There is no secret that the Montreal Canadiens remain in search of a new forward. General manager Kent Hughes has already added veteran winger Chris Kreider to the mix, but Montreal could still use more offense. The Canadiens are averaging just 3.0 goals per game to start the current campaign. This particular figure is tied for 16th among all NHL teams.
While Hughes can go in several directions, Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon has named the Canadiens as the top landing spot for Travis Konecny. The Philadelphia Flyers star only just signed an eight-year, $70 million ($8.75 million AAV) deal in 2024. Nevertheless, Philadelphia is struggling and could look to shake things up in the near future.
According to the reporter, the Flyers forward would be a “natural fit” for the Montreal Canadiens. “Adding Konecny to the Canadiens’ roster would help replace the grit, feistiness, and ability to frustrate opponents that Brendan Gallagher provided for so many years,” writes Yerdon. “Konecny’s similarities to the former Habs fixture would make him a natural fit.”
The veteran forward has nearly become a point-per-game player with the Flyers. In fact, he has racked up 273 points in 295 games between the 2020-21 and 2025-26 seasons. As Yerdon points out, offense is not Konecny’s only strong suit. He can also help out without the puck and supply big hits. The veteran was one of just 13 NHL forwards to have at least 60 points and 100 hits last year. Juraj Slafkovsky was the only Canadiens player to reach this feat on the campaign.
Montreal Canadiens Could Take Advantage of Philadelphia’s Travis Konecny Concerns
Konecny’s link to the Montreal Canadiens may seem like a pipe dream for the team. Nevertheless, there are hints that the Flyers could be willing to move on from the star in the near future. Daily Faceoff’s Anthony Di Marco recently reported that there is a “growing sense of frustration” with the forward in Philadelphia. This comes as the star has seven more years remaining on his current contract.
“According to one source, Konecny isn’t overly impactful when he isn’t scoring or antagonizing the opposing team,” claimed Di Marco. “The play often dies on his stick, making bad decisions with the puck that often lead to turnovers. As one source said, the one constant on the Flyers’ struggling power play the last number of seasons has been Konecny – a fairly-damning criticism.”
NHL insider Elliotte Friedman hinted that the Flyers organization is not exactly thrilled with the report. Despite the assertion, the Montreal Canadiens are likely not too concerned about Konecny’s play on the man advantage. The star forward had 12 power-play assists a season ago, second-most on the team.
Montreal has Attractive Trade Assets to Work With
Assuming the Montreal Canadiens are interested in Konecny and the Flyers want to make a move, the player may have to give the green light. Due to a stipulation in his current contract, the forward has a 14-team no-trade clause throughout the duration of the deal. Whether Montreal is on this list remains to be seen.
Philadelphia would likely prefer to offload Konecny to a Western Conference team, if they even want to trade him. The Canadiens, however, would be able to provide a particularly attractive package to acquire the star. Hughes has a plethora of draft picks and one of the top NHL pipelines to pull from.
Canadiens Named Top Landing Spot for $70 Million Star Forward