The Montreal Canadiens sit in the bottom 10 spots of the NHL standings, making them a draft lottery team. Because of that, General Manager (GM) Kent Hughes will be a seller for the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline. Just because the team is a seller doesn’t mean he can’t add other valuable assets in a package with a veteran to sweeten a trade offer to attempt to add a piece that can be of long-term assistance.
Related: Canadiens Need to Trade David Savard to Maximize Value
By targeting an older prospect or young NHL player, he can fill a team need immediately. Hughes has shown a penchant for doing just that as he has traded for that type of player in the past, namely Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook. Several players are struggling to get what they need to take the next step that Hughes can target.
Alexander Holtz – New Jersey Devils
Alexander Holtz would be a clear target for the Canadiens, who want to add scoring. Holtz has excellent speed, good mobility with lateral cuts, likes to go to the net, and is adept at finding open areas in the slot that he can dart in and out of, which allows him to set up and use his best weapons, his quick release and accurate shot. Ideally, these are all skills that Montreal is desperate to add to its top nine, including his ability to play a fast rush in transition. At only 22 years old, he fits with the age group of the Canadians’ core group and has the skills that complement players who are already in the system.
New Jersey’s deep forward group has made finding the Devils’ 2020 first-round pick consistent top minutes difficult. While he has shown flashes of his talents, he has struggled to maintain consistency in the NHL, which is why he plays an average of only 11:23 per game, and the vast majority of that time is on the fourth line. The depth of that forward group means he is unable to get what he needs now: top nine minutes. Also, he would benefit from playing with defensive-minded forwards with some playmaking skills. They could bail him out defensively, allowing him to focus on his offensive game, but they could also feed him the puck so he has more shooting opportunities.
The Devils are five points out of a playoff spot in the Metropolitan division behind a Philadelphia Flyers club that is without its starting goaltender. New Jersey has played well in streaks but has had to deal with defensive issues at times. Unsurprisingly, one of the…
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