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And what if the CH decided to fight for the playoffs with the sellers in the East?
Marc-Olivier Cook
And what if the CH decided to fight for the playoffs with the sellers in the East?
Credit: Getty Images

Let’s talk about the playoff race in the East. Sounds good to you?

At the time of writing, the Canadiens are just three points behind the Red Wings and the last playoff spot.

When you look at the standings, you can see how tight it is. And the next week will be quite revealing as we head towards the end of the season:

(Credit: NHL.com)

I say the week will be revealing because by Friday, many teams’ lineups will change.

Some teams will add players to their roster… while others will take the opposite approach and sell what they want.

For now, it’s hard to guess Kent Hughes’ plan due to the Canadiens’ position in the standings. Especially with Kirby Dach’s injury.

But one thing is certain: the Canadiens’ GM will have to make a decision quickly… especially if he sees teams currently in the playoff race decide to sell their players.

Here’s what we know for now.

The Rangers have already started selling. They sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to Colorado, Kaapo Kakko was traded to Seattle before Christmas, they traded their former captain (Jacob Trouba) to Anaheim, they’re looking to trade Reilly Smith…

Even though they acquired J.T. Miller a few weeks ago, the Rangers seem to want to give up on their season.

We also know that the Islanders and Bruins might decide to sell.

In Long Island, Brock Nelson’s name is circulating a lot, as is Kyle Palmieri’s.

In Boston, there’s talk of the possibility of Brad Marchand being traded… and it seems there’s a chance Brandon Carlo – a top-4 defenseman – could be traded by Friday.

The Flames are currently looking into the Carlo file:

Add to that the fact that the Penguins are no longer thinking about the playoffs and the Sabres are too far behind to have a chance.

This means that if we eliminate these two teams along with the others I mentioned earlier, there are four teams that will fight for the last two playoff spots in the East.

The Blue Jackets, the Red Wings, the Senators, and the Flyers.

But what if we added the Canadiens to that list?

After all, seeing certain teams weaken, Kent Hughes could decide to keep his players and make a push for the playoffs because he doesn’t want to give up on his team. Trading Savard, Armia, and Evans might send a bad message to the group that’s working hard right now (hello Josh Anderson) and we know that the goal of management is to be in the mix until the end.

But I see what you’re thinking:

Yeah, but Cook… that would also mean the Canadiens wouldn’t have as good a pick in the next draft!

Fair enough.

It’s true that the opportunity would be great to get another talented player in the next draft… but it’s not like Kent Hughes doesn’t have the resources to move forward if needed.

The Canadiens have many draft picks:

(Credit: PuckPedia)

Clearly, the next week will be interesting to follow – both in Montreal and elsewhere in the NHL.

I’m especially looking forward to seeing what decisions Kent Hughes and his colleagues will make…


In brief

– It’s a big week for the Canadiens.

– Oh…

– 😂

– Today’s activity on the waiver wire.

– Tough break.

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