Trade completed between the Canadiens and the Golden Knights: Details have emerged regarding Nick Suzuki's trade five years ago
Five years ago, the Vegas Golden Knights were a brand new team in the NHL as they completed a bevy of trades to lead them to the Stanley Cup Finals, many of which still impact the organization today.
A blockbuster deal with the Canadiens
One of those deals was to move Nick Suzuki, Tomas Tatar and a second-round pick to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for Max Pacioretty.
Years later, it appears the Canadiens still won this deal in a big way, despite the Golden Knights recent success, but now, we've uncovered additional details about the Canadiens intentions with this deal.
Suzuki not their original target?
According to a recent report, Suzuki wasn't the original target of the Canadiens, as they were originally eyeing a very different target.
The Canadiens definitely wanted a top prospect, but it wasn't necessarily Suzuki that they coveted. It was the young left-handed offensive defenseman Erik Brannstrom that they had in mind, as it was a significant organizational need while Victor Mete was playing on a pair with Shea Weber. They also made an attempt with Cody Glass.
However, the Canadiens ultimately agreed to receive any of the three first-round picks from the Golden Knights in 2017 and let the Knights choose between Glass (6th overall), Suzuki (13th overall), or Brannstrom (15th overall) to complete the deal, hoping it would be Brannstrom. Vegas decided that Glass was untouchable and eventually traded Brannstrom to the Senators a few months later in the Mark Stone trade. The Knights had doubts about Suzuki's ability to produce at a high level, and he was ultimately the one they sacrificed.
However, the Canadiens ultimately agreed to receive any of the three first-round picks from the Golden Knights in 2017 and let the Knights choose between Glass (6th overall), Suzuki (13th overall), or Brannstrom (15th overall) to complete the deal, hoping it would be Brannstrom. Vegas decided that Glass was untouchable and eventually traded Brannstrom to the Senators a few months later in the Mark Stone trade. The Knights had doubts about Suzuki's ability to produce at a high level, and he was ultimately the one they sacrificed.
Ultimately, Suzuki has gone on to become the teams captain, while Brannstrom has tallied just 49 points in 195 games, so it's safe to say that after everything, both teams escaped this trade well, and the Canadiens definitely got lucky in this one.
As Read on All Habs - Trade between the Golden Knights and the Canadiens for Nick Suzuki: New information emerging
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October 22 | 283 answers Trade completed between the Canadiens and the Golden Knights: Details have emerged regarding Nick Suzuki's trade five years ago Can the Canadiens win a Stanley Cup under Nick Suzuki? | ||
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