The Montreal Canadiens have been looking for a second-line center for quite some time, and it remains the team’s biggest need.
Montreal is a legit Stanley Cup contender with all their young pieces locked up, so they could look to trade some high-end prospects and picks to go all-in this year.
The Canadiens have been linked to several names, including Dylan Larkin, but as of right now, he won’t waive his no-trade clause to go to Montreal.
Montreal Canadiens Linked to Mark Scheifele
Montreal should be looking to pull off a big move for a second-line center and there is one that makes plenty of sense.
NHL insider David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period linked Montreal to Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, whom the team could sell high on.
“I didn’t include this player in my three targets, but I absolutely wonder what will happen with Winnipeg centre Mark Scheifele if the Jets continue to fall off the cliff and proceed to do a full scale rebuild,” the article read. “I wonder if he’d look elsewhere as he wants to win. He isn’t getting younger and I’d suspect he’d be a player of interest for Montreal.”
Scheifele is in the third year of his seven-year, $59.5 million deal with the Jets. He’s spent his entire career in Winnipeg, so he could want to stay.
However, the Jets have struggled, and after trading Connor Hellebucyk, they could be looking to rebuild.
Given the fact that Scheifele has years left of control, Winnipeg could get a haul for him, while he would be the Canadiens’ second-line center for years to come. He recorded 36 goals and 67 assists for 103 points in 82 games a year ago.
Montreal’s Priority is a Center
The Canadiens have been looking for a center for a long time now.
Before free agency began on July 1, Canadiens reporter Eric Engels of Sportsnet called adding a second-line center the team’s No. 1 priority back in June.
“It’s the top priority, even if it’s not the only one, and Kent Hughes has a history of making his biggest moves before July 1,” Engels wrote. “I know he’s pushing very hard to repeat that history. But the free agent market isn’t overflowing with quality players. It’s actually quite barren of them, making the trade market a real sellers’ market. And that might make it a little less possible than in recent history for Hughes to acquire what he’s after before July 1.”
The Canadiens ended up not making a move for a center but they could look to get one mid-season.
Montreal Canadiens Linked to $59.5M Center in Blockbuster Move