Another Montreal Canadiens Veteran In NHL Trade Chatter

With the Montreal Canadiens working the phones in an attempt to free up cap space and move up in the 2022 NHL Draft, one name that has come on strong in NHL trade chatter is Christian Dvorak.

NHL sources have indicated to Montreal Hockey Now that Kent Hughes has been working the phones quite aggressively over the last couple of weeks. In those discussions, Dvorak’s name is one that has caught the attention of many around the league, as there appears to be interest in the player and the Montreal Canadiens are actively listening. There is said to be a few teams, especially in the Western Conference that have continued to show interest in Dvorak dating back to the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.

Despite starting the season off slow in his first season in Montreal, Dvorak still managed to match his last season’s totals of 31 points in one less game (55). Dvorak is one of the veterans who improved the most under St. Louis, putting up a 58-point pace under his new head coach. On top of alleviating Suzuki’s defensive responsibilities, Dvorak was far more noticeable in transition and the offensive zone. He’s made smarter plays and utilized his teammates more, especially down the stretch. His strong finish to the season has likely helped Montreal’s positioning if they were to eventually trade him to seek some relief under the cap or to help them trade up for another Top-10 pick.

Dvorak was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes on September 4 for a conditional 2022 1st round pick and a 2024 2nd round pick. At the time, the Canadiens owned two 2022 1st round picks at the time; their own and Carolina’s, which came as compensation from the Jesperi Kotkaniemi Offer Sheet. With a very reasonable cap hit at $4.45M and this being the last offseason that the Canadiens have full control in any NHL trade for Dvorak, it’s no surprise that the 26-year-old Dvorak has become a buzz name in recent NHL trade chatter. It remains to be seen if a team will provide the Canadiens with a suitable offer for them to pull the trigger.