At this point of the season, the Montreal Canadiens currently have a 20-27-4 record and are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. With their playoff hopes essentially being nonexistent, they are expected to be sellers at the 2023 Trade Deadline. As a result, players like Sean Monahan, Evgeni Dadonov, Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson, Jonathan Drouin, and Mike Hoffman have emerged as possible trade candidates.
Yet, even with this being the case, it also appears that they are open to bringing in notable players if they can help out in the long term. According to The Fourth Period, the Canadiens are one of the many teams currently linked to San Jose Sharks star winger Timo Meier.
Meier is one of the top trade candidates heading into the 2023 Trade Deadline. As a result, several contenders like the Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Winnipeg Jets are linked to him. However, with Meier still being a restricted free agent (RFA) after this season, this opens the door for a rebuilding team like the Canadiens to make a push for him.
If the Canadiens could ink Meier to a long-term extension during the offseason, this would certainly be a blockbuster trade that general manager (GM) Kent Hughes should consider making. He would immediately become a major part of their core for years to come and form an excellent trio on the first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield (once he returns next season).
Meier has been one of the few bright spots for the Sharks this campaign, as he has 28 goals to go along with 48 points in 51 games. Adding that kind of production to Montreal’s lineup would be massive, and this is especially true if he proves to mesh well with Suzuki and Caufield. With that, he would provide the Canadiens with a bit more toughness, so that’s just a sweet bonus.
The Canadiens have shown this season that they have a bright future with their young talent, but adding a star with experience like Meier could be the kind of move that makes them competitive as soon as next season. Alas, we will need to wait and see if Montreal’s interest in Meier results in them being the lucky team to land the 2015 ninth-overall pick from here.
