Canadiens Make Minor League Trade With Major Implications
The Montreal Canadiens have made a rare post-deadline deal, acquiring a pair of prospects from the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Riley Kidney.
In return, goaltender Hunter Shepard and forward Jake Chiasson will make their way to the Canadiens organization, and while this may not seem like a blockbuster deal on the surface, the implications go beyond the Trois-Rivières Lions (ECHL) and the Laval Rocket (AHL).
Kidney, 22, had been lost in the prospect shuffle, a holdover from the previous regime that never quite found his rhythm in the AHL. Consequently, Kidney spent the majority of the season in the ECHL, where he scored 11 goals and 22 assists in 46 games for the Lions. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a significant loss by any means.
The return, however, is very interesting. Beyond Chiasson, who will serve as a depth option for the Rocket or the Lions, the acquisition of a minor-league goaltender in Shepard suggests the Canadiens are in no hurry to return rookie netminder Jacob Fowler to the AHL.
With that in mind, it’s also quite clear that veteran netminder Samuel Montembeault has fallen out of favour with the team, and that Kent Hughes and Company prefer to have Fowler as an option down the final stretch of the season, and into the playoffs.
Fowler was voted as the No. 2 prospect in our annual fan-drive Montreal Canadiens prospect rankings, owing to his excellent positioning and poise, making it very difficult to avoid direct comparisons with former Habs netminder Carey Price.
And now, the Canadiens have given him the ultimate vote of confidence, just as they did with Price in 2010, and Patrik Roy in the 1986 playoffs.
By adding another goaltender to the Rocket roster, the organization has not only ensured their farm team will be in decent shape during Fowler’s absence, as Shepard has already captured the Calder Cup twice in his career, but they have also allowed him to focus entirely on the task at hand—which, in turn, should improve his preparation for the challenge that lies ahead.
