On the Montreal Canadiens …
Renaud Lavoie: The Canadiens will not buy out anyone this offseason.
Eric Engels: Appears very likely that Alex Galchenyuk gets traded. There is a good possibility that they will get a defenseman in return.
Bob McKenzie: Think that after the Drouin trade it’s more likely that Galchenyuk gets traded.
Jim Matheson: thinks a Galchenyuk for Ryan Nugent-Hopkins trade makes sense for the Canadiens if they don’t think Galchenyuk can play center.
Andy Graziano: The Canadiens were believed to be one of the teams interested in Matt Duchene, but after trading Mikhail Sergachev, they don’t appear to be anymore.
Chris Nichols: Pierre LeBrun: “We know that the Canadiens want to re-sign Alex Radulov. They have not been in the same sphere, I’m told, in contract talks.”
Pierre LeBrun: After the Drouin acquisition, they may have some leverage in their contract talks with Alexander Radulov.
Pierre LeBrun: The Canadiens would like to have Radulov back next year, but he’ll need to change his current contract demands if that is to happen.
Chris Nichols: Bob McKenzie: “Montreal is by no means the only team in on Jonas Brodin.”
David Pagnotta: Some think that Galchenyuk is definitely getting traded … Contract talks continue though.
David Pagnotta: The Canadiens continue to talk with the camps for free agents Radulov and Galchenyuk. take is that whoever signs first, the other will be traded or not signed.
David Pagnotta: The Canadiens aren’t done tinkering with their lineup. They need a top six-winger and a center. Adding Drouin and possibly losing Radulov isn’t ideal.
Brian Wilde: With the Canadiens looking for defense and the Minnesota Wild looking for scoring, a deal is possible. Jonas Brodin or Marco Scandella are most likely to be moved by the Wild.
Brian Wilde: A Radulov deal with the Canadiens has to be right for both sides. If the 31-year old wants seven years, they have to let him walk.
Eric Engels of Sportsnet: Despite saying he “won’t create a hole just to fill another one,” Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin has done just that. His work is far from done.
Sergachev had been expected to fill a roster spot next season, and they don’t have anyone internally to fill it now that he’s gone.
Galchenyuk is now their best trade piece to acquire an elite defenseman.
The Canadiens will look at playing Drouin at center.
“There’s no doubt we looked at that closely,” said Bergevin about the prospect of Drouin playing in the middle. “At the end of the day, Claude will sit down with Jonathan and a decision will be made on what is best for the organization. But we definitely took that into consideration.”
