The Montreal Canadiens are among several NHL teams that have made inquiries on Pavel Zacha this offseason, according to insider Jimmy Murphy as relayed Tuesday by The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro.
Zacha, 29, put up 30 goals and 65 points in 78 regular-season games with Boston this past season.
The Czech forward carries a $4,750,000 cap hit and brings a proven power-play track record, with 11 power play goals this season.
According to Jimmy Murphy, the Canadiens are among several teams that have inquired about Pavel Zacha.
Would you like to see him in Montreal?
YES or NO?
That's a profile GM Kent Hughes actively shops for. Montreal scored 3.5 goals per game this year, but the Canadiens have shown they want more scoring punch up front heading into what looks like a genuine Cup contention window.
The problem is what happened in the playoffs. Zacha went minus-7 across Boston's six-game first-round loss to Buffalo, with just 3 points.
A guy who was productive all season long and then disappeared when it counted most isn't an easy sell. Habs fans will remember that.
Zacha at $4.75 million: a fit for Montreal's cap structure or a luxury they can't justify?
Boston's season ended at the hands of Buffalo in six games, and with a new coaching staff under Marco Sturm still finding its footing, the Bruins' roster is in a state of real uncertainty heading into the summer.
Don Sweeney isn't going to hand players away. But a forward like Zacha, entering his 30s with a playoff performance that raised questions, might not be untouchable either.
Other teams are reportedly in the mix. Detroit, Chicago, and Anaheim are also listed as teams that have looked into the 29-year-old, which means Montreal would be competing to land him. That's not nothing.
Martin St-Louis has built something real in Montreal. A 48-win regular season followed by a second-round appearance tells you this team is legitimate. Adding a 65-point forward with power play pedigree could make sense.
But Zacha isn't exactly Nick Suzuki or Cole Caufield. He's a depth piece with top-six upside. And right now, the Canadiens have a locker room full of young players who need minutes and trust, not a veteran brought in to push them down the depth chart.
Is he the right guy for what Martin St-Louis is trying to build? That's a real question. You don't always want to paper over holes with someone else's cast-off.
The Montreal schedule tells its own story. The two teams met four times this season, with Boston winning three of those matchups. Zacha knows what playing against this group looks like. Whether he wants to join it is a different conversation.
-
The summer is long. This one will get louder before it gets quieter.
Should the Canadiens make a move to acquire Pavel Zacha this offseason?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
John Chyka finally confirms the move everyone was waiting for this summer
