The Montreal Canadiens resume their season on Thursday night when they take on the New York Islanders. The Canadiens are in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points through 57 games and the March 6 trade deadline looms. While they have had a great season, there are still ways for the Canadiens to improve through the trade market.
One area the Canadiens can look to add is a top center behind Nick Suzuki. There are options available, but will likely cost quite a bit to get a deal done. There is one player that is reportedly a no-go for accepting a trade to Montreal.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos unveiled his fourth trade board ahead of the trade deadline, which included some nuggets on what he has been hearing. Regarding Nashville Predators center Ryan O'Reilly, he's heard that the Canadiens are linked to him. However, Kypreos called their odds of acquiring him "unlikely" due to O'Reilly "wants to go somewhere quieter."
Canadiens acquiring Ryan O'Reilly viewed as 'unlikely' by Nick Kypreos
Well, that's one center the Canadiens can take off of their radar. O'Reilly does not have a no-trade clause, so he could get traded anywhere. But the Predators are going to treat O'Reilly as if he has one, and will work to find a trade that he will approve.
O'Reilly is having a productive season, and is on pace to have one more productive than the previous two seasons. In 57 games this season, O'Reilly has 20 goals and 36 assists. Even though the Predators are just four points back of a Wild Card spot in the Western Conference, there plans at the trade deadline appear cloudy at best.
The Canadiens certainly would have liked to have that production on their roster. Sure, the Canadiens are one of the top scoring teams as it is, as they average 3.46 goals for per game, third-most in the NHL. O'Reilly also brings the ability to win face-offs, as he posted a percentage of 55.3. That would have been ideal for them.
As for who they could target at center instead, Kypreos brings up Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames, saying Montreal is one of six teams in the running for him. Kadri has an annual cap hit of $7 million until the summer of 2028, and has a 13 team no-trade clause. Kadri has long been linked to the Canadiens, and he's reportedly open to a trade to Montreal, but it will be far from an easy chase to get him, especially with the number of teams pursuing him.
The Canadiens are in a tough division where they are six points back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place, while the Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, and Boston Bruins are all within three points behind them between third place in the division and the two Eastern Conference Wild Card spots. While the team has played great this season, there are ways to ensure they can make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2021.