Canadiens predicted to trade $5.5 million forward with only 5-team no-trade list

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Canadiens predicted to trade $5.5 million forward with only 5-team no-trade list originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Montreal Canadiens are still on a deep playoff run despite being a young team, which makes the future quite exciting.

Part of being a team on the younger side of things is that contracts will have to rise in the years ahead, and that can create a need to subtract from some expensive areas.

This offseason, that could mean trading Josh Anderson.

Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin writes that Anderson could be a cap casualty trade candidate over the summer. Anderson has a $5.5 million cap hit but only a five-team no-trade list, so there should be plenty of possibilities out there if Montreal decides to make a move.

"Emerging superstar blueliner Lane Hutson’s extension kicks in next season, spiking his AAV from $950,000 to $8.85 million," Larkin writes. "Patrik Laine’s $8.7 million comes off the books, but Montreal also needs to extend RFA forwards Zachary Bolduc and Kirby Dach and RFA defenseman Arber Xhekaj. They have a projected $9.18 million for that, but GM Kent Hughes also needs room to add."

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The Canadiens feel a bit too top-line heavy, and whatever they do this offseason should come with the goal of enhancing their 5-on-5 lineups to supplement their big-time power play.

"Montreal still doesn’t have a true No. 2 center, especially with top prospect Michael Hage opting to stay in college another year," Larkin writes. "Jettisoning Anderson’s cap hit would help a lot. Brendan Gallagher is another option, but Anderson is younger and has been a lineup mainstay this postseason, so he has more value. There’s a use for his blend of size and speed somewhere."

Anderson is the kind of guy who could have plenty of use for another team as an experienced veteran, and if the Habs are mostly trading him for cap purposes, the cost shouldn't be too high, either.

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