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There are now less than two weeks before the NHL’s Trade Deadline and there
has been plenty of speculation about who the Habs should go after.  It’s
likely that they try to make a move but it’s also likely that part of the
package that goes the other way will come from the Bulldogs.  Which of
Hamilton’s forwards are most likely to get dealt?

Please note that all odds are independent of each other. 

Forwards

This list will include players currently up with the Habs but have spent
most of their time in the minors this season.

Sven Andrighetto: 30%: Andrighetto is slowly starting to come around
after going through a lull upon being reassigned from Montreal and he’s doing so
at the right time.  He has shown flashes that he could potentially be a
contributor at the NHL level.  Add to that the fact he still has
another year on his entry-level deal and it’s likely that his name will be one
of the first ones mentioned by opposing GM’s and I think Bergevin would be more
willing to part with him than some of the other more notable prospects on this
list.

Christian Thomas: 25%: A few weeks ago, this number would have been a
lot lower as a third year player scuffling offensively in the minors as Thomas
was isn’t going to garner much interest.  However, his time with the
Canadiens should get him back on the radar.  Teams looking for young
players who are NHL ready or close to it may have some interest in him.  If Thomas
finds another gear in the next couple of weeks, that 25% could grow higher by
the time March 2nd rolls around.

Daniel Carr: 10%: Carr’s hot streak may have a few teams jumping on
the bandwagon.  He’s a bit more advanced of a prospect in terms of his
overall game which would be appealing to teams who might be looking to add
someone who is near NHL ready.  I’ve been suggesting he has been worthy of
a call-up for around a month now and I wouldn’t be shocked if he received a
short stint with the big club as a showcase before March 2nd if there are some
teams showing interest.

Charles Hudon: 10%: Most years, I imagine the top rookie point getter
in the minors attracts a lot of attention at the deadline and I don’t expect it
to be any different with Hudon.  He’s showing that his offensive upside may
be a bit higher than originally expected and his hockey sense will always be a
positive for teams as well.  I doubt that Bergevin wants to move him but if
there’s another team who is really sold on Hudon’s upside, this could be a bit
of a sell high opportunity.

Eric Tangradi: 8%: He’s 6’4 and has NHL experience which should have
the odd team inquiring to add him for depth reasons.  The Canadiens also
probably would want to keep him for added depth but I think they’d be slightly
more willing to move him over the player who is next on this list given how
badly Tangradi struggled in his last stint with Montreal.

Drayson Bowman: 7%: Like Tangradi, Bowman has recent NHL experience
and could be roster filler for a tanking team or a depth guy for another
playoff-bound squad.  Regardless of the scenario, the Habs wouldn’t get
anything of value and thus are likely to keep him but if they decide to keep one
and trade the other, my guess is that Bowman would stick around.

Gabriel Dumont: 5%: Having cleared waivers, the fact that he’s
undersized for his ideal role, and that he’s the captain in Hamilton, I don’t
think there’s likely to be much, if any of a trade market for the minor league
veteran.  However, if there’s a team that’s low in the standings that wants
to give Dumont a look between now and the end of the year, Bergevin may accept
just to give Dumont that chance as a reward for what he has done over the last
five years.

Jacob de la Rose: 5%: He’ll likely be the most sought after prospect
of anyone in this column but I think the Habs will keep him unless he’s part of
a deal with a prominent NHL’er (with a contract beyond this season) coming to
the Canadiens.  His recall may have started out as a showcase but he
probably has turned a lot of heads in Montreal’s organization let alone
elsewhere that will have Bergevin pushing to keep him.

Connor Crisp/Stefan Fournier/Jack Nevins: 1%: All three are physical
players who have battled injuries for big chunks of the season and have provided
little-to-no upside beyond their ability to hit people.  Every team has a
handful of these types of players, it’s hard to see them wanting one of these
three unless it’s for matching contract purposes (under the 50-contract limit). 
And even then, they’d likely prefer an expiring contract over one of these
three.

AHL Contracts: Jake Dowell, T.J. Hensick, Maxime Macenauer – Quite
honestly, I wouldn’t be too surprised if Dowell got an NHL two-way deal around
the end of the month to make him eligible for the NHL playoffs.  He’s the
type of veteran I think the Habs would like to have around in the postseason for
depth so I don’t see the Bulldogs moving him.  Hensick is one of their
leading point getters and they need all the offence they can get so he’s staying
put.  Macenauer is an interesting case.  Right now, they’re forced to
scratch him as they have too many veterans.  If that continues past the
deadline (and before the AHL’s deadline), there’s a small chance they could flip
him for another guy on an AHL contract that fills a need.