Rumours of the Montreal Canadiens trading defenceman Joel Edmundson have been flying around before the season even began.
The latest development in the saga, though, even has some skeptics believing that Steady Eddy may be on the move.
On Tuesday afternoon, Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reported that the 29-year-old would be sitting out tonight’s game against the San Jose Sharks.
Martin St. Louis confirms Joel Edmundson is out vs. SJ
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) February 28, 2023
Interestingly, Edmundson was cleared to play as of Monday after battling an injury. He even travelled with the team to California and practiced in a full-contact jersey. As a result, it’s highly unlikely that coach Martin St. Louis is benching him for injury reasons.
A look at the forward lines at practice in San Jose today 👇#GoHabsGohttps://t.co/IzuGanJpNz
— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) February 27, 2023
Edmundson, 29, has one year remaining on his contract beyond this season, carrying a $3.5 million cap hit. The 6-foot-5 defenceman is averaging 19:50 of ice time per game with the Habs this season.
His name has been linked to a number of teams over the past few days — most notably, to the Edmonton Oilers. With the March 3 trade deadline looming, Edmundson’s time in Montreal could seemingly come to an end any minute now.