The Montreal Canadiens made it a point to prove to themselves (and to the world) that they aren't the underdogs anymore. With their rebuild moving at twice the speed they expected, general manager Kent Hughes is expected to be a busy man as teams wheel and deal this summer.
While July 1 is a date to keep an eye on (considering free agency opens that day), Hughes is also expected to test the trade market for deals. Montreal has reportedly made it clear they won't mind overpaying for the right player, which makes them ideal trade partners.
With that in mind, Canadiens insider Arpon Basu believes they could set their sights on one long-serving Boston Bruins forward to strengthen their ranks.
The Boston Bruins are in somewhat of a retooling phase, and while they made the playoffs this year, there's still a lot of work to be done. The problem is, there's no clear path to a world where they box with the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning , Florida Panthers , Buffalo Sabres , and the Stanley Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes.
As such, for the right price, a deal could be there to be found in Boston. The Athletic's Canadiens beat writer, Arpon Basu, believes Pavel Zacha could be a man Montreal would be interested in.
"One example of a player who might be available for a trade is Boston Bruins centre Pavel Zacha, with one year left on his contract at age 29. A left shot to complement Nick Suzuki , strong in the faceoff circle and able to play on both special teams, Zacha would be a great fit," Basu noted in his column .
The problem? Since he has one year left on his $19 million deal, the Canadiens will think twice before coughing up a high price to bring him to Canada. At 29 years old, Zacha will also be looking for term on his next deal, something Montreal may be reticent to offer.
Zacha, of course, had a career year with the Bruins. He racked up career highs in points (65) and goals (30) through 78 regular-season games. Those 65 points were third-best on the Bruins roster, and he also contributed in the playoffs, tallying three points (one goal, two assists) in the first-round series against the Buffalo Sabres.
That said, those numbers aren't exactly what you'd expect of a top-line center. The thing is, in Montreal, Zacha would be a stellar 2C.
When it comes to an asking price, who better to ask than The Athletic's Bruins beat writer, Fluto Shinzawa. In his mailbag this week, Shinzawa wrote that the asking price on a Zacha trade would be a first-round pick and a prospect.
The Canadiens can certainly afford that price, but not if Zacha's a one-year rental.
Montreal's window is wide open for the next three seasons, and if the package is a first-rounder and a prospect, discussions will likely need to involve a short-term extension.
