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The Canadiens are looking for a better player than Kirby Dach
Credit: Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images

Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach and Cole Caufield: the Habs currently have four players who should, if all goes well, play in the club’s top-6 in the long term.

What this means is that at least two of them are missing.

Why “at least” two? Because injuries can happen. Because players can develop poorly. Because having too many top-6 players is not a bad thing.

To find these players, there are several solutions. It could be through the development of in-house guys (Alex Newhook, Joshua Roy, etc.) or it could be through additions.

In an ideal world, the fifth overall pick should be added to the list. But that’s if the pick isn’t traded, of course.

Because yes, there is a world in which the Habs would move to get their hands on a true top-6 player. I’m not convinced it would involve trading the fifth pick, but…

But I am convinced that everything is on the table to get our hands on an excellent top-6 hockey player.

On this subject, David Ettedgui, in a recent column on BPM Sports, stated that he’s 100% certain that the Habs want to make a big deal(for a winger, I daresay) for a guy who won’t be a project.

In his eyes, and as reported by Habsolument Fan, the club will go for a true top-6 player.

I hear people talking about a Dach-style trade… Forget it!

This summer, if they’re able to, and they’re going to, it’s going to be an established, proven NHL top-6 player around the age of 24-25 and it’s going to be no older than 26. – David Ettedgui

Will it cost a first-round pick? If so, would it be the club’s in 2024, or would it be someone else’s? Would any prospects go the other way?

Because clearly, the Habs have defensemen to trade…

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If a defenseman does leave, it’s worth remembering that, according to David Pagnotta, the Habs would rather move Harris, Struble, Barron, Norlinder or Engstrom than Xhekaj, Guhle, Hutson, Mailloux or Reinbacher. But that doesn’t mean that, at the right price, the first names couldn’t go.

Hughes must be on the phone a lot right now, let’s face it.


In bursts

– Interesting.

– Peter DeBoer: a regular in the Final Four. [RDS]

– He’s made a name for himself.

– What do you think?

– The club plays defensively when it’s there.

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