Canadiens’ New York trade now looks stronger after major NHL comparison
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
A major NHL trade announced recently is making Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes look very good once again.
The journalist drew a revealing parallel.
He compared the price paid by the Canadiens with a recent trade completed by another team.
First, let’s remember what it cost to acquire Dobson.
Dobson’s profile justified the investment.
The 25-year-old right-shot defenseman had already posted a 70-point season.
That is where a very recent trade enters the picture.
The Chicago Blackhawks just paid a very steep price for another young defenseman who, in my opinion, is clearly not on Noah Dobson’s level.
The Bowen Byram trade makes Noah Dobson’s price look even better for the Canadiens
The two defensemen have some similarities.
Dobson and Byram are both 25 years old.
However, their production is quite different.
Byram set a career high with 42 points this season, while Dobson had already reached the 70-point mark.
The price paid by Chicago is noteworthy.
Giving up the 4th overall pick for Byram provides an idea of the value of a defenseman at that age, and it also offers perspective on the quality of the trade Kent Hughes negotiated with the New York Islanders.
The price paid for Dobson now appears very reasonable.
You can see Engels’ analysis here:
The Hawks just gave up the 4th overall pick, the 45th overall pick, and Louis Crevier (a 6-foot-8 right-shot defenseman who had 25 points last season) for 25-year-old Bowen Byram (who reached a career-high 42 points last season) and Jordan Greenway.
I wonder what that contract is going to look like (Byram’s current contract expires next summer, so it can be negotiated starting July 1).”
– Eric Engels, Sportsnet
And for the Canadiens, securing the services of a defenseman of this calibre could prove extremely valuable in the long term.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics
