Most Expendable Canadiens to Clear Cap Space at Trade Deadline

3 years ago  /  The Hockey Writers  /  Read Time: 3 minutes 17 seconds

• For a variety of reasons, general manager Marc Bergevin should want to make a move at the trade deadline and improve his team.
• To be clear, these aren’t trade chips per se, but rather trade facilitators in theory, players that might be able to be moved to get their salaries off the books and make space4
• It’s a shame, not because the Habs should want to lose him, but rather his play this season has likely made him attractive to other teams who wouldn’t necessarily be adverse to his inclusion in a trade for the sake of getting one done3
• Probably not considering the 14:23 he’s averaged over just eight games this season.
• As far as Canadiens defensemen go, only Xavier Ouellet has averaged less (three games), but he’s been left off here for the simple reason that it’s hard to consider him an NHL player anymore.
• The problem is, on the Canadiens, he’s a fourth-line forward with just two goals (seven points) this season.
• Still just 25, Lehkonen would be an easier sell as a throw-in in a trade as a consistent 30-point threat (even though he’s scored just four points so far this season in limited action).
• Put simply, you can make a case Lehkonen has simply been miscast in the fourth-line role he’s been playing so far this season.

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