Montreal is currently 19-6-3 and on top of the ladder in the Eastern Conference, but that doesn’t appear to be good enough as trade speculation has the front office looking to make a major move.
Lyle Richardson of Bleacher Report has suggested the Canadiens could acquire center Eric Stall of Carolina. The deal would have the 31-year-old heading north, with goalie Zachary Fucale and forward Lars Eller headed to the Hurricanes, but there’s one road block to this potential move — the veteran would need to waive his no-trade clause. That said, leaving the worst team in the East could make that an easy decision.
The former second overall pick back in 2003 has played his entire career in Carolina. With 756 total points in his 12-plus years in the NHL, Staal is a force on the offensive end of the ice, but recent contract extension talks have stalled and with the veteran in the final year of his current deal, trading him now would save the ‘Canes some money and give the team some much-needed added depth.
Montreal could use this trade to make their squad much stronger for the rest of the 2015-16 season and then decide after the year is over on what direction to move heading into next season. This trade could be just a player rental and that would give them room to add a big-name free agent next summer. Another scenario is keeping the veteran center with a new contract and make the Canadiens a strong contender for a Stanley Cup for the next couple of years, but whatever direction they take, this move would make them tough to beat this year.
