The Montreal Canadiens continue to look for top-six forward help. General manager Kent Hughes has been linked with several stars throughout the summer. Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko has been continuously named as a top trade candidate for Montreal. While the Russian would be a great addition to the club, Hughes would likely prefer to land a center.
Because of this, Detroit Red Wings veteran Dylan Larkin has also been linked to Montreal. The American, however, is not expected to join a team north of the border. As a result, Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos is now reporting that the Montreal Canadiens are interested in acquiring Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele. “The Canadiens are among the teams asking about Scheifele after failing on Larkin,” writes Kypreos.
The NHL reporter also hinted that the Jets may look to offload the star if they ultimately trade Connor Hellebuyck. Without the All-Star goalie, Winnipeg could find it difficult to compete in the Central Division. As a result, the Jets may want to get full value for the 33-year-old Scheifele. Despite his age, he just recently recorded a career-high 103 points for his current club.
Scheifele was initially drafted by the Jets in 2011 and has spent his entire career with the team. Winnipeg rewarded their star center with a seven-year, $59.5 million ($8.5 million AAV) extension ahead of the 2023-24 season. Interestingly, Hellebuyck signed the same deal at the time. The Montreal Canadiens have the financial stability to take on the center’s salary moving forward.
Montreal Canadiens Have Attractive Assets to Help Land Mark Scheifele
As Kypreos points out, the Montreal Canadiens have attractive trade pieces to strike a significant deal. Highly rated forward Michael Hage could very well have to be included in a trade with Winnipeg. Hughes may be initially reluctant to part ways with the University of Michigan star, though. The Canadiens exec seems more likely to use fellow prospect Alexander Zharovsky as trade bait.
NHL-ready forwards such as Oliver Kapanen and Kirby Dach could also be included in a possible trade. Montreal would likely love to include Sam Montembeault, too. The netminder struggled mightily last season, and the Canadiens have two budding stars in the role. If the Jets do offload Hellebuyck, they will need to bring in a player in his position.
Overall, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman recently rated the Montreal Canadiens pipeline as the third-best in the NHL. On top of quality young assets and extra funds, Hughes also has draft picks to work with. The club has all of its first- and second-round selections in each of the next three drafts.
Montreal Could Give Veteran Chance to Win Cup
The biggest question in the Montreal Canadiens’ interest in Scheifele is whether the star would want to leave Winnipeg. At the moment, the veteran has a full no-trade clause in his contract. As a result, he has to officially sign off on any potential move. The veteran recently admitted that he is eyeing his team’s all-time points record, currently held by Dale Hawerchuk.
Although Scheifele has spent his entire NHL career with the Jets, the Canadian forward is edging close to his mid-30s. Because of this, he may want one more chance to win a Stanley Cup title. Winnipeg, particularly without Hellebuyck, may not be able to give him this opportunity. Montreal, on the other hand, is expected to be Cup contenders for the foreseeable future.
Canadiens Interested in Shock Trade for $59 Million Star Veteran