Trade Deadline Day Target: Nick Perbix

The Canadiens have mentioned that they are not interested in bringing in someone that would just be used as a rental, which is why Perbix being on a very team-friendly deal for an additional year could be intriguing to the Habs. What Perbix would bring is someone that can be used for a solid 15-17 minutes a night while playing a big role on the penalty kill. So far this season, Perbix is averaging a career-high 19:19 per game with 3 goals and 10 points in 59 games.

He won’t bring much offence, but the Habs have enough of that with guys like Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, and Mike Matheson on the back end. However, the Habs lack a true shutdown defenseman lower in their lineup, which is where Perbix can come in and play that role effectively. With the Canadiens, he wouldn’t even need to play nearly as much as he has with the Predators, which should allow him to save his best hockey for when he’s needed as a 3rd pairing defenseman.

As mentioned in the article about Zack Whitecloud being a potential target , the Habs never replaced the presence of David Savard on the team, which has led to a big hole in the team’s penalty kill. While the Canadiens are having a good overall season, the penalty kill has been a clear weak spot in their game, as they are currently ranked as the 27th best penalty kill with a 76.5% success rate. With that being said, there is a clear need to improve in that area, and Perbix, just like Whitecloud, could help a lot in that department and put less pressure on Matheson to play entire penalty kills.

The advantage that the Canadiens could have by acquiring Perbix instead of Whitecloud is that he is coveted less by teams around the league but also more likely to be available. This means that the Canadiens won’t need to overpay to obtain Perbix’s services, and it could come at a very reasonable price. Whereas, it has been reported that in order to get Whitecloud from the Flames, a team will need to overpay to get him. This is why the Habs should likely pursue Perbix over Whitecloud if they aren’t willing to pay much of a premium.

Another thing that Perbix adds to the Canadiens’ blueline is some much-needed size, as his 6’4″ and 205 lbs would make him one of the Habs’ biggest defensemen, which can be an asset when size is needed down the stretch and come playoff time. The Canadiens may not end up doing anything, but if they do, it wouldn’t be surprising if Perbix becomes a Hab.

Do you like the possibility of bringing in an affordable depth defenseman like Perbix?