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It is no secret to the hockey world that GM Marc Bergevin is constantly on the phones, negotiating with other general managers, in hope to improve his hockey club. If the Montreal Canadiens want to become legitimate Stanley Cup contenders, they must acquire a top six scoring right winger before the trade deadline.
The window for a NHL team to win the Stanley Cup is very small, and Montreal is entering that window now. This is their time to make a big move in order to bring the Cup back to the city. Carey Price and Max Pacioretty are in the middle of their prime, and older guns such as Plekanec and Markov only have very little gas left in their tanks. While they have a great leadership core, culture and a very deep depth chart, they are only missing a single piece; a top six scoring winger. For the past 10 seasons, this has been one of Montreal's main issues. They solved their top line issues when Pacioretty became an elite sniper, but another scorer is needed. Signing Alex Semin to be "that" guy was a gamble, and with no surprise, he didn't pan out.
The Canadiens have a various selection of prospects and picks to deal in order to obtain their need. As far as Bergevin's history goes as GM, he will certainly find that top six sniper to fill the void on the second line.
Here are possible candidates for the job:
Kyle Okposo - RW, New York Islanders (3.5M$ - 1 year)
Age 27, Height/Weight - 6"1 / 217 lbs
Okposo has 6 goals, 14 assists in 25 games this season. His highest goal total in 2013-14 where he notched 27 goals. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent as of July 1st, 2016.
Wayne Simmonds - RW, Philadelphia Flyers ( 4M$ - 4 years)
Age 27, Height/Weight - 6"2 / 183 lbs
It has been reported that Wayne Simmonds is on the trade block. He and the Flyers have had a very slow start to the season, and things don't look like they are going to change anytime soon. Simmonds has only 5 goals and 7 assists after 24 games. He has three 25+ goal seasons in his career.
Jordan Eberle - RW, Edmonton Oilers ( 6M$ - 5 years)
Age 25, Height/Weight - 5"11 / 183 lbs
The Oilers have a surplus of developing young talent in their system, and a trade implicating either Eberle or Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is almost certain. After missing a dozen games to start the season due to injury, Eberle has struggled to find his scoring touch. In 12 games he has 3 markers and a -11 rating.
Jiri Hudler - RW, Calgary Flames ( 4M$ - 3 years)
Age 31, Height/Weight - 5"10 / 183 lbs
The Calgary Flames are not the same team they were last season as they currently sit in 29th place, with a 8-14-2 record. Although he is a bit past his prime, Hudler still has all the tools to be a top six sniper. He recorded a total of 31 goals and 76 points last season and also coming away with the Lady Byng Memorial trophy. He has recorded 4 goals and 10 assists in 22 games this season.
Radim Vrbata - RW, Vancouver Canucks (5M$ - 3 years)
Age 34, Height/Weight - 6"1 / 194 lbs
Along with Jiri Hudler, Vrbata is a natural goal scorer who is a couple years past his prime. Nevertheless, he did put up 31 goals last season and had a 35 goal season with Arizona four years ago. After 23 games this season, Vrbata has 6 goals and a .071 shooting percentage.
