NHL Rumors: Canadiens To Trade Defenseman

According to Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin of The Athletic, the Montreal Canadiens are very likely going to trade Chris Wideman by the deadline. 

Wideman signed a one-year, $750,000 contract with the Canadiens during the offseason and has since been a mainstay on their blue line. In 31 games on the year, he has two goals, eight assists, and a minus-15 rating. If he remains healthy and keeps up this pace of production, he could set a career-high in points by the season's end.

Playoffs teams looking for a bit more production on the back end could consider a player like Wideman. He could be an interesting option on the bottom pair, but also could serve best as the seventh defenseman on a contender. When seeing as how he has such an affordable salary, he certainly makes more an alluring option. 

The Canadiens currently have an 8-29-7 record, so it's apparent that they will be sellers this year. With Wideman being a pending unrestricted free agent, it wouldn't hurt to get a return for him via trade. Even if it's a late-round pick, it's better than losing him for nothing. 

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