Could Phil Kessel be a trade target for the Montreal Canadiens?

Phil Kessel will be on the move soon as the Pittsburgh Penguins retool their roster and it may be worth it for the Montreal Canadiens to inquire on him.

Every year a team in the NHL has their season end sooner than they expected and it sends the organization in waves. The Montreal Canadiens don’t have too much buzz around them despite falling short of a playoff spot, but there are a number of moves Marc Bergevin should do to ensure contention next year. The same can’t be said for the Pittsburgh Penguins which shouldn’t be too much of a surprise given the way their season ended and who the team’s general manager is.

The Penguins lasted only four games in the first round. Although the Tampa Bay Lightning suffered the same fate and for the most part had their name on the Stanley Cup in October, Pittsburgh going out the way they did is heartwrenching. Keep in mind this is a team who has Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and won back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017.

However, they lost and have a little over $3 million in cap space. Not only does that need to be addressed, but Jim Rutherford is looking to shake up the roster which has put Phil Kessel‘s name out there.

Kessel is on top of TSN’ Trade Bait List at the moment though the 31-year-old being surrounded in trade rumours isn’t a new thing. The difference being now is that it seems like Rutherford is fully prepared to move Kessel.

A top-six forward of Kessel’s calibre could be a great fit on the Montreal Canadiens, especially on the power play. The Habs haven’t been directly linked to the Penguins when it comes to Kessel, but Marc Bergevin has a knack of having deals come out of nowhere. Perhaps this is a possibility.