Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes seems to have a penchant for making trades in August. There are only a few days left in the month, but that’s enough time for a blockbuster.
Is Hughes’ counterpart in Seattle taking calls?
Hughes was named the 18th general manager in Canadiens history in January 2022, and the Montreal native would first dip his toes in the August pool later that year with the acquisition of Sean Monahan and a 2025 conditional 1st-round pick from the Calgary Flames for future considerations.
In August 2023, there were a pair of trades, the first one seeing Montreal get Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Legare and a 2025 2nd-round pick from Pittsburgh for Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick. A week later, Hughes sent Petry to Detroit for Gustav Lindstrom and a 2025 4th-round pick.
Then last August, Hughes sent Jordan Harris to the Columbus Blue Jackets for winger Patrik Laine and a 2026 2nd-round pick. So who will it be in 2025?
Canadiens’ Need for Skill at Center Fuels Buzz on Deal For Jared McCann
Montreal is known to be shopping for a second-line center, someone to slot in the depth chart behind Nick Suzuki. But the Canadiens need more than just depth at the position, they need talent.
TSN just released its league-wide analysis on the center position as part of its Summer Talent Tiers series, and the outlook for Montreal was, well, not good. The Canadiens were lumped into the lowest ranking, joining Nashville as the only teams in Tier 5, and much of the ranking was due to an over-dependence on a player who thus far in his young career has not proven to be very dependable.
“The position group in Montreal hinges in part on the durability of Kirby Dach, a fantastic player when he’s on the ice, but a player who has missed significant time over the years due to injury,” the TSN analysis stated. “Over the past three seasons, Dach’s availability rate is just 47 per cent. One way or another, Montreal needs to find a reliable second weapon behind Nick Suzuki.”
Insider buzz indicates the Canadiens have strong interest in Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann, and why wouldn’t they? The 29-year-old from Stratford, Ontario, has scored 60-plus points in three straight seasons for Seattle and has a 40-goal campaign on his resume from 2022-23.
Primarily a left winger, McCann has also played significant minutes at center, and he reached a career-high in assists last year with 39. He is entering the fourth season of a five-year, $25 million contract with a cap hit of $5 million per season, and rumors have suggested that Seattle could be willing to discuss a trade involving McCann. Adam Proteau of The Hockey News is among those citing the Kraken’s current low spot on the competitive cycle to say that the time is right for trading a valuable asset like McCann.
“McCann provides cost-certainty, and he is due for a big raise over his $5-million cap hit when his deal expires,” Proteau reasoned. “And ultimately, the Kraken arguably have a greater need for the type of prospect or draft pick bounty they’d get with a McCann trade than to keep him around and risk seeing him leave in 2027. The trade value might not be better than it is now while McCann is still in his prime.”
Kirby Dach Could Lead ‘King’s Ransom’ Needed to Acquire Jared McCann
Per usual, it’s the trade value that ultimately could be a sticking point. Rob Simpson of Seattle Hockey Insider has stated that, despite the rumblings, Seattle is not looking to move McCann, indicating that “it would take a king’s ransom to pry McCann loose at this point.” However, Simpson acknowledged Montreal’s interest in a second report, leaning into the idea that a trade could potentially be worked out with a Canadiens organization that is “prospect rich.”
“The Kraken could benefit from that, but they’d also need at least two active NHL’ers in return, likely in this case, a winger and a D-man,” Simpson wrote.
Though not a winger, Dach would likely pique Seattle’s interests. Despite his injury struggles, including most recently a second surgery on his right knee in February 2025, the former No. 3 overall draft pick in 2019 has unquestioned skills. Still only 24, he has returned to skating and could be ready by the start of the regular season, though a return in November is more realistic.
Veteran defenseman Mike Matheson could also be part of the trade package. Matheson will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and reports indicate that Montreal will likely not bring him back. Although losing Matheson, a top-four blueliner, would be a blow for a Canadiens team with playoff aspirations, the team has several prospects, led by David Reinbacher, who could be ready to step into the lineup.
If Seattle balks at the idea of getting a potential rental player in Matheson, one of Montreal’s NHL ready defensive prospects such as Reinbacher or Adam Engström could be swapped into the deal. And with extra picks in the second and fourth rounds of a deep 2026 draft, the Canadiens could sweeten the pot.
September is almost here, but Hughes still has time to scratch that August trade itch.
Montreal GM’s August Trade Habit Hints at Bold Center Fix