Kovacevic should be traded rather than Matheson

The Montreal Canadiens are doing rather well this season with the absence of several key players.

First, Kirby Dach could have had a breakout season, having had arguably his best season, but just two games into the season, the young center suffered a serious knee injury. He will miss the entire season.

Secondly, Rafaël Harvey-Pinard and Alex Newhook have both been placed on the injured list for several weeks, and Newhook could be out for three months.

Finally, there’s Quebec veteran David Savard, who was injured in the fifth game of the season, but we learned this afternoon that he’ll be back in action.

Despite all the injuries, the CH has a 0.500 efficiency rating with a 12-12-3 record.

Newcomer Jayden Struble is playing some excellent hockey and showing some interesting offensive skills.

He’s honestly a lot more mobile than I thought.

Paired with Johnathan Kovacevic, the two make a great “third pair”.

I put that in quotation marks, because there isn’t really a first and second defensive pair right now.

There have been talks about Matheson and he’s on the NHL Trade Bait List.

David Savard could also interest some teams with his experience and Stanley Cup, and he can bring solidity to the depth.

Dan Kramer, who has been covering the Tricolore’s prospects for TSN 690 and Habs Eyes On The Prize, among others, came up with a very interesting proposal.

He believes that the CH must part with a veteran between now and the deadline, and that neither Matheson nor Savard should leave.

Instead, right-handed defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic should be shopped.

Sure, with a salary of $766,667 a year for the next two years, it’s very attractive.

Not to mention the fact that Kovacevic is an extremely reliable player and doesn’t turn over a lot.

He can certainly help a team looking for quality depth.

I don’t know if trading a right-handed defenseman is the ideal solution for the CH, but it’s a better idea than trading one of the two Quebec defensemen.

On the other hand, Kovacevic makes such a good pair with Struble, I can’t see Kovy leaving.

In fact, Struble has already said he loves playing with Kovacevic.

If Kovacevic is so loved by his teammates, why would anyone trade him?

Unless the CH receives an offer it can’t refuse, it would be borderline insane to let him go.

Especially with Savard’s absence, he brings stability defensively, and the fact that he’s right-handed also adds to his importance to the team.

What will CH management do before the trade deadline?

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