Canadiens reportedly have Plan B in the works to poach young Canucks star should they lose Carey Price

Could the Canadiens have their eyes on poaching a young star from the Canucks?

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HockeyFeed
Published 2 years ago
Canadiens reportedly have Plan B in the works to poach young Canucks star should they lose Carey Price
NHL.com

The Montreal Canadiens are regrouping as an organization after their incredible Cinderella-style run to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 1993. Though they would ultimately fall in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Habs gave a new generation of fans everywhere some pretty incredible memories that will last a lifetime. 

They've already taken care of some housekeeping procedures for next season, removing the interim tag from Dominique Ducharme, and also re-signing assistant coach Luke Richardson. But what will the 2021-22 edition of the Montreal Canadiens look like on the ice? It already looks as though captain Shea Weber could be in serious danger of missing the upcoming season with ongoing injury woes, and of course there is the ongoing drama regarding the "will they, won't they" decision the Seattle Kraken have to make when it comes to goaltender Carey Price, who was left unprotected by the Habs for the upcoming NHL Expansion Draft. 

While the loss of one or both superstars would certainly hurt the Habs, one report indicates that they could have a contingency plan up their sleeves, and it would involve a sneaky maneuver that hasn't been completed since the offseason of 2008.

According to podcaster Sean Warren (take that for what you will), he's "hearing" that the Canadiens could decide to tender an offer sheet to young Vancouver Canucks star Elias Pettersson

"Hearing from French sources that if Carey Price is taken by Seattle, thus freeing up his contract, the Canadiens are eyeing up an offersheet to #Canucks Elias Pettersson for the maximum amount that would keep the compensation to 2 1sts, 1 2nd, 1 3rd."

With 65 goals and 153 points in his first 165 career games in the NHL since being drafted by the Canucks 5th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft, Pettersson is entering his first offseason as an unrestricted free-agent as his entry-level contract is expiring. Should the Canadiens ultimately lose Price to the Kraken, his departure would leave not only a gaping hole in their crease, but also their pocket books. 

A massive offer sheet could be accomplished by GM Marc Bergevin, though it would carry considerable risk of not falling through, given that the last offer sheet that was accepted was by former Anaheim Ducks forward Dustin Penner with the Edmonton Oilers during the summer of 2008. The most recent offer sheet was tendered by - you guessed it - Montreal in 2019, who had their eyes set on Hurricanes forward Sebastian Aho. The Canes would match Montreal's offer. 

Should Bergevin swing for the fences again? 

Source: Twitter