According to David Pagnotta, the Calgary Flames are rebuilding and are looking to trade a few players, including center Morgan Frost and defenseman Zach Whitecloud. Could they be good trading partners for the Montreal Canadiens? After all, the Habs are in the market for a centerman and a right-shot defenseman.
As things stand, Frost, who recorded 43 points in 82 games with the Flames last season, is listed as their number one center. That’s far from ideal. While he was a Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick at the 2017 draft (27th overall), he’s never truly lived up to expectations. His most productive season came in 2022-23 when he recorded 46 points in 81 games. Those are not the numbers of a second-line center. However, since the Canadiens are essentially in a holding pattern waiting for Michael Hage, Frost could be an interesting stopgap, as he has only one year left on his contract with a $4.375 million cap hit before becoming a UFA.
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If Montreal does entertain the idea of picking him up for the season, it likely wouldn’t be willing to give much to acquire him, and chances are the Flames could find better offers out there from teams who may see a future with Frost.
The reported availability of Whitecloud is much more interesting. The 29-year-old right-shot defenseman has two years left on his contract, which carries a $2.75 million cap hit. The 6-foot-2 and 210-pound blueliner doesn’t play an exciting style of hockey; he’s very much a stay-at-home defenseman, as evidenced by the fact that he has never put up more than 19 points in a season in the NHL, but he can hit. He recorded 124 hits in a season split between the Flames and the Vegas Golden Knights and blocked 140 shots. He would have been fifth in hits and fourth in blocks with the Canadiens last season.
He also won a Stanley Cup with the Golden Knights in 2022-23, and in those playoffs, he had a plus-14 differential, putting up eight points in 22 games. Essentially, Whitecloud could become an upgrade on Alex Carrier, who will be entering the final year of his contract this year, if the Canadiens manage to sign him to an extension. His acquisition would make the Canadiens’ defense more balanced, allowing Lane Hutson to play on his natural side and giving David Reinbacher one more year to mature and polish his game at the AHL level with the Laval Rocket. With Noah Dobson, Carrier and Whitecloud on the right side and Matheson, Hutson and Guhle on the left, Montreal would have a much more reliable defense.
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The Flames have been rumored to be interested in Arber Xhekaj in the past, and he could certainly be used to make that trade happen. While Xhekaj brings an interesting blend of grit and physicality to the table, it’s become evident that Martin St-Louis doesn’t really trust him, and it could be better for both the player and the team if he were used to acquire a piece whom the coach will trust. He’s more useful to the Canadiens as a trade piece than he is as a healthy scratch or as a third-pairing blueliner who the coach won’t use for more than five minutes. As for Xhekaj, he could get a real chance to establish himself as an NHLer. Of course, the Habs would need to add something else to make the trade happen, likely futures such as draft picks, but the rugged blueliner would be a good starting point.
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