Canadiens Notebook: Only five games left before NHL trade deadline

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The Canadiens have five games left before the March 21 NHL trade deadline and they could be a very different-looking team after that.

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“Personally, I didn’t sign a seven-year deal to be traded in the first two years,” Josh Anderson said after the Canadiens practiced Friday in Brossard. “Ever since I’ve been here and had the opportunity to play for this organization I’ve loved every second of it. There’s obviously a business side of it and no one’s ever safe at any given time. But right now, the way we’re playing you got to stay positive. I think everyone’s playing really well and playing really good hockey. I think in our case we’re making it pretty tough on management to see whether guys stay here that maybe they were on the bubble of being traded or whatnot. I think guys have made strong cases and are playing really good hockey right now and they’re going to have some tough decisions to make.”

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The Canadiens are 7-5-0 since Martin St. Louis took over from Dominique Ducharme as head coach and will face the expansion Seattle Kraken Saturday at the Bell Center (7 pm, CBC, SNE, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). Anderson has been part of a very effective first line with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield and it seems unlikely he will be traded after signing a seven-year, US$38.5-million contract last year after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

“Looking back at last year, you don’t just make the final just on luck, right?” Anderson said about the Canadiens making it to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. “I think we had a good team. There’s a lot of good pieces here and I think that we just needed to showcase ourselves and I think we’ve done that ever since Marty’s been here.”

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One player who could be traded is defenseman Chris Wideman, who is on a one-year, US$750,000 contract and can become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

“If you’re traded that just means somebody wants to have you on their team and that’s kind of the only way you can look at it,” Wideman said. “There’s going to be opportunities here to play, there’s going to be opportunities for guys to play elsewhere. When you’re in the situation that our team is in that’s kind of the deal in this business. We have a close group and we don’t want to see anybody go, but it’s kind of the deal.

“There’s been a lot of ups and downs throughout this season,” Wideman added. “I think the way we’ve come together — and this group stuck together even through the tough times. I don’t think there was any negativity in the room towards each other. This is one of the closer teams that I’ve been on, so as things kind of turned around on the ice you could see it kind of just all come together. We had a great road trip, spending time together. I think that’s super important. I think this group really enjoys being around each other.”

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Power play improving

The Canadiens saw their streak of three straight games scoring at least one power-play goal come to an end in Thursday night’s 5-3 loss to the Canucks in Vancouver. The power play has looked better and the Canadiens are 4-for-20 in the last four games (20 per cent). They still rank 31st in the NHL on the power play with a 13.1 per cent success rate, ahead of only the Arizona Coyotes (12.4 per cent).

“I think (of assistant coach) Alex Burrows’s quote: ‘It’s like getting a masters degree on the power play,’” Wideman said about St. Louis working with the power play. “He was such an elite player when he played and he’s bringing that to his coaching style. I think some of the things that we’re doing in practice, the small games, getting your brain working quickly, moving the puck without taking a lot of time to analyze and helping give other guys time. Those are just things that I’ve kind of picked up on and I’ve had a lot of fun doing it.”

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St. Louis said the Canadiens are starting to have an identity on the power play as he works along with Burrows and more chances are being created. St. Louis said he will continue to add little details as time goes on.

Wideman is really enjoying St. Louis’s practices, which are very fast-paced and include mini three-on-three games. The practices are also fun to watch.

“There’s not a ton of repetition, so you kind of have to make them count,” Wideman said about the drills St. Louis uses. “You can’t go through one of Marty’s practices on auto pilot. It’s never the same thing. Each rep is usually different in the way he kind of sets things up. You’re always moving, you’re always thinking and you got to make plays — and that’s the game. It’s something that our team’s kind of really enjoyed doing, but we’ve brought it to the games and it’s helped a lot.”

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Praise for Lehkonen

Artturi Lehkonen is on a five-game point streak during which he has 6-2-8 totals while playing on a line with Jake Evans and Rem Pitlick.

Lehkonen (2-1-3) and Pitlick (1-2-3) both had three points Thursday night against Vancouver, while Evans picked up an assist.

“First off, he’s just been a great friend of mine,” Evans said about Lehkonen. “I’ve always loved playing with him. In the dressing room, just off the ice, he’s one of those guys that’s always having fun. He’s never getting too down on himself or too down on the team. He’s always trying to bring some energy. On the ice, especially, he’s playing great this season. He’s always defensively responsible and he’s always getting some chances and now they’re starting to go in more. He’s a guy you can look up to with how hard he works. Just how good he is defensively and now offensively he’s contributing a lot more, too. He’s just been a great player and a great teammate.”

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Lehkonen had no goals in the first 19 games this season, but now ranks second on the Canadiens in scoring with 13-15-28 totals, trailing only Nick Suzuki (13-27-40). With 15 goals, Anderson is the only Canadian with more goals than Suzuki and Lehkonen.

“This whole year he’s just worked so hard,” Evans said about Lehkonen. “At the start of the year, I don’t know many Grade A chances he was getting and not scoring. But I think as long as you’re getting the chances you know they’re eventually going to go in. Now they’re obviously going in and he’s getting that confidence up and it brings guys around him up. I love playing with him and he’s helping my game out a lot, too.

“He’s not known as this goal-scorer or power-play guy,” Evans added. “But he does all the little things right and I think now he’s getting rewarded for it. At the beginning of the year it was tough on him, but everyone knew he was playing well. It was frustrating for him and he just stuck with it. I think now he’s starting to get the credit he deserves and he’s just been working so hard and they’re finally going in.”

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What’s next?

The Canadiens will fly to Philadelphia after Saturday night’s game and play the Flyers on Sunday (7 pm, TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

After that, the Canadiens play their next six games at home, including three next week.

The Arizona Coyotes will be at the Bell Center on Tuesday (7 pm, TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM), followed by the Dallas Stars on Thursday (7 pm, TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM) and the Ottawa Senators on Saturday (7 pm, SNE, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM).

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