With the trade deadline fast approaching, the Habs find themselves in a weird spot this year. They are not contending; the expectations are not for them to edge out the top teams in the Atlantic in a playoff matchup. But, what is still a big accomplishment for this edition of the Montreal Canadiens, it seem likely that they will end up playing past the regular season.
The team then sits somewhere between two scenarios. They are not full-on buyers trying to get one step closer towards the ultimate goal of the Stanley Cup, nor are they sellers looking to take away from their NHL core to better position themselves for a brighter future.