The Montreal Canadiens are sellers in case anyone was not sure yet. They already traded Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets for a first round pick, signalling the start of their selling phase.
Unfortunately for us Habs fans, this isn't a new space for the Canadiens. They were sellers two years when they traded Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames for a package that included a first round pick. They also shipped out Ben Chiarot that year for a first round pick in addition to other assets.
Last season was quieter, but saw them continue to tinker and continue in their selling and rebuilding state. This season, they are somewhere in between since they have already moved their biggest piece of trade bait in Monahan.
What will come next? Well, with the team having secured 50 points in 50 games, they are far from an embarrasment that needs to completely revamp the organization. They have some good young pieces in place that are going to be key components of this team when it is rebuilt. These players are already keeping the team afloat and on pace for 82 points in a rebuilding season.
This isn't the Chicago Blackhawks that has a roster of Connor Bedard and 22 placeholders that need to be replaced and improved upon in the coming years.
As such, we are not going to see a gigantic firesale in Montreal in the coming weeks. However, as a rebuilding team that is far enough outside the playoff picture they will continue to look to sell assets.
The trade deadline is on March 8th and is now exactly four weeks away. There are some Canadiens players who are far more likely to move than others. Let's take a look at the four Canadiens who are already packing their bags with four weeks to go until trade deadline.