Josh Gorges:
 4 

A good young defender with a good contract, something sellers will covet in a
potential trade.  With the youngsters in the pipeline, he could be deemed
expendable. 

Patrice Brisebois:
 3 

He wants to play Game #1,000 in Montreal and finish his career as a Hab. 
Unless absolutely necessary, I don’t see Gainey denying him the opportunity. 

Roman Hamrlik:
 3 

Because of his contract, the Habs may look to see if there’s a market for him,
but given his recent play, there won’t be much of one  There’s also a
partial NTC to be concerned with. 


Francis Bouillon:
 2 

If healthy, he’d be at or near the top on the d-man list, but I can’t see a team
waiving a physical and waiting for him to be healthy – unless it’s a straight
salary throw-in.

Kyle Chipchura:
 7  You could make a case that he
hasn’t had a fair chance in the organization.  Regardless, his play hasn’t
forced the Habs to play him.  As a recent 1st rounder, he could still be a
piece to a larger deal.

Chris Higgins:
 6  With Tanguay/Latendresse set to
return soon and the youngsters doing well, his spot in the lineup is far from
secure.  He’s young enough that he’d have some value to rebuilding teams.

Alexei Kovalev:
 6 
His recent performance notwithstanding, it’s hard to think the Habs are
content with his up and down play.  If they decide to make a swap of impact
players, his name’s at the top of the list. 

Tomas Plekanec:
 5 
Like Halak, his hot stretch has improved his trade stock.  In a deal
for an upgrade at C, it wouldn’t surprise me to see him go. 

Matt D’Agostini:
 5  This may come as a surprise
to some, but with the depth (current and future) on the wings and the fact he
didn’t have much of a future on the team before the season started, management
may deem him expendable in the right situation. 

Andrei Kostitsyn:
 4  His enigmatic play this
season has shown signs of brilliance and others that make you wonder how he was
a 1st rounder.  With multiple years left after this, there may be some
value to other teams. 

Georges Laraque:
 4  The Habs probably won’t shop
him much, but if someone wants to take on his contract – they’ll be inclined to
listen.  Note that Laraque also has a partial NTC, so even if a deal was
agreed upon, it’s far from a guarantee. 

Glen Metropolit:
 4  The Habs saw something in him
when they claimed him, but if he had to go to satisfy cap requirements, I don’t
think they’d hesitate much. 
 
Gregory Stewart:
 3  Given that Carbonneau really
seems to like this youngster and that he’s the lowest paid player on the team,
it’s hard to picture him moving.

Maxim Lapierre:
 2 
The shutdown/energy C that every playoff team needs.  Last I checked,
the Habs were aiming for a playoff spot, so why move that type of player?

Tom Kostopoulos:
 2  Similar to Lapierre, and
Carbonneau thought enough of him to give him the ‘A’ briefly.  I think he’s
in the plans beyond this year, so I think he’ll be staying put.

Saku Koivu:
 2  It’s hard to think of a
scenario where the team will want to move him and he’ll want to waive his NTC.

Alex Tanguay:
 2  He’s finally almost ready to
go and considering he’s missed half the season, it’ll be like an acquisition in
itself. 

Guillaume Latendresse:
 2  If healthy, I’d put this
number in Plekanec territory as his size/skill could intrigue some teams. 
But considering he’s still out a couple weeks, it’d be much harder to move him. 

Max Pacioretty:
 1  Even in a deal for an elite
player, I don’t think the Habs have any intention of moving him. 

Mathieu Carle/Yannick Weber:  4 
Could be the key prospect that moves in an NHL upgrade deal.  With the
d-men in the system, it’s not unreasonable to think that one could go.  (It
should be noted that Carle is currently injured so his odds may be slightly
lower). 

Sergei Kostitsyn:  4  The reported
attitude issues may have soiled his status with the Habs.  Considering he’s
still young with lots of potential, he’s one of the more marketable Bulldogs. 

Ryan O’Byrne:  3  Was much
better in his second stint with the Habs that may have some teams calling about
his availability.  Like Carle, he too is now injured.

Ben Maxwell:  3  The Habs
aren’t the only team encouraged by his strong pro debut this year.  If
Chipchura isn’t a marketable young C, he’s next on the list.

Greg de Vries (Nashville) Cap hit: $2,500,000, UFA at season’s end. 
A reliable stay-at-home defenceman who would know his role with the team
(something that can’t be said for a current depth defender).  With 111
games of playoff experience, he’d be a steadying influence in the room.

Sean O’Donnell (Los Angeles) Cap hit: $1,250,000, UFA at season’s end. 
A physical defender on a team loaded at the back end in terms of quantity. 
He’s not the most mobile skater, but he’d bring some much needed rugged play to
the back end.

Steve Montador (Anaheim) Cap hit: $800,000, UFA at season’s end. 
Has resuscitated his offensive game over the past couple of seasons while
playing a physical game.  He’d be nothing more than a #5/6 guy, but would
upgrade that bottom pairing.

Martin Skoula (Minnesota) Cap hit: $1,800,000, UFA at season’s end. 
Has never been able to live up to his expectations after a strong start to his
career in Colorado. At 29, the mobile blueliner could help the PP and is young
enough that he could be retained without much issue. 

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