The last major event of the NHL calendar has come and gone with the 2016 NHL Draft closing in Buffalo Saturday afternoon. I was fortunate enough to have tickets, and I will say, the Buffalo Sabres, the Pegula family, and the city of Buffalo put on an outstanding event. I look forward to going back to the city of Buffalo for a Habs game in the near future (and for some wings, of course. Also, anyone have any idea what a pizza log is? Seemed to be a local staple. Whatever they were, I ate six of them). While I stuffed my face, the Habs entered the offseason with a splash and may have a few important storylines headed into free agency and moving into training camp.

PK Subban Trade Rumors

While the draft weekend itself was full of excitement, intrigue began well before the NHL’s general managers entered the draft floor at First Niagara Center. Most notably for Habs fans, the PK Subban trade rumors were in full swing as the Edmonton Oilers were apparently inquiring about the All-Star defender.

But as far as we know, that’s all that happened. Just calls. It is unlikely that an offer was even tabled, and yet Habs’ GM Marc Bergevin was crucified for “trying to trade” PK Subban. To call this conclusion a reach would be a massive understatement. Bergevin cannot control who calls him, and he would be stupid to at least not listen (especially if it’s Peter Chiarelli on the other line, and somehow Connor McDavid’s name slips into the conversation. Farfetched, but a man can dream). I love Subban as much as the next guy, but Bergevin cannot stop people from calling about players, nor can he afford to ignore other GMs. And has anyone noticed anything? Since the draft ended, the Subban chatter has completely died. It was fun, but that’s all it was. A Subban jersey would be a safe investment at this point, as it appears that the Habs’ number one defender isn’t going anywhere.

The End of Eller

While the media were in a frenzy over something Vancouver GM Jim Benning said, Bergevin was making deals the only way he knows how: in secrecy. After sights of Bergevin and Capitals GM Brian MacLellen speaking on the draft floor, there were a few rumblings that Montreal was planning something. While this led some to believe a trade with Washington was imminent, the Chicago deal remained much more secretive. In the end, the Canadiens shipped Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals in exchange for Washington’s second round picks in 2017 and 2018.

On the surface, this is not a bad deal. Two second round picks for a third-line center is a pretty good price. Bergevin could hold on to those picks, or he could package them for deadline help if the Habs are in the position for a long playoff run. Another asset this trade offers the Canadiens is cap flexibility, as Eller’s $3.5 million cap hit comes off the books two years early (I’m getting to Shaw, trust me).

On the other hand, Eller’s defensive strength will be missed, as he was the team’s best defensive forward by a large margin. While his offensive output seemed to be capped at about 30 points, his defensive power will be missed, especially when Bergevin says former Blackhawk Phillip Danault made Eller expendable. While Danault’s ability to fill this role has yet to be seen, the absence of Eller may open the door for someone to step up and take the hard minutes on the penalty kill and in shutting down opposing team’s top forwards.

Welcome, Andrew Shaw

In a move announced in the same breath as the Eller trade, the Canadiens acquired pending RFA Andrew Shaw from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for two second round picks. Both picks were in the second round of this year’s draft; the 39th pick (Alex Debrincat) and the 45th pick (Chad Krys). The words had hardly left Gary Bettman’s mouth before the reactions came pouring in. Shaw, 24, is an agitator extraordinaire who looks to cash in on somewhat moderate success with the Blackhawks. This past season, Shaw tallied 34 points in 78 games, although some argue that playing with center Jonathan Toews inflated his numbers quite a bit. What Habs’ fans might be looking at here is a younger, slightly more talented Brandon Prust, as Shaw himself said that Bergevin “likes the rat in me.”

Two issues arise with this trade, the most obvious being his contract status. Shaw remains unsigned. However, it is believed that at the time of publication, the Habs are close to a deal that would keep Shaw in Montreal for six years at around $4 million a season. At this cap hit, Shaw is almost exactly like Prust, but with a contract two years longer, if the rumored six-year-deal is correct.

The second issue with the trade is Shaw’s past. In the first round of this year’s playoffs, Shaw was suspended one game for using a homophobic slur and fined for making an obscene gesture at an official. This incident makes me uncomfortable about Shaw. He apologized and was mandated to undergo sensitivity training, but whether or not that has any impact on him remains to be seen.

To analyze the trades of Eller and Shaw together would be a bit of a mistake. Yes, Eller was dealt to make cap space for Shaw, but Shaw is not Eller’s replacement. Shaw is a very different kind of player and in no way is a replacement for Eller. Is Eller going to be adequately replaced by someone on the roster? Maybe. But I think Eller’s defensive minutes were a lot harder than some people think. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Danault struggle in this role, at least for the beginning of the season.

The Newest Habs

With all the speculation, the draft itself almost becomes an afterthought. The Habs added six players at the podium in Buffalo, and our own Antoine Mathieu has the in depth reports on all of them here! For quick reference, here’s who joined the Habs’ prospect pool this weekend:

9th: Mikhail Sergachev, D, Windsor (OHL) 70th: William Bitten, C, Flint (OHL) 100th: Victor Mete, D, London (OHL) 124th: Casey Staum, D, Hill-Murray High School 160th: Michael Pezzetta, C, Sudbury (OHL) 187th: Arvid Henrikson, D, AIK (SWE)

What’s next?

Looking forward, the next week or so could define Bergevin’s legacy as Canadiens GM. If he does not add significant scoring help, the team could continue to falter offensively. I look to a guy like Andrew Ladd as a UFA who could provide a top six offensive role, chip in 25 goals a year, and truly compliment Max Pacioretty as another oversized winger.

Of course, the cap hit needs to be reasonable, and Montreal may want to move another forward to make room for Artturi Lehkonen, which could spell the end of David Desharnais in Montreal. Desharnais makes $3.5 million for one more season on his current contract, which could be moved to a team desperate to reach the cap floor, like the Arizona Coyotes. Alexei Emelin might also be done, as Bergevin has a history of moving out players with bad contracts as they reach the age of 30. Josh Gorges was traded at 29, and Brandon Prust was traded at 31. Gorges, Prust and Emelin make over $4 million on their current contracts, which preludes to a possible trade involving Emelin after his no trade clause becomes modified on July 1st.

But as we’ve learned from Bergevin in the past, we truly have no idea what he’s going to do next. However, one indisputable fact I learned this weekend is that Marc Bergevin’s suits look even better in person.

Follow Ian on twitter @ihabs1995