Analyst floats trade proposal between the Canadiens and Lightning for a towering 6-foot-4 center
Photo credit: Habsfanatics/NHL
Several names have been thrown around since last year to fill the role of the Montreal Canadiens' second-line center.
Sidney Crosby, Mason McTavish, Nazem Kadri, Steven Stamkos, and Pavel Zacha have been at the heart of rumors involving the Habs in recent months.
The latest name circulating in the speculation is quite surprising and has sparked plenty of discussion - especially since it comes from none other than Simon Boisvert.
It's Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Geekie.
Conor Geekie is stuck in Tampa Bay, according to Simon Boisvert
In the latest episode of the Mathias et le Serpent podcast, the man nicknamed "The Snake" opened up the discussion about Conor Geekie.
According to him, the 21-year-old left-handed center isn't in the AHL because he's playing poorly, but because there's simply no room for him in Tampa.
"My answer is Conor Geekie. The guy has offensive talent, but in Tampa, he's stuck. It's not because he's playing badly-it's just that they give him eight or nine minutes, and then send him down to the AHL."
- Simon "Snake" Boisvert
- Simon "Snake" Boisvert
Right now, the Lightning are rolling with Brayden Point and Anthony Cirelli as their top two centers.
Let's be honest - they're tough to replace.
Looking at the other centers in the organization, Dominic James and Yanni Gourde average 12:12 and 15:55 of ice time per game, which is better than Geekie's 10:02.
Geekie's size (6 feet 4 inches), combined with his hockey IQ and scoring ability, makes him a perfect fit for the Canadiens.
According to Boisvert, the forward is exactly the type of player Montreal loves to add to its core.
To acquire him, the analyst says he'd be willing to trade a late first-round pick or a second-round pick plus a prospect - and that prospect could even be Owen Beck.
However, it's fair to wonder whether Kent Hughes still wants to acquire uncertain young players or if, at this stage of the rebuild, he'd rather target someone more experienced.
As for Julien Brisebois, he will undoubtedly be patient with the Geekie situation.
As Vincent Larue from DLC reminds us, the organization's core is aging, and its prospect pool is thin.
That's not even mentioning the team's salary cap situation, which is already tight and will certainly be an issue in the coming years.
In six games this season with the Bolts, Geekie has recorded just one assist.
He's added seven points, including three goals, in five games with the Syracuse Crunch.
TRENDING NOW
