After three years of rebuilding and collecting draft picks, the Montreal Canadiens may be on the verge of a major mid-season trade.
A few days after multiple insiders reported that the Habs are on the lookout for a right-handed top-four defenceman, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman took to the airwaves to reveal another one of the team’s trade interests.
As per Friedman’s Saturday Headlines segment this past weekend, Montreal is also exploring the forward market.
“It’s been widely reported that the Canadiens are looking at defensive help,” the insider said on Hockey Night in Canada. “We can also add that they have started peeking around for a forward, too. Particularly someone with edge.”
It’s hard to say exactly what that “edge” entails. But given where the Habs are in their long-term plan, it’s unlikely that they will sacrifice any pieces integral to their future for short-term assistance.
“They’re also telling teams that they won’t do anything that interferes with the long-term planning of their roster after this season,” Friedman added.
Part of the Canadiens’ eagerness to get a deal done could be due to having an injury-depleted roster.
As of now, the following players are sidelined:
- Patrik Laine (IR)
- Rafael Harvey-Pinard (IR)
- Juraj Slafkovsky
- Kaiden Guhle
- Justin Barron
- David Reinbacher (IR)
Nevertheless, the team is now riding a respectable 4-4-1 record after posting off back-to-back wins in a 24-hour span this past weekend.