A trade for Cirelli would be a home run swing by the Canadiens.
Kelvin Sheppard's fiery comments ahead of Lions-Bears should get fans excited
Posted September 12, 2025
The Detroit Lions are facing down a must win game in just Week 2.
The team is 0-1 headed back to Ford Field to face off with the Chicago Bears, an NFC North rival and a team now coached by former offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. The coaching turnover in Detroit has been one heavily reported on, and one that's led to speculation about some guaranteed regression coming the Lions way.
Another coaching change at the defensive coordinator position has allowed for Kelvin Sheppard, the previous linebackers coach for the Lions, to step into the role. And, while he was unhappy with what he saw in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, he has moved on to hyping up his unit for a Week 2 against a former friend turned foe in Johnson and the Bears.
Sheppard telling defense Week 2 will feel like training camp
Sheppard is obviously looking forward to (hopefully) seeing a lot of the same play calling Johnson did with the Lions, with the Bears. The Lions' defense can pick up on that easily, and can therefore play against it like it's training camp and you're just doing drills against your fellow teammates.
With a quarterback like Caleb Williams - shiftier, faster, and far less accurate than Jordan Love - the defense should be able to bounce back a bit against Chicago this Sunday.
At the same time, Sheppard communicated to reporters on Thursday that he isn't necessarily concerned with showing up Johnson in his return to Detroit. The point of this contest is to simply win, and outside narratives don't seemingly matter at the moment to Sheppard.
“I’m looking forward to seeing our players respond to a loss. I could care less...who’s over there. We are coming off of a loss, ladies and gentlemen," said Sheppard according to CBS reporter Rachel Hopmayer.
Additional comments that should catch every Lions fans' eye include his very short responses to reporters about certain defenders missing assignments, and him repeating the same message over and over regarding those misses: "learn from your mistakes."
The Lions had zero takeaways, zero sacks, and allowed multiple explosive plays against the Packers in Week 1. They didn't look like the powerhouse secondary they were hyped up to be all of training camp, while the pass rush woes that have plagued the team since last season continued to rear their head against a tight Green Bay offensive line.
Communication will be key on both sides of the ball if Detroit wants to respond to their Week 1 loss in an emphatic way. Clearly, that's what Sheppard expects from his defense.
Cirelli is projected to be a valuable asset - the trade talks are heating up
The Montreal Canadiens have been undergoing a period of rebuilding for some time.
They pulled off one of the biggest deals of the summer – acquiring offensive defender Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. We proposes a deal that would accelerate the Eastern Conference team’s exit from its rebuilding phase by acquiring Anthony Cirelli from the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Canadiens Acquire:
- Anthony Cirelli
Lightning Acquire:
- Patrik Laine
A deal of this magnitude would undoubtedly be a blockbuster. Patrik Laine is an established NHLer who can produce goals and points. Cirelli is a top-six center whose two-way prowess is widely recognized throughout the league. Cirelli would immediately become a vital piece for the Canadiens moving forward.
While others have speculated that a player like Pavel Zacha of the Boston Bruins would be a helpful piece, Cirelli is a better option.
Montreal Canadiens Need To Move Salary Out
According to PuckPedia, the Canadiens are $4.519 million over the salary cap ceiling. Swapping Laine for Cirelli doesn’t cure what ails their salary cap situation, but it lightens the load.
Laine will make $8.7 million in the 2025-26 season. He is in the final year of his contract, and the Canadiens must start thinking about whether they should retain him in their ranks or not. By executing this proposed swap, they acquire a player who is signed for a long time at a lower cap hit than Laine.
Cirelli is in the third year of an eight-year contract paying him $6.25 million, which is $2.5 million less than Laine’s. This deal would get them closer to the ceiling, but another deal would need to happen to bring them even closer.
Another consideration could be to involve another team to retain salary on Laine’s contract. This would give the Lightning a more affordable contract to acquire, providing them with a greater incentive to make the deal.
Anthony Cirelli’s Surprising Offensive Game
Cirelli displayed another level to his offensive game in 2024-25. In 80 games played, he recorded career highs in goals (27), assists (32), points (59), shorthanded points (7), and time on ice (18:41).
Had Cirelli played for the Canadiens during this past season, he would have had the fourth-most points. The only Canadiens with more than 59 points last year were Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Lane Hutson.
Getting that kind of offensive boost to the top-six forward group is something that the Canadiens should be all over.
