The Montreal Canadiens
still sit on the playoff bubble, an unfamiliar spot for the usual
divisional contender. As the rental season approaches in less than two weeks,
there is a bit of acknowledgement coming out of the club regarding their
current position… meant to temper expectations of fans that may want them to
swing big.
“There’s a time to snap your fingers and trade out any asset you can find to
improve the current club on the ice. There’s also a time you just have to tell
your guys to ‘show me what you can do, and trust your current team to get
better over time”.
“Over time”. That might not be by the end of this regular season. Historically,
the Habs have no trouble either trading a first round pick or a large stack of
cash to bring in a rental. The problem this year is presenting is that the team’s
weakness is on the back end. Either goaltending or defensive play to support
it. The upcoming rental market does not look to include many, if any, expiring
star defenders that are not on a playoff-fighting team. The story may be
different for goaltenders, but Walsh has been relatively happy with Sparks’
gradually improving season.
“Garrett would be much higher ranked if it weren’t for those first twenty or so
games. He’s the guy going forward here, currently dealing with a much more
mentally intense workload”
No longer part of a platoon situation, no longer being insulated from the big
games, and now knowing that every single point matters. Not to mention his
minutes played are on pace to be 20% higher than any of his four previous pro
seasons.
But in no way does the team want to think about moving away from the 27 year
old that took the torch from Calvin Pickard. They’ve invested in the asset and
will continue to.
This leaves them without much of a desirable path to try and improve this year’s
roster through a trade. Two declining contracts as well as another $2M bump to
the salary cap makes the off-season the next time you might see a move out of
Montreal.
10/12/2025 - 343 words
