The NHL trade deadline is still months away, not taking place until March 8th this season. But that doesn’t mean we can’t look ahead to what could be a monumental day for the future of the Canadiens. This will be Kent Hughes’ third deadline as GM of the team, with the potential to be his busiest yet.
Obviously, it won’t be a fire sale or a full-on teardown, but the Canadiens do have players that don’t necessarily fit into their long-term plans that might be better valued to them as a trade piece. This was the case a few seasons ago when the Habs shipped out Ben Chiarot, Tyler Toffoli and Artturi Lehkonen.
That may very well be the case for the Canadiens again this season, but we won’t know for sure until we get closer to March 8th. But periodically between now and then, we’ll keep updating the power rankings for players most likely to be moved and also discuss what the Canadiens might be able to fetch in return for them.
Again, the list of names won’t be particularly long, as the Canadiens have a young nucleus they are trying to build around already, but not everyone fits the mold. As we get further along in the season, I’m sure rumours will swirl about potential players on the move, but for now that front has been quiet this early into the season. So let’s jump into it.