It was Czech defenseman Jakub Jerabek, who'd been dealt to the Washington Capitals in exchange for a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.
Jerabek had been a healthy scratch for the last eight games, so countryman Tomas Plekanec was pleased to see that the 26-year-old rearguard was being given a fresh start in the District of Columbia.
"He's a great team guy. He works hard. He's a really, really good player. I'm sure he's going to do really well in Washington," said Plekanec, following the Canadiens' first practice on the South Shore since February 12. "He could play at this level and he adjusted to the NHL really quickly. That's very positive this year for him. Now, he's going to play there and they're going to play in the playoffs. I just wish him well."
During his post-practice press conference, head coach Claude Julien explained that moving Jerabek was purely a hockey decision.
"He was going to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. At the same time, we've got a lot of defenseman who play just like him," explained the Canadiens' bench boss. "It was a chance to get something in return for a guy that we might not have been able to re-sign."
With the trade deadline looming on Monday at 3 p.m. ET, Julien's charges fielded questions aplenty about what the immediate future might have in store for the rest of the group going forward.
It is, of course, a particularly nerve-racking time of year for players across the league, especially when your team is likely in selling mode.
"I think every single time [I've been traded] it's been a shock. Today, you see the lineups are set for practice and a number isn't on the board, and you never think in a million years that they would trade someone, but it's just a part of the game, it's a part of the business," said defenseman Joe Morrow, after hearing that his fellow blueliner was headed to the U.S. capital. "It's something you have to accept when you sign up for the sport of hockey. It kind of just comes with the territory."
With that in mind, according to Morrow, the best way to handle trade deadline time is just to keep on working and do everything in your power to avoid thinking about it - difficult as that may be.
"Everybody comes to work and everybody comes to try to get better. That's just kind of the main mindset of people, is that you individually come in and try to progress your hockey career and try to progress this team and enjoy the time you have here together," explained Morrow. "That's all you can do."
And, Julien was adamant that his players did just that on Wednesday following another disappointing loss at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.
"We landed back in Montreal late, but the guys just rebounded and came to work. They're frustrated, but they're still working hard and I think they still have the right attitude to try and improve things. When you see that from your players, it shows their character," praised Julien, whose squad will look to snap a six-game winless skid on Thursday night against the New York Rangers at the Bell Centre. "We're still hungry, even if the losses might not show it. The guys are competing hard."
