Mike Matheson Traded to a Canadian Rival? Kent Hughes May Pull Off a Robbery

Teams have finally decided to take action, and many significant moves have been made official. Notable players like Noah Hanifin, Casey Mittelstadt, Bowen Byram, Sean Walker, Vladimir Tarasenko, Alexander Wennberg, and Adam Henrique have all changed teams.

It's been very quiet on the Canadiens' front, as the team has several players it would like to offload, including Jake Allen, Joel Armia, Josh Anderson, etc.

However, Kent Hughes also has some veterans who could be very valuable on the current market, which is why David Savard's name has been circulating in trade rumors.

But Savard isn't the only one who could bring a significant return for the Canadiens, as Michael Matheson is also having an extraordinary offensive season.

In connection with what he could bring to the Canadiens, the popular site Montreal Hockey Now raised two very tempting offers for the club that could tip the scales for Hughes.

Here are the two proposals:

Considering the current situation and the organizational needs of the two teams, Winnipeg would be the perfect trade partner for a Matheson deal.

They have a dire need for stability on defense and, being one of the best teams in the league this season, they are focused on winning the Stanley Cup this year. Acquiring Matheson would be a significant gain for them.

Moreover, following several good drafts, the Jets' prospect pool is flourishing. They could afford to give up one of their best prospects for immediate and long-term help with Matheson, who is signed for two more seasons, for a promising young forward like McGroarty.

This 19-year-old American (turning 20 on March 30th next year) is 6'1″ and 201 pounds. He was the captain of the U.S. team during their gold medal win at the last World Junior Championship. So far, he has scored 40 points in 27 NCAA games for the University of Michigan.

He would be a very high-quality addition to play in the top-6 for the Montreal Canadiens, possibly as early as next year.

If the Jets agree to trade McGroarty for Matheson, it's a trade that Kent Hughes must absolutely make.

Credit: Habs et LNH