Crossing The NHL’s Atlantic Division: Week 23

Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Montreal Canadiens

By Andy Bayer

At 2:59 EST, as the final bell was about to toll, it looked like the Habs would have a quiet deadline, picking up insurance policies on the blueline (Mike Weaver) and in goal (Devan Dubnyk). Then as a few other trades began to trickle in past the deadline, Habs fans got their best deadline gift ever. Thomas Vanek was headed to the Habs for Sebastian Collberg, with conditional second- and fifth-round picks being swapped if Montreal makes the playoffs. Until this year, Collberg was considered a very good prospect, a projected first-rounder that dropped to an early second a couple years ago. But scouts say his development has stalled in Sweden, and he’s not producing many points. Consensus seems to be that the Habs paid less-than-expected for Vanek.

Fans need to understand they are not getting Vanek for four years. He is an unrestricted free agent and there are many rumours that he wants to sign with the Minnesota Wild in the offseason. But he is the elite scorer that the Habs need for the rest of the season in a wide-open Eastern Conference. I said, along with many others, that the Habs should trade Andrei Markov if they can get at least a first-rounder and another piece. But I also said that if they didn’t get that then they should add a scorer. They needed to do this because Brian Gionta and Markov could easily be gone at the end of this season, and P.K. Subban is on the last year of a cheap contract. The Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins are struggling with injuries and this is the year the Habs have a good shot at winning the East.

Oh, by the way, the Habs beat the Leafs on Saturday night.