Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Canadiens Rumors

Nashville Predators Trying To Acquire Top Five Pick

at CDT | by 3 Comments

This is a huge night for the Nashville Predators franchise, hosting the 2023 NHL Draft – the first under the leadership of new general manager and franchise coaching legend Barry Trotz. Over the past few hours, it’s become clear Trotz is looking to make an earth-shattering move on the draft floor tonight to move up in the first round.

Multiple reports suggest the Predators have called the Montreal Canadiens about trading up to fifth overall, and Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli now reports Nashville’s put goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov into play. The Russian netminder, who was the 11th overall pick in the 2020 draft, is one of the best netminder prospects in the world and posted a .911 save percentage in 48 games with the AHL’s Milwaukee Admirals this season.

Askarov would make tremendous amounts of sense for the two teams Nashville’s called about in the top five – Montreal and the San Jose Sharks, who Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic says are getting multiple calls about their fourth overall selection. Both teams have a decent pool of goalie prospects but no surefire starter in their future.

It’ll take much more than Askarov to get either of those teams to part with their picks, though. Nashville holds the 15th and 24th overall selections tonight, with the latter acquired from the Edmonton Oilers for Mattias Ekholm. It’ll take at least Askarov plus the 15th pick, potentially a tad more given the game-breaking, franchise-changing talent available with each of the first five picks in this draft.

With Trotz’s public posturing of wanting high-upside, skilled players in Nashville’s prospect pool, it’s fair to wonder if Nashville is targeting Matvei Michkov if they do move up. While there are some concerns about his defensive engagement (depending on who you ask) and obvious off-ice questions given his contract status and geopolitical uncertainty, he’s the highest-upside prospect in this draft not named Connor Bedard.

Montreal Canadiens Acquire Alex Newhook

at CDT | by 12 Comments

Rumors had been swirling the past few days regarding the Montreal Canadiens wanting to get their hands on a young forward. They’ve done just that, making a trade with the Colorado Avalanche to acquire the rights to promising young center Alex Newhook, parting ways with their 31st and 37th overall picks in the 2023 NHL Draft, along with defenseman Gianni Fairbrother.

Already a Stanley Cup champion, the St. John’s, Newfoundland-born Newhook recorded 14 goals and 16 assists in 82 regular-season games for the Avalanche in 2022-23. They’re nice totals, but Colorado was expecting (hoping?) for him to take over the second-line center spot – a job he lost weeks into the season to J.T. Compher. After recording just one assist in seven playoff games in a first-round loss against the Seattle Kraken, the Avalanche evidently felt it was time to cut ties and get two decent draft picks in a loaded 2023 class.

A first-round pick of the Avalanche in the 2019 NHL Draft (16th overall), the 5-foot-10, 190-pound center has accumulated 27 goals and 39 assists in 159 career games. He recorded four assists in 12 playoff games during Colorado’s run to the 2022 Stanley Cup.

For Montreal, this is awfully reminiscent of last year’s Kirby Dach trade with the Chicago Blackhawks. They’re hoping to strike gold twice after Dach emerged as a legit top-six threat for the Habs in 2022-23. In order to do that, though, they’ll need to get Newhook signed to a new contract – he’s a pending restricted free agent. It shouldn’t be much of an issue with Carey Price’s $10.5MM cap hit destined for long-term injured reserve yet again in 2023-24. NorthStar Bets’ Chris Johnston says the two sides don’t have an extension in place yet.

It did take a little more value from Montreal’s end to acquire Newhook than it did Dach, though. The late first and early second-round picks in this draft are arguably equivalent to late first-round picks in last year’s, although the 22-year-old Fairbrother is a bit of a wild card after missing the entire 2022-23 season with a knee injury. Montreal had used the 77th overall pick on him in 2019.

Latest On Pierre-Luc Dubois

at CDT | by 14 Comments

The pendulum for Pierre-Luc Dubois’ next team has continuously swung back and forth between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens over the past several weeks. Today, it’s swung back toward the Kings’ side.

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Winnipeg Jets prefer the proposed trade package coming from the Kings, wanting more NHL-ready talent instead of the futures Montreal can offer. Additionally, it appears Dubois personally would prefer a long-term commitment with the Kings, something not many expected after years of publically speculated posturing to end up in a Canadiens jersey.

Reported elements of a return have included forwards Alex Iafallo and Gabriel Vilardi, both of whom could immediately step into top-six roles on the Jets. It’s clear the team is trying to opt for more of a retool than a full-scale rebuild, an ambitious task given the impending departures of Blake Wheeler, Connor Hellebuyck, and potentially number-one center Mark Scheifele.

This doesn’t mean the Canadiens will be silent on the trade market, though. Dreger suggests the team is still looking to add a younger forward to their group and will leverage draft picks and defense prospects to do so.

If he does end up in LA, it’s fair to wonder if Dubois will actually be a center. Anze Kopitar, Phillip Danault, and Quinton Byfield currently occupy the top three spots down the middle, and none of them would appear to be included in the swap with Winnipeg when the trade goes through. Could Dubois shift to wing alongside Danault, giving him some more freedom offensively alongside a world-class shutdown center?

Snapshots: Dubois, Lucic, Galchenyuk

at CDT | by 13 Comments

The Los Angeles Kings and Winnipeg Jets appeared close to a Pierre-Luc Dubois trade over the weekend, but things haven’t progressed as quickly as expected. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that there is “still work to be done” and that the Jets haven’t even given Los Angeles permission to discuss an extension with the center.

Arpon Basu of The Athletic, meanwhile, tweets that the Montreal Canadiens are still open to finding a way to make it work, if the Kings aren’t able to close the deal. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that the Canadiens have re-engaged, making it unclear where Dubois will actually end up.

  • One landing spot has been ruled out for Milan Lucic, as Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK TV reports that the Vancouver Canucks are no longer in the mix. The Canucks had reportedly expressed interest in the pending free agent forward, who will be leaving the Calgary Flames after three seasons. Now 35, there is no longer much offensive upside in the veteran forward, but he can still be an imposing physical presence on the ice.
  • Alex Galchenyuk, the player acquired by the Nashville Predators in yesterday’s Ryan Johansen deal, will not be re-signed by the team according to LeBrun. His inclusion was simply to clear a contract slot off the books for the Colorado Avalanche. The 29-year-old Galchenyuk played just 11 games in the NHL this season, failing to record a single point.

Canadiens Prospect Vinzenz Rohrer Signs In Switzerland

at CDT | by 12 Comments

  • Montreal Canadiens prospect Vinzenz Rohrer has signed a two-year deal with the ZSC Lions of Switzerland’s National League, per a team announcement. Rohrer, 18, was a third-round pick of the Canadiens at the 2022 draft and has played the last two seasons with the Ottawa 67’s of the OHL, scoring 97 points in 118 games and earning Second-Team All-Rookie honors in the OHL in 2021-22. The Austrian forward captained ZSC’s U17 side at the junior level and with this contract, he’ll now get the chance to test himself at the pro level against men.

Canadiens Willing To Let Mike Hoffman Go For No Return

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The Canadiens appear to be open to moving winger Mike Hoffman for no return, reports Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli.  The 33-year-old signed with Montreal two years ago in the hopes of adding some offense and pop to their power play.  However, his goal-per-game outputs the last two years were the lowest of his career while their success rate with the man advantage remains near the bottom of the league.  Hoffman has one year left on his contract with a $4.5MM AAV and it seems that the Canadiens are simply hoping that someone will take a flyer on someone whose longer-term track record as a sniper has been strong.  However, with so many other teams either wanting or needing to make a move like that, they may not be able to make a move like that.  Seravalli adds that Montreal isn’t willing to buy him out.

Montreal Canadiens Extend Sean Monahan

at CDT | by 9 Comments

After impressing in the early part of the season, Sean Monahan will run it back with the Montreal Canadiens next year. The veteran center has signed a one-year, $1.985MM contract to return in 2023-24. Chris Johnston of North Star Bets adds that the deal has a $15,000 bonus if he plays a certain number of games, which could take it to $2MM total.

Acquired from the Calgary Flames, along with a conditional first-round pick for essentially nothing (future considerations don’t really mean anything), Monahan was a relatively low-risk gamble for the Canadiens. Montreal wasn’t expected to challenge for the playoffs, so even if Monahan’s injury history reared its ugly head and he was a financial anchor, it wouldn’t change things.

Things actually got off to an incredible start, with Monahan showing well coming back from hip surgery. He had 17 points in 25 games and appeared to be a trade chip for the Canadiens to dangle at the deadline.

Then, in early December, he suffered a foot injury that took him out of the lineup. While rehabbing, Monahan suffered a groin injury, which eventually shut him down for the rest of the year after surgery.

That long, varied medical history makes him such an enigma. There has always been talent in Monahan, with three 30-goal seasons under his belt. He reached a career-high of 82 points in 2018-19, but things would soon come crashing down to earth.

Since that season, he has just 116 points in 210 games. In Calgary, he quickly went from a top-line option to someone lucky to get 14 minutes a night in the bottom six. This could be a huge win for the Canadiens if he can rediscover his early-career success.

Still just 28, Monahan will try to use this contract as a springboard to show he’s still a capable NHL talent. Montreal, meanwhile, can use him as a trade chip again, or determine if he’s more of a long-term fit. Either way, the risk of a one-year deal under $2MM is minimal.

Latest On Canadiens Draft Strategy

at CDT | by 3 Comments

  • One of the top picks under a more significant media microscope leading into the draft is the Montreal Canadiens’ top pick at #5 overall. That’s because this draft is considered to have a clear top tier of four center prospects, meaning if each of the four teams ahead of Montreal chooses to select one of those pivots, the draft could truly open up at the fifth pick. Speaking on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said “there’s a lot of teams that think if [the Canadiens] don’t get [USNTDP Center Will Smith] they’re taking Reinbacher,” meaning Austrian right-shot blueliner and projected top defensive prospect David Reinbacher. We previously covered reports that the Canadiens were “seriously considering” Reinbacher alongside Smith’s teammate Ryan Leonard, and now a key insider has added to those rumors of Montreal’s interest in Reinbacher.
  • Also on the 32 Thoughts podcast, Sportsnet’s Jeff Marek spoke on the San Jose Sharks (owners of the fourth overall pick) stating “they want defensemen and they want goaltenders.” Marek wondered about the team’s interest level in Reinbacher, and whether that would lead to them trading down at the draft once again after doing so at last year’s event. It has already been reported that the Canadiens are “aggressively” looking to move up in the draft, so perhaps based on this report a potential one-spot pick swap that would secure the Sharks Reinbacher and the Canadiens Smith could be in play. It must be noted, though, that it is incredibly rare for top-five picks to change hands, so the more likely scenario is always that each team simply picks from the pool of players left available to them.

Canadiens Notes: Gurianov, Belzile, Draft

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Canadiens are not expected to tender winger Denis Gurianov a qualifying offer this summer, reports Arpon Basu of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 26-year-old was acquired from Dallas just before the trade deadline with the hopes that a change of scenery could help him rediscover his scoring touch.  While Gurianov did manage five goals in 23 games following the swap (after scoring just twice in 43 games in Dallas), he was held without a point in his final ten games which isn’t the best result when you’re trying to earn a qualifying offer.  That offer is worth $2.9MM and salary arbitration eligibility and it appears that Montreal won’t be giving him that opportunity.  However, Basu adds that they are open to bringing him back at a discounted rate if there isn’t strong interest in him in free agency, similar to what they did with Rem Pitlick last summer, non-tendering him before handing him a two-year contract days later.

More from Montreal:

  • Basu also reports that winger Alex Belzile appears set to test the market next month. The 31-year-old started the year in the minors but was brought up when injuries struck, giving him his first taste of NHL action.  Belzile played in 31 games with Montreal this past season, picking up six goals and eight assists while averaging more than 12 minutes per game.  As a result, Basu notes that he’s hoping to secure a one-way contract this summer which is an offer that the Canadiens are evidently not willing to make at this time.
  • The team is aggressively trying to move up from the fifth selection, per Radio-Canada’s Alexandre Gascon.  There seems to be a growing expectation that the first four selections later this month will all be centers with Russian winger Matvei Michkov sliding past that group.  Accordingly, if Montreal wants to land one of those, they’ll need to get into the top four.  Gascon suggests that San Jose’s selection at number four is the target while Basu adds in his piece that they’ve also reached out to Anaheim to inquire about the price of moving up to pick number two, a cost that would certainly be significant.  The draft gets underway two weeks from today.

Report Suggests Canadiens Making Changes To Off-Ice Training Staff

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The new owner of the Ottawa Senators was revealed today, with Canadiens minority owner Michael Andlauer proving victorious after a long sale process. But while we now know the identity of the team’s new owner, the team won’t officially change hands for a few more months. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the deal for the team may not close until September, as there remains “a lot of work to be done” and Andlauer must also sell his stake in the Canadiens before taking control of their division rival.

  • While a variety of factors influenced the Montreal Canadiens’ fall from 2021 Stanley Cup finalist to league basement-dweller between 2021 and 2022/2023, one significant contributing factor is injuries. The team has been absolutely ravaged by injuries over the past two seasons, including this year when 2022 number-one pick Juraj Slafkovsky and star forward Cole Caufield were among the multitude of Canadiens to suffer season-ending injuries. The Canadiens have placed a high priority on player development at this stage of their rebuild, but head coach Martin St. Louis’ development efforts have been consistently hamstrung by injuries to key young talent. Now, off-ice changes are being made to address this situation. TVA Sports’ Tony Marinaro reports that the Canadiens have parted ways with head physiotherapist Donald Balmforth and head athletic therapist Graham Rynbend, a report that was confirmed by Jean Francois Chaumont of Le Journal de Montreal. 

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top