There is no question that general manager Kent Hughes will be looking to improve the Montreal Canadiens and increase their chances of a deep playoff run. However, Nazem Kadri doesn't appear to be among those options after the Canadiens reportedly expressed interest earlier in the season, but the buzz has cooled, according to recent reports.
The reason is probably due to the team trading for Phillip Danault just before Christmas and that helped solidify the centre position for the Canadiens. The focus should shift for Hughes now to adding a winger that could upgrade their top line.
Over the course of the season, the Canadiens have seen players like Alexandre Texier and recently Kirby Dach fill that need. They have done a good job to this point but truly unlocking this top line might require trading for one of these four players.
Robert Thomas
While the Canadiens may not be looking for a center, they could make an exception for a player like Robert Thomas. He is a young player at 26 years old and is someone who is under contract through the 2030-31 season. A trade at this point wouldn't just help them this season, but he would be a long-term piece to the young core they have built.
Thomas has been a point-per-game the prior two seasons and while he has dipped a bit this season, he has still been very productive with 33 points in 42 games.
Recently, Thomas suffered an injury that will keep out until after the Olympic break and that should complicate any trade discussions. However, if there is a center the Canadiens end up trading for, it wouldn't be surprising if Thomas is the one they add.
Jordan Kyrou
Robert Thomas shouldn't be the only St. Louis Blues player that the Montreal Canadiens are interested in and Jordan Kyrou could end up being a better fit for the team. Similar to Thomas, Kyrou is still in the prime of his career at 27 years old and under contract for the next few seasons with his current deal running through the 2030-31 season.
The reason that Kyrou is a better option for Montreal is that he is naturally a winger and would immediately be an upgrade on the Canadiens top line next to Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Over the past three seasons, he has had at least 30 goals each season.
This season, he is behind that pace with only 12 goals in 46 games, but, similar to Thomas, this might be due to the team's struggles rather than the player regressing.
One of the hurdles with a trade is that Kyrou has a no-movement clause in his contract that kicked in this season. He would have to sign off on a trade to Montreal, but with what the Canadiens are building, there is alot of reasons for him to agree to a trade.
Jonathan Marchessault
If the Montreal Canadiens are looking for a veteran winger for the top line, then Jonathan Marchessault may be their best option ahead of this trade deadline. He is not a long-term option like Thomas or Kyrou, but brings veteran leadership to the team, and specifically Stanley Cup experience from his time with the Vegas Golden Knights.
Recently, he has spent the past two seasons with the Nashville Predators and after 21 goals last season has only nine this season and only 14 points total in 36 games. At 35 years old and with three years left on his deal after this season, Kent Hughes will need to determine if this could be an issue down the road.
However, there is a case to be made that Marchessault just doesn't fit well in this Predators team, and with the Montreal Canadiens, he would be more productive. On a top line with Suzuki and Caufield could help him have a finish similar to what Brad Marchand was able to do with the Florida Panthers last season.
Any trade discussions with the Nashville Predators were probably complicated by the recent news that Barry Trotz would be stepping down as general manager. It will be interesting to see how many moves the Predators make ahead of naming a new general manager.
Conor Garland
The Vancouver Canucks are seemingly heading for a full rebuild, and one of the players who could be on the move is Conor Garland. He signed a six-year contract extension with the Canucks just this past summer, so the Canucks might not be ready to move him quite yet, as he could be a key piece once the rebuild is over.
However, Garland's skill set might be the best match for what the Canadiens need on that top line. He is not necessarily a player looking to score and does a good job setting his teammates up. He has had 25 or more assists in each of the past six seasons and already has 17 this season with the Canucks.
Of the players on this list, Garland might be the best option for the Montreal Canadiens in terms of what they need among the forwards along with his age and contract length.