The Montreal Canadiens are looking to pull off a blockbuster trade.
Montreal reached the Eastern Conference Finals this season and will look to bolster its roster further this offseason. The Canadiens could use some more offense and NHL insider Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reported the team is calling on Columbus Blue Jackets star forward Kirill Marchenko.
“Montreal, by the way, is among the teams that called to check on Marchenko (and got told “No”). That shouldn’t surprise anyone,” LeBrun wrote. “My sense from talking to people around the league is that Habs GM Kent Hughes has not been shy about calling about guys who likely aren’t even available. My understanding is that he called the Islanders about Bo Horvat, too. And the answer was that he’s not available.
“What I like about this is that sometimes first-time GMs are scared to ask about so-called untouchables. All you can do is ask. No harm in that. Sometimes you get a surprising answer. But it also tells us that Montreal is trying to get a full scope of the trade market, not just the obvious names.”
Marchenko’s name has come up in trade rumors as he seems unlikely to re-sign with the Blue Jackets. He’s entering the third year of his three-year, $11.55 million deal, so he’ll be in line for a massive raise.
Marchenko recorded 27 goals and 40 assists for 67 points in 76 games last season. His career high is 31 goals and 74 points, which he did a year ago.
Blue Jackets Unlikely to Trade Marchenko
Although Marchenko is unlikely to re-sign, Columbus is unlikely to deal the star forward.
LeBrun reported that Columbus intends to keep him, as the Blue Jackets are focused on winning next season.
“Kirill Marchenko’s agent, Dan Milstein, also gave Waddell the terrible news Friday morning that his client decided he was not extending when his deal is up in a year, as first reported by Kevin Weekes of ESPN/NHL Network. It’s important to note that Marchenko has not asked for a trade. He is ready to come back and play next season for the Jackets and potentially the year after that, as Columbus controls his restricted free-agent rights for another year,” LeBrun added.
“But the message was delivered that he doesn’t want to be around long-term. And it seems Marchenko came to that decision once he realized what was happening with Werenski. Several teams, including the Montreal Canadiens, are calling on Marchenko. But despite the message from Marchenko’s agent Friday, my understanding is that Waddell has been telling teams in the last 24 hours that he has no intention of trading the forward this summer.”
However, if the Blue Jackets do trade Marchenko, they should be able to get a haul for him.
Canadiens GM Expects to Make Moves
Montreal is a clear buyer entering this offseason, and GM Kent Hughes expects to make moves.
The Canadiens could use some more scoring and offense, and Hughes expects this to be a very active offseason.
“Absolutely yes. Because there are years when more teams are in a rebuilding process, and the value is in draft picks, in other years, the free-agent market isn’t as deep as it was in other years. I believe there are a lot of teams who are ready to listen on their player, but they are not convinced they have to trade them. If we have the right price, they’ll do it,” Hughes said.
Montreal lost in five games to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Canadiens Reportedly Calling on Star 31-Goal Scorer for Blockbuster Trade