The Montreal Canadiens are still looking for a veteran right-handed defenseman, and there may be some interesting options available on the commercial NHL market.
It is interesting to point out that even after the claim of Jonathan Kovacevic on waivers, the Canadiens are still looking for another right-handed defenseman to add to their depth on the right side. Even though Kovacevic performed well on a pair with Jordan Harris so far this season they are still looking to add a veteran presence at the back, at least in the short term, without significantly improving the squad.
Montreal Hockey Now reported last month that the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens Kent Hughes was in the hunt for the right-handed defenseman who could bring a veteran presence into the locker room and help bring the youngsters who will rotate in and out of the lineup. Here are some possible options available in the NHL commercial market that the Canadiens could consider to strengthen their roster:
Justin Braun – Philadelphia Flyers
The 35-year-old would be an interesting look for the Montreal Canadiens, not because he would greatly improve the team, but the exact opposite. Justin Brown would be a good stopgap on the right side that could provide a ton of experience for the many left-handed defenders in the back of the Canadiens, just like he did for Travis Sanheim for part of the last year in Philadelphia.
With Rasmus Ristolainen likely to return from IR in the next week or two, the Flyers could be tempted to move Braun for striker help and keep Egor Zamula and Louis Belpedio with the big club, because their training currently lacks essential experience. up front, something Canadians have in abundance.
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Mark Friedman – Pittsburgh Penguins
Some will say that the Canadian could have resumed Marc Friedman free on waivers a week ago, and that’s true, but that would have forced the Montreal Canadiens to keep him on the roster and send a youngster like Arber Xhekaj or Jordan Harris without properly evaluating them. Now that Friedman has cleared waivers, the hard-hitting defenseman can be traded while in the minors and recalled at will, much like the Canadiens currently do with Corey Schueneman.
That kind of flexibility, along with Freidman’s defensive prowess and physical play, could be an attractive and subtle type of move that Hughes could look to to strengthen his club’s right side without necessarily improving his squad. With Friedman in the minors, Montreal could look for a contract swap in the minor leagues, as the Canadiens have too many forwards with the Laval Rocket, and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins need greater depth. quality attack.
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Ethan Bear – Caroline Hurricanes
The 25-year-old defenseman finds himself in an odd situation as the Carolina Hurricanes have had Bear in the NHL trade market since the summer. Meanwhile, the rugged fullback has yet to manage to prepare for a game this season, making him a very expensive 7th defender at $2.2 million on the cap. However, during his stint with the Edmonton Oilers, Bear proved to be a physical, stable defender who could hold down third pair, with the upside of getting better.
The stalemate on defense and the lack of available cap space in the league has made it difficult for the Hurricanes to extract prime value for their defenseman, but perhaps a deal could materialize with the Canadiens, which could provide a combination of roster players, picks or prospects to acquire the defender without hurting their rebuild. This could be a good bet for the Montreal Canadiens, who could easily recoup all the assets they spent on acquiring Bear by flipping him at the trade deadline if the Canadiens were to sell.
Ethan Bear Area 101 exits. pic.twitter.com/UUmjZJyE0w
— Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) October 16, 2021
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