The Montreal Canadiens have consistently been in NHL rumours since leading up to the NHL trade deadline for the 2025-26 season. General Manager Kent Hughes has been rumoured to be aggressively seeking a top-notch top-six forward to play alongside star forward Ivan Demidov. But the latest in NHL rumours is that the Canadiens are changing their trade strategy. Let’s get into the details.
NHL Rumours: Montreal Canadiens Changing Trade Strategy
Rumour: In a Thursday article for Sportsnet, Hockey Insider Frank Seravalli provided some inside information as to how the Canadiens are approaching the trade market. He said that “the start of the season from some of their young players has the Canadiens internally weighing how aggressive they want to be on the trade market.” He said Montreal’s “big move” this season may be more along the lines of the deal they made for Phillip Danault last season, to add a stabilizing player that doesn’t cost much in future assets and does not have long-term strings attached.
Analysis: The Seravalli article does not address the injury to Nick Suzuki and was likely written before the injury was announced. But the injury may strengthen Seravalli’s assertion. If Hughes was reluctant to part with young assets before, the price will only go up with potential trade partners knowing how badly the Canadiens will miss Suzuki. Hughes is more likely to seek out a lower-cost stabilizing option, if any deal is made at all while the captain is sidelined.
Recapping Recent NHL Rumours for the Canadiens
Montreal has been connected to several prominent players on the trade market. Leading up to last season’s deadline, they were trying to strike a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs for Matthew Knies. Throughout the offseason, they pursued Kirill Marchenko from the Columbus Blue Jackets. Most recently, they have been connected to Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings, who is not interested in a trade to a Canadian team.
On Thursday on TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Red Wings were actively scouting Montreal’s games in case Larkin has a change of heart. Clearly, should the perfect fit become available, the Habs are still willing to make a deal.
Some Prospects May Change Plans
In all of the NHL rumours that have circulated concerning the Canadiens, there has been a consistent theme. Centreman Michael Hage, currently playing for the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA, is the first player teams will request in a trade, and is a player Hughes is unwilling to move. Seravalli confirmed Hage continues to be unavailable.
Hage is not the only young player having a good season. Alexander Zharovsky in the KHL, Luke Mittelstadt and David Reinbacher in Laval, and Adam Engstrom in Montreal are giving the Canadiens pause. They may indeed be valuable in a trade, but they may also be valuable in the lineup if Hughes were to eventually move a roster player to obtain that perfect fit.
Suzuki’s Injury Changes Things
While fans and pundits may be expecting a quick move from Hughes, Marco D’Amico, on the Starr and D’Amico Podcast on Thursday, reported that Hughes will not make a panic move to replace Suzuki based on a two to four-week absence. He said that perhaps a lateral move to bring in some help would be possible.
This take has some consistency with Seravalli’s report that the Habs may be more inclined to make a Danault-like trade.
The Last Word
The potential for the Montreal Canadiens to make a low-key, stabilizing move is not the most exciting of NHL rumours, but it may be the smartest option for the Habs. The perfect fit may not be readily available, and young players are progressing with promise. Hughes should not be eager to trade a prospect that might be regrettable in the near future, especially when the core is so young and prospects are so close.
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