A trade makes sense for Max Pacioretty and the Canadiens

If a team is rumored to be shopping one of its top players, there can be any number of factors at work. For instance, said player's contract could be about to expire and the team can't afford him anymore, or the team or individual player is struggling and it's simply time to part ways. For Max Pacioretty and the Montreal Canadiens, it's a little bit of everything.

Rumors began to swirl last weekend that the bumbling Habs, who currently sit well out of a playoff spot, were starting to shop their 29-year-old captain. Typically when a player is in this position, he chooses not to openly talk about it, but Pacioretty, who has thus far has had a down season, gave a little insight into where his head was at.

"I've gone through ups and downs, but never this low," he said on Monday following a weekend in the rumor mill. "If it happens, it happens. I'm very proud of the past success I've had in Montreal. I've played here for 10 years, and I've never gone through something like this."

So, just how did Pacioretty get to this point in the first place?

For starters, his production has significantly dipped this season. He surpassed the 30-goal mark in four of the last five seasons, and the one outlier came in the truncated 2012-13 lockout season when he notched 15 goals and 24 assists. In the 2017-18 campaign however, Pacioretty is stuck at eight goals total after a dry December when he couldn't find the back of the net.

While his production has certainly been down, Pacioretty alone is not responsible for the Habs' lack of success. Montreal's more recent roster moves haven't produced enough to make them competitive (Ahem, Jonathan Drouin). Plus, as SportsNet's Eric Engels perfectly summarizes, Pacioretty has consistently had the right pieces around him in the past to complement his goal-scoring dexterity. Without a proper replacement for David Desharnais or Alexander Radulov, the winger hasn't been able to exercise the best of his play-making abilities.

While a trade may be stress-inducing now, all parties involved could benefit from one. Pacioretty is nearing the tail end of a six-year contract extension and carries a $4.5 million cap hit. The price tag — added to his past success on the ice — makes him an appealing fish in the trade waters. This would give Montreal more wiggle room find what works with its roster, something the Canadiens have yet  to find this year. While Pacioretty will surely want to make sure his family is taken care of first and foremost in the event that he moves, it could also ultimately be beneficial for the rest of his career.

Sure, the circumstances aren't ideal for the Canadiens' current captain, but by the second half of the season, parting ways could be the best remedy for both him and Montreal.