With Montreal failing to acquire Matthew Knies, they are switching gears to an NHL captain who could be on the outs given his extravagant contract salary.
Montreal tried to bring in Matthew Knies at the trade deadline but things fell through due to a reported timing issue though accounts on that tend to dispute each other. After missing out on him, they have to shift their focus now and one proposed idea sees the Canadiens go after a two-way monster up the middle and help secure their top six - Nico Hischier.
Montreal's centre depth has been a quiet issue, with the team employing Nick Suzuki and Jake Evans in their top-six.
Suzuki just won a Selke and is one of the best two-way centres in the game but Evans is more of a complementary piece as opposed to a bonafide 2C, and Philip Danault is certainly more a 3C or 4C at this rate.
The Devils are stuck on a Nico Hischier extension and Montreal is ready the moment talks stall
They tried to get Matthew Knies to shore things up however missed out on him, but he isn't exactly a 2C and now are shifting their focus back to the middle.
One proposed deal courtesy of The Hockey Writers has the Canadiens sending a huge package which includes Hage, Alex Newhook/Kirby Dach, and either a 2026 or 2027 first-round pick, with alternate deals including both Jacob Fowler and Alexander Zharovsky.
Their reason behind the deals was that New Jersey has too many holes to fill especially up front and in the crease, and the looming Hischier extension is going to make life difficult:
If the existing core hasn't worked, if goaltending remains chronically unsolved, and if locking Hischier into an $11 million extension for eight years means committing to a third consecutive disappointing cycle around the same group - is that really the right call for a new GM trying to build something different?
Or is it smarter to convert Hischier's value at its absolute peak and build something new around Jack Hughes with assets from a team that has already proven its core can perform when it matters most?
Right now Hischier is in the final year of his seven-year, $50.75-million deal he signed in 2020, and is going to be a free agent next summer. With an obvious pay upgrade in his future, he's going to cost a lot of money and New Jersey isn't exactly flowing with cash.
And with the team needing to decide whether or not to push all-in for Quinn Hughes to play alongside his brother; they have a Sophie's choice coming up.
A Montreal team shifting focus to Hischier is a move that Toronto can't ignore
With Montreal now going after Hischier, it's going to create a world of problems for Toronto if they do end up getting him.
With his addition to the lineup, you now have two of the world's best two-way centres who both have Selke potential and the capability to score 30+ goals. A one-two punch of Suzuki and Hischier down the middle would be a nightmare to play against, and could be the toughest duo in the East.
Montreal went after Knies to bolster their wing for the playoffs, but with them missing out they could decide to just overload the middle in the top-six and make life miserable for everyone - and it makes them easily a perennial Atlantic Division winner.
Hischier has 488 points, a 52.7% face-off win percentage, blistering possession numbers, and is only 27 years old. To get an elite defensive and offensive centre in the middle of his prime and potentially locked up long-term is an absolute gift that Montreal may be getting their hands on.
If that's the case, then Toronto better be prepared and make sure they have enough reinforcements to withstand the new two-man power trip of Nick Suzuki and Nico Hischier.
Do you think the Montreal Canadiens will acquire Nico Hischier or will they try to go after Matthew Knies again?
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