Chris Kreider signing makes Canadiens’ next trade target obvious (and it’s not Kirill Marchenko)
The Montreal Canadiens got their Top 6 upgrade over the weekend by signing veteran Chris Kreider. General manager Kent Hughes has been searching all summer, and even with Kreider now on the team, he shouldn’t stop there. However, Hughes needs to shift his focus from Kirill Marchenko to a veteran center like Ryan O’Reilly.
There is no question that Kirill Marchenko would make the Canadiens a better team. He is a young player just entering the prime of his career at 26 years old, who has 81 goals over the past three seasons. Marchenko is a physical forward and would bring size to a team that really needed it against the Carolina Hurricanes.
However, the Columbus Blue Jackets have been reluctant to trade Marchenko this summer. If the Blue Jackets change their mind, Kent Hughes should obviously listen but knowing he is entering the final year of his contract and will be a restricted free agent next summer, the Blue Jackets may be more willing to make a trade.
Ryan O’Reilly is the perfect trade target for the Montreal Canadiens at this point
Chris Kreider should help the Montreal Canadiens, but it doesn’t really address their biggest need, which is a center on that second line. They may be able to get by with Oliver Kapanen or Kirby Dach now that they have an established player on the wing.
The challenge for Kent Hughes is that any upgrade they make now can’t block Michael Hage long-term. Their top prospect went back to Michigan but is expected to be in Montreal by the end of the regular season.
That is why someone like Dylan Larkin doesn’t make sense, but Ryan O’Reilly would be the perfect option for the Canadiens now. O’Reilly is similar to Kreider in that he is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, but is still productive, with 74 points this past season with the Nashville Predators.
One of the main reasons that it makes so much sense for Montreal is that O’Reilly is in the final year of his deal. This is not a long-term option for Montreal, and it gives the Canadiens a second-line center for this season. It would even take pressure off Hage when he makes the jump to the NHL, as he won’t have to jump right into that spot.
The big question in this scenario is what it might cost the Montreal Canadiens to get a deal done for Ryan O’Reilly. Even though the Predators did make one trade recently, moving Luke Evangelista, it is hard to imagine they would just want draft picks for O’Reilly, as they have other veterans like Steven Stamkos who want a chance to win.
However, a trade of Oliver Kapanen along with a draft pick, even a first-round pick, is a trade that Montreal should offer and might interest Nashville. They have a player who can help right away while also building for the future.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens get another upgrade in their Top 6 for right now that doesn’t hurt their long-term plans for Michael Hage, while leaving the door open to pursue Kirill Marchenko next summer. It is a move that makes too much sense and one that Kent Hughes needs to make sooner rather than later.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
