Marc Bergevin wanted to add more grit and toughness to the Montreal Canadiens and did so by acquiring Andrew Shaw on draft day in a deal with the Chicago Blackhawks for two second-round picks. While it was a steep price for Montreal to pay, Shaw is a valuable third-liner who is a tough customer and can put the puck on net on occasion. His value boomed because of his Stanley Cup resume, but despite those accomplishments Shaw is a good, but not great player.
The move wasn’t a great one, but having Shaw in your lineup isn’t a bad thing. What made the deal a bad one is that Bergevin met the 24-year-old’s absurd contract demands and then some. The Canadiens signed Shaw to a six-year deal worth an average of $3.9 million per season. There’s a number of reasons why this deal doesn’t make sense.
CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 10: Andrew Shaw #65 of the Chicago Blackhawks follows the puck against the Colorado Avalanche at the United Center on January 10, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Blackhawks defeated the Avalanche 6-3. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
First, the term of the contract. A six-year commitment should be to a player who’s apart of your core long-term. Shaw doesn’t fit that bill. He’s never going to be a top-line center, so there’s no reason to commit so many years to him before he’s even laced up the skates with the Canadiens. Remember, Montreal has been notoriously stingy in the past about contract extensions to stars P.K. Subban and Alex Galchenyuk, two core players, so for Bergevin to sign Shaw to such a big deal so quickly is concerning.
The $3.9 million per season might not seem crippling but that’s over $23 million committed to a player who’s destined to be a third-liner. As General Fanager notes, Shaw’s cap comparables include T.J. Oshie, Wayne Simmonds, and Brendan Gallagher. Is Shaw on the level of those players in terms of effectiveness and skill? Not even close.
Bergevin praised Shaw for his solid character, but let’s not forget he was fined for using a homophobic slur during the NHL playoffs. It could be a one-time mistake, but it says something about Shaw that he felt it was OK to say such a damaging thing during a hockey game.
So what are the positives of the deal? Shaw can play. He’s scored at least 14 goals in three straight seasons and has put up 30+ points twice in that span. Shaw was gifted the opportunity of playing big minutes with Jonathan Toews, Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad over the past few seasons, so his production might be stunted at its current rate. There’ no question he’ll have few opportunities now that he’s removed from his talented Chicago teammates. With Gallagher, Shaw should give Montreal two of the most annoying players in the NHL. It’s going to be fun to watch them agitate opponents by any means necessary (hopefully not more slurs).
The deal reportedly does not have no-movement clause, so the Canadiens won’t be blocked if they want to deal him in the future. Still, that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy to do. By all accounts, Shaw is a third-line center who’s getting paid like a secondary scorer. He’s not that. He’ll give you a chippy, aggressive performance and occasionally score some goals, but thinking he can live up the contract is insane.
It’s the type of contract the Canadiens might look to bury in a few seasons or move in the upcoming expansion draft. Shaw will make the Canadiens a better team (even if just in a minor way) but the price tag is absurd for his value. The same type of player could have been signed for a much smaller and shorter deal. Montreal is stuck with Shaw for six seasons.
