There’s already been some discussion as to the possibility of a trade with the Montreal Canadiens. That trade discussion involved more than just the talented and young Habs forward Alex Galchenyuk. Montreal captain Max Pacioretty might be shopped at the Deadline too.
Either Galchenyuk or Pacioretty would be an ideal trade target for Carolina. By his standards and overall talent ceiling, Galchenyuk is having a worse than anticipated stat line through 57 games played.
While Galchenyuk averaged close to .75 points per game in 2016-17, he’s down nearly .2 points per game this season. He’s notched 12 goals and 33 points so far. A hot streak in the final quarter of the season could boost him up near the 50-point mark.
More than anything, Galchenyuk needs players that can play at his speed surrounding him. If the Canes managed to land him before the conclusion of the 2018 Deadline, he could center the two top scorers on the team this season, Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen.