other words, he still has a lot of value on the market. Since he has not made his mark on two of the Habs’ head coaches (Michel Therrien and Julien), it’s time to trade him before his values drops.

I think a good partner would be the Edmonton Oilers.

Despite having phenomenal forwards like Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Jesse Puljujärvi, the Oilers sit at the bottom of the league. They have incredible depth at the center position, but after having traded stellar wingers Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle, they could use additional help on the wing.

With McDavid’s 12.5 million dollar contract and Draisaitl’s nine million dollar contract kicking in next year, the Oilers are going to be right against the cap ceiling. Even if the cap increases to the reported 80 million dollars, they still have to give new contracts to players like Ryan Strome, Darnell Nurse and Drake Caggiula. In other words, they need to save money.

This is why I suggest that the Habs make a deal centering on Galchenyuk for Nugent-Hopkins.

Considering Nugent-Hopkins has been improving his game lately, the Habs may have to sweeten the deal with a prospect. However, the main pieces would be Alex and Ryan.

In this scenario, the Habs would fix their center issue. They would get a young and defensively sound center. Nugent-Hopkins also has three 50-point seasons under his belt while playing for the floundering Oilers, which proves his offensive upside. Meanwhile, the Oilers get a swift and talented winger to play alongside McDavid. I see this trade as a win for both teams looking to turn their seasons around.

Charlie Lindgren, Michael McCarron and a 1st round pick for Ryan O’Reilly

The Buffalo Sabres are second-last in the NHL. They have trying to climb up the standings for years. When they drafted Jack Eichel, it looked like their fortunes would turn. It turns out they haven’t.

Their season looks just about lost so there is likely a strong desire to sell every notable piece (except Eichel) and recommence the rebuild. This is why I think the Habs should make a package of picks and prospects to get Ryan O’Reilly.

It has already been reported that O’Reilly’s name has come up in trade conversations. This makes sense considering he is a strong center who has scored, or was on pace for, at least 55 points in every season since 2011. He is also only twenty-six, meaning he has a lot of hockey left in him.

The cost to acquire O’Reilly will not be cheap. This is why I think the Habs will have to give up Charlie Lindgren, Michael McCarron and a 1st round pick.

Lindgren has proven that he has what it takes to make it in the NHL; however, as I’ve mentioned in a previous article, the Habs’ have too much depth to keep him around. He would be the main trading chip in the deal. If the Habs acquire Nugent-Hopkins and O’Reilly, they also won’t need McCarron. He is a strong center with potential, which might make him attractive enough to Buffalo. The first-round pick is simply to cap off the deal.

Buffalo may want an extra piece, but this would be the main trade. It would also be beneficial for both sides. Buffalo gets a great goalie with young prospects to rebuild, while Montreal can really shore up the center position.

If the Habs could get O’Reilly and Nugent-Hopkins, they could move Drouin back to the wing and have a phenomenal top-six alongside Pacioretty, Brendan Gallagher and Artturi Lehkonen.

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If these trades are not feasible, I could also see the Habs making a package similar to the one I suggested for O’Reilly to pry Oliver Ekman-Larsson from Arizona and shore up their defence. I would also not object to trading Pacioretty in a package for John Tavares if the Habs know they would be able to sign Tavares long-term.

However, these suggestions are much more unlikely. Last month, the General-Manager of the Arizona Coyotes stated on record that Ekman-Larsson was not for sale. Meanwhile, Tavares’ situation is uncertain, but it is hard to imagine that the Islanders’ would let the face of their franchise walk away. Although, at the end of the season, they may not end up having a choice.

Nonetheless, this NHL is all about offence. This is why I think getting Nugent-Hopkins and/or O’Reilly would be a smart and plausible move towards saving this season and strengthening the core of the team for the future.