If the Montreal Canadiens want to improve the right wing position, Marc Bergevin could do a lot worse than inquiring about Winnipeg Jets winger Michael Frolik.
His availability is most likely dictated by where the Jets are in the standings, but with no whispers of contract talk between Frolik’s agent and the Jets, there may be a deal to be made.
Frolik is an unrestricted free agent after this season, making him a rental player at the deadline. He has been an effective possession player under three different coaches, including Claude Noel. He is capable of playing both wings, but has usually lined up at right wing for the Jets. Frolik is a strong penalty killer and is capable of playing on any line. He is strong in the defensive zone and can be used to hide a center’s weak defence by playing down the middle in the defensive zone.
Player Evaluation
This year Frolik’s most common linemates have been Mathieu Perreault and Mark Scheifele, followed by Andrew Ladd and Bryan Little. He plays on both special teams; making him valuable to a team who needs more skill and defensive prowess on the wing. Frolik excels at shot suppression and shot generation, making him ideal for the Canadiens. His goal scoring is lacking, but his ability to get the puck on goal without conceding many shots is a major plus for a team that struggles to generate shots.
Cost
This is a stumbling point. After reaching out to Arctic Ice Hockey, the consensus was “Who knows. Cheveldayoff only makes blockbuster trades”.
The starting price would probably be a second round pick and possibly a player like Dale Weise to balance out bodies moving. Young players who are NHL ready or close to it may not be as attractive to Winnipeg, considering they already need to open up roster spots for a bevy of their own prospects.
Is it worth it?
We’ll leave that up to the community to decide, although in this particular case it would seem as if Frolik fits one of Montreal’s pressing needs, albeit with caveat that involves his upcoming status as an unrestricted free agent.
If you were Marc Bergevin, would you pull the trigger on a deal for Frolik?
| Yes (2nd round pick) | 667 |
| No (too expensive) | 468 |
| No (not interested) | 633 |
