3 Young Canadiens Coming Up In Trade Conversations

The Montreal Canadiens' biggest weak spot is the lack of a true second line center. Even if Kirby Dach stayed healthy, the team looking to build off their first playoff appearance in a while needs an upgrade. NHL Network ranks their prospect pool as the third best, so there are trade chips.

According to James Murphy, "Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen, as well as defenseman Jayden Struble, are names that continue to be bantered about in NHL trade chatter regarding the Canadiens' search for a second line center."

Roy and Kapanen have hardly broken into the NHL, playing 35 games and 18 games respectively. Kapanen will still be a rookie this season. Struble has played over 50 games in the first two seasons, but still isn't a full time player for the Canadiens.

Roy and Kapanen will probably take starts away from Joe Veleno, but other players like Patrik Laine and Dach are going to have to get injured and come out of the lineup for more regular playing time by the young players. It is maybe just a year or two too soon for both of them to be NHL ready since Josh Anderson and Brandan Gallagher have two years remaining on their deals and the contracts aren't easily movable.

Roy, Kapanen, and Struble are NHL-ready and decent bottom-6, bottom-pairing targets at this age that a team could be interested in acquiring while sending off a second line center. Some teams would prefer young players who can jump right into the lineup rather than picks that won't come to fruition or multiple more years, if at all.

Internally, the Canadiens can't and won't wait for potential replacements to fill the second line center role. The team needs an upgrade this season, even if it doesn't come until the season has already begun. There is cap space to work with and there shouldn't be much holding Montreal back from going after what they need to complete the lineup.