Breaking:By the trade deadline, who will the Montreal Canadiens move?

By the trade deadline, who will the Montreal Canadiens move?

The reconstruction The Montreal Canadiens are currently in the Eastern

Conference within striking distance of a wild-card berth, having shown some improvement this season. Still, it’s

anticipated that General Manager Kent Hughes will be a trade-deadline seller for the third year in a row. By the March 8

trade deadline, Hughes could be able to market up to five players, according to Sportsnet’s Eric Engels.

Sean Monahan, who ranks fourth among Canadiens scorers with 25 points in 43 games, tops the list. The versatile 29-year-old Monahan, who is fully

recovered from the injuries he sustained last season, has a one-year contract with a manageable $1.985 million salary-cap

hit and no trade protection. By the deadline, Hughes is rumored to try to ship him to a contender.

Engels’ list also includes defenseman David Savard and winger Tanner Pearson. Savard, 33, is a big shutdown

blueliner whose contract is worth an average of $3.5 million annually through 2024–2025. Pearson, 31, has a $3.25 million cap hit and is scheduled to

become a UFA on July 1. Engel suggested that Hughes might consider selling one or two of his young, talented

defensemen. Though he did not specify which ones, possible contenders might be Jordan Harris, Justin Barron, and

Arber Xhekaj, a fan favorite who has been suffering with their AHL affiliate in Laval since December 4.

The Canadiens are rumored to be considering trading one of their three starting goalies from this season. Hughes

won’t, however, guarantee that it will. Jake Allen appears to be the odd man out if it does. Sam Montembeault has been

confirmed as the starting quarterback, and Cayden Primeau has developed progressively this year.

According to Engels, Hughes wants to increase his team’s offensive by adding

forwards. The General Manager of the Habs has ample opportunity to acquire a forward or two through trade, as there

are numerous promising blueliners, a deep prospect pool, and 22 picks available in the next two drafts. Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports reported that

Hughes is trying to bring in a scoring forward. They should go after Trevor Zegras, the center for the Anaheim Ducks, as suggested by his colleague

Jean-Charles Lajoie. But Lavoie is unsure if Hughes will try to add a scorer at the draft or pursue Zegras.

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