by Mathieu Chagnon, Staff Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine
On Wednesday, Marc Bergevin made his first move of the 2018 trade deadline by sending the Czech defenseman Jakub Jerabek to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
The 26-year-old Jerabek made the jump from the KHL to the NHL this season and had to adapt to the size of the rink through the beginning of the season.
He only participated in 25 contests with the Canadiens this season, collecting one goal and three assists. He joined the Canadiens on the November 22nd, after having played 17 games with the Laval Rocket, where he collected one goals and 11 assists.
Jakub Jerabek went to the airport yesterday to pick up his parents.They just arrived from Prague for the first time to see him in Montreal.And he told them the news …
— Zdenek Matejovsky (@zedmat) February 22, 2018
When he started his NHL adventure with the Canadiens, we could observe that he mainly put his focus on playing well defensively and keeping his game simple. But more he played, more he gained confidence offensively.
In his last 11 games, Jerabek was put in a top four role and saws his average ice time go from 15 minutes to 19 minutes. This meant that he was on the ice with top-six players from the Canadiens and the opposition.
That made the effectiveness of the Shot ATtemps For while he was on the ice move from 42.3 percent to 54.9 percent, a rise of 12.6 percent. On the other hand, the effectiveness of the Shot ATtemps Against while he was on the ice went from 70.5 percent to 39.3 percent, a fall of 31.2 percent.
With many defensemen categorized as 3rd pair, to see that he wasn’t able step up his defensive play to a more prominent role, it might have put doubt in the coaching staff. Jerabek was kept in the stands after his last game against Carolina on February 1st.
In the end, the average contribution of Jerabek in his 25 games with the Canadiens wasn’t negative with a eSAT % over the median mark at 50.5 percent.
I personally believe that Jerabek didn’t played enough to have an accurate evaluation. We know that when he played with better offensive players, as he helped to generate more offense. However, we don’t know if he could have stabilized his defensive play like he was able to do at the beginning of the season.
On a derailed season like this one, the Canadiens could have tried to play him more often. Nevertheless, he was going to be free agent by this summer, and they made the decision that he didn’t figure in the long-term plan of the organization.
Instead of losing him for nothing or trading him for a player who can’t play anymore in the NHL or an AHLer, they acquired a draft pick. In my opinion, it was the best decision for the circumstances. Even if the 5th round is a late pick, there could be a hidden gem found at that round like Jamie Benn, Mike Hoffman, Brendan Gallagher, John Klingberg, Andrew Shaw or Charles Hudon.
If Jakub Jerabek turns out to be a very good defender for the Capitals, fans will have all the reason to be salty about this trade.
Now, what will be the next move of Marc Bergevin?