There is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens will look to sign a new center this summer. Despite a recent deep playoff run, Montreal’s offense struggled to keep up with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final. In fact, the Canadiens managed just five goals in their last four postseason games.
Their top line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky is set in stone for years to come. Nevertheless, things get complicated on Montreal’s second line. This is where general manager Kent Hughes will look to improve in the coming weeks. Star centers Dylan Larkin and Vincent Trocheck are both available in the trade market. Hughes and the Canadiens would almost certainly be interested in either player.
Nevertheless, it remains to be seen if Larkin or Trocheck is willing to go to Montreal. If not, The Athletic’s Arpon Basu believes that the Canadiens could target Boston Bruins star Pavel Zacha. “One example of a player who might be available for a trade is Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha, with one year left on his contract at age 29,” writes Basu. “A left shot to complement Nick Suzuki, strong in the faceoff circle and able to play on both special teams, Zacha would be a great fit.”
Zacha recently set career highs in goals (30) and points (65) in his fourth season in Boston. This is particularly impressive considering he averaged less than two full minutes per game on the ice compared to the season before. His 11 goals and 22 points on the power player were both career highs as well.
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GettyBoston Bruins center Pavel Zacha would be a quality addition to the Montreal Canadiens.
There are, however, some issues with the Montreal Canadiens’ expected interest in Zacha. For starters, Boston likely wants to keep their star center. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinsawa recently predicted that Zacha will eventually re-sign with his current club. RG.org’s James Murphy also reported in September 2025 that Boston was blocking teams, including Montreal, from targeting Zacha.
Despite this, Boston.com’s Conor Ryan does believe there is a scenario where the Bruins could offload the center this summer. According to the reporter, Boston may not be willing to give Zacha a significant pay raise in his next contract. The star is currently earning $4.75 million per year, but could get a $7.5-8.5 million AAV in the near future.
If the two sides cannot work out an extension, a trade could be in the cards. If so, Shinsawa believes that the Bruins would ask for a first-round pick and a prospect in return for the star. This is something that Montreal could provide. The Canadiens have first-round selections in each of the next three years and a solid prospect pool. Montreal is also expected to dangle top prospect Alexander Zharovsky this summer.
Montreal Could Ultimately Target a New Winger
The Montreal Canadiens also have a backup plan if they cannot land a quality center this summer. According to the aforementioned report by Basu, Hughes could pivot to acquiring a new left winger in the offseason. Toronto Maple Leafs star Matthew Knies would likely be the premier target in this scenario.
Montreal, however, would also have other options. Mason Marchment, a pending unrestricted free agent, could become a target as well. If the Canadiens went this route, they could move Alex Newhook to center alongside right winger Ivan Demidov.
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