Montreal Canadiens NHL Trade Deadline Primer – What To Expect

The NHL Trade Deadline is upon us, giving the Montreal Canadiens one final opportunity to swing a deal before they bear down for the last stretch of the season.

The Canadiens are in a delicate situation, as they’re just one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, while also being just a few wins ahead of teams set to draft in the top five.

Such is life in a rebuild.

Given that Jake Evans signed a very reasonable contract extension earlier this week, the NHL Trade Deadline isn’t expected to be particularly busy for general manager Kent Hughes. That being said, there are a few potential scenarios on the table between now and the 3 pm ET deadline.

MUST READ: Montreal Canadiens Analysis – Impact Of The Jake Evans Contract Extension

Montreal Canadiens Salary Cap Situation

The Canadiens currently have $6.7 million in available funds thanks to Carey Price’s contract being placed on the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR). Seeing as they’re LTIR funds, they did not accrue during the season, but the Habs still have a decent chunk of change in play when it comes to potentially facilitating trades.

Montreal has used two of its retention slots (Jeff Petry, Jake Allen), however, they both expire this summer, which means they even may be willing to use their final retention slot on a player who has more than one year left if the return is enticing. Montreal also has six contract slots available, they could hypothetically absorb more than one bad contract.

Again, the price will have to be right seeing as the playoffs are still in the mix.

As it stands, the Habs have plenty of financial manoeuvrability going forward. Not only is the salary cap rising significantly in the near future, they’ve navigated their recent contracts fairly well, giving a bevy of options when it comes to potential trades. They definitely got their timing right, as both Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki are locked into long-term deals at a very reasonable percentage of the cap.

ON TOPIC: Impact Of NHL Salary Cap Increase On Montreal Canadiens Future

We do have to keep Lane Hutson’s eventual contract extension in mind. It won’t be cheap, especially since Hutson has a tendency to break records set by some of the best defencemen in league history. I expect it to start at $11 million or $12 million per season, but that’s a conversation for another day. All we know for now is that Hutson will command a well-deserved raise.

Lane Hutson draws the attention and then sets up Joel Armia perfectly. AS is tradition.

Hutson’s 45th assist!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/ry2ncADiMG

— Marc Dumont (@MarcPDumont) March 7, 2025

Habs Players Most Likely To Be Traded

David Savard and Joel Armia are the two players who have graced the most Trade Bait boards, but due to the team’s situation, don’t hold your breath in regard to a potential trade.

There is some smoke coming from Winnipeg, leading some to believe a possible reunion between Armia and the Jets is in the cards.

Darren Dreger on insider trading says a search for a 2C is still the priority for the #NHLJets, and said – “Brock Nelson would be a real good add as 2C for the Winnipeg Jets.”

He also noted that they may consider targeting Joel Armia, and that they would also like to add a…

— Connor Hrabchak (@ConnorHrabchak1) March 6, 2025

The Jets missed out on Brock Nelson, and to make matters worse, the Avalanche ended up acquiring him, which means they could end up facing him in the playoffs. It’s also worth noting Montreal and Winnipeg have established a healthy trade partnership in recent years.

As for Savard, he is a right-handed defenceman, which always garners interest around the league. His best years are behind him, but he walks around with a Stanley Cup ring, yet another factor that could increase his value.

The Canadiens value his veteran presence, especially since the team’s blue line is populated with young players, therefore we shouldn’t expect Hughes to pull the trigger on a trade for Savard that includes a mid-round pick as a return.

It is a seller’s market, as evidenced by the exorbitant prices teams have been paying for rentals, which could end up playing in Montreal’s favour. Desperation breeds opportunity, after all.

Beyond Armia and Savard, don’t be surprised if the Canadiens swing a minor-league trade to bolster their AHL lineup. The Laval Rocket have the highest point percentage in the league (.689), connoting the Habs should pay close attention to their farm team. Learning to win in the AHL certainly holds long-term value.

A winning culture is very difficult to instill, especially after a difficult rebuild. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres.

Hottest NHL Trade Deadline Rumours

According to Cam Robinson, who is usually a very solid source, the Canucks are listening to offers on forward Elias Pettersson, even if they already traded J.T. Miller to the Rangers in an attempt to squash the locker room issues brought forth by both players.

There was a point in time where I’d pounce on the idea of acquiring someone as skilled as Pettersson, but there’s no denying his production has dried up considerably this season. There’s also the matter of his eight-year contract extension that kicked in this season, which carries a staggering $11.6 million annual average value (AAV).

I’m hearing that Vancouver is once again listening on Elias Pettersson ahead of tomorrow’s deadline.

— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) March 6, 2025

Finnish forward Mikko Rantanen is also available, as the Hurricanes have not been able to engage in any meaningful extension talks with the former Colorado Avalanche winger. Rantanen hasn’t played extremely poorly since joining Carolina, with his underlying numbers suggesting an uptick in production is likely, but it’s also difficult to ignore how quickly his offence disappeared once he was no longer playing with Nathan MacKinnon.

Honestly, it’s a very confusing situation when you look at it from Carolina’s point of view. They didn’t have any sort of agreement prior to the trade, and now they’re heading toward the playoffs with one of their best forwards in limbo.

The latest information leads us to believe Rantanen will be traded to the Dallas Stars, but the deal was not yet confirmed when we scheduled this primer.

Martin Necas says he thinks the Hurricanes should’ve known Mikko Rantanen was going to sign an extension in Carolina before trading for him 👀

(via: @DNVR_Avalanche) pic.twitter.com/kLCgJOxiiJ

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 6, 2025

With Nelson off the board, Brad Marchand (Boston Bruins), Brock Boeser (Vancouver Canucks), Scott Laughton (Philadelphia Flyers), and Rickard Rakell (Pittsburgh Penguins) are among the most interesting names left that have a chance to be moved.

The Bruins and Canadiens simply do not engage in trade discussions, as evidenced by the fact that they’ve made exactly one trade since Boston gifted Ken Dryden to Montreal. On top of it, I doubt Marchand would want to make his way to Montreal, but I would take a swing this summer if he ends up being an unrestricted free agent.

I know, I know, the history.

But he epitomizes entertainment, he still has gas left in the tank, and the Habs need more talent up front. It doesn’t solve the No.2 centre issue, and it might even make it a more difficult problem to take care of depending on his salary demands, but I’d still take a swing.

The other player who has been involved in Canadiens-related trade rumours is Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. He happens to be great friends with Cole Caufield, and he’s certainly talented. He will have one year left on his contract this summer, which carries a $5.75 million AAV, far from an unreasonable number, but he’s going to ask for a raise once it’s done, and his recent production has slowed to the point where his long-term impact has become a concern.