Managing trade assets for a brighter future

Paul Byron, Jonathan Drouin, Evgenii Dadonov, and Sean Monahan are pending UFAs who could be traded at the trade deadline. Monanan came from Calgary in a trade following season-ending hip surgery.

Joel Armia was rewarded with a four-year contract worth $3.4M. He managed just 14 points in 60 games last season. The Finn is a defensively responsible player who can play both wings. He can also be a quality penalty killer. His game is good when he's on track.

Mike Hoffman didn't perform well in his first season with the Montreal Canadiens. He signed a three-year contract with a $4.5M cap hit last summer. The Habs finished 31st in the league on the power play last season. Hoffman is a left-hand shot winger who can play in either wing.

Christian Dvorak, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Brett Kulak are the players profiled here. They are all important to the Montreal Canadiens' rebuild. They might also help bring a return to playoffs closer. The players are also valuable trade assets for the future. For the rest of the season, they are playing for their current teams. It is unlikely that the Canadiens can recoup the first- and third-round picks they sent to Arizona Coyotes to acquire Dvoraak.