Hockey

Here’s why Tage Thompson and Steven Stamkos shouldn’t be moving anytime soon
Félix Forget
Here’s why Tage Thompson and Steven Stamkos shouldn’t be moving anytime soon
Credit: Getty Images

The Canadiens' search for a second center is a topic of concern in the club's management offices. The club has a few options on hand (Michael Hage, Kirby Dach, and Oliver Kapanen), but none of these guys is a sure thing.

Far from it, in fact: there are quite a few questions surrounding each of the guys.

That's why, for months now, we've been keeping an eye on a number of guys who are rumored to be on the market. And one of them is Tage Thompson, who is stuck in Buffalo on a team going nowhere.

But today, in actual fact, that idea has had the wind knocked out of it… given that the club has made a GM change.

As David Ettedgui notes, don't expect Jarmo Kekalainen to set the place on fire as soon as he takes over.

One wonders if any of this will be re-evaluated at the trade deadline. That said, as things stand, we shouldn't expect a Thompson deal for a little while.

The club tried to get their hands on Quinn Hughes before he moved to the Wild: they're not going to sell tomorrow morning.

And what's clear is that it's not just the Sabres who are reluctant to trade a guy who could be part of the solution: the Predators, for example, also have a reason for not trading Stamkos (even though he's more of a winger than a center).

In his case, it's mostly a salary issue: you'd probably have to withhold salary to trade him, but the Predators already have a lot of money to pay to guys whose contracts have been bought out. Paying even more money to guys who aren't wearing the club uniform isn't exactly what the Preds want.

So, apart from Phillip Danault, there really isn't a quality forward in the NHL who could be traded in the short term.

That can always change, of course… but it seems unlikely at the moment.


Overtime

– Nice read.

– That would be something.

– Interesting.

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