Despite Patrik Laine's return from injury, the Montreal Canadiens remain in the last position in the Atlantic Division, with an 11-15-3 record.
In the five games he played with the Habs, Laine scored four points, including three goals, but concrete results are yet to come for his team.
General Manager and President of Hockey Operations Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton must be looking at their options on the trade market as the team needs to do something if they want to be in the playoff mix, which the organization promised its fans before the season.
An interesting target has emerged for Montreal on the market that could lead to a trade soon.
According to David Pagnotta, the Canadiens seem to be interested in Utah HC's forward Lawson Crouse.
Here's what the insider stated on TSN 690:
Listen to his full interview on TSN here.
Crouse, 27, was drafted 11th overall by the Florida Panthers in 2015. In his career, he has taken part in 533 games for the Arizona Coyotes and Utah Hockey Club, scoring 107 goals and 97 assists since 2016.
He broke the 20-goal barrier in the past three seasons but has been struggling this year, tallying only four goals and seven points in 29 games with Utah.
In the past, the Canadiens have proven that they don't mind acquiring struggling players to help them get their rhythm back, with acquisitions such as Kirby Dach, Alex Newhook, and Laine.
Targeting Crouse while his value is lower due to his struggles could be a smart move, but if he ends up offering underwhelming performances like Dach and Newhook, it could sink the team further.
POLL | ||
Do you think Lawson Crouse will be traded to the Montreal Canadiens this season? | ||
Yes | 15 | 27.3 % |
No | 40 | 72.7 % |
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