The Montreal Canadiens are likely not done making moves just yet. General manager Kent Hughes was on the search for a true top-six forward all summer. He finally landed veteran Chris Kreider recently after the unrestricted free agent agreed to a one-year deal. Despite this, Montreal is expected to continue tweaking its roster well into the 2026-27 season.
On the latest episode of The Starr & D’Amico show, Shaun Starr claimed that he would be “all over” Nashville Predators star Ryan O’Reilly if he were Hughes. Marco D’Amico, however, was not sold on the idea. “My issue with going for a guy like Ryan O’Reilly would be the combination of his age, one year left on his contract, and the cost that it would require,” replied the NHL insider.
“Ideally, yes, just slot him in for one year, just like Chris Kreider, and that would be great. But the cost. Remember, Nashville was looking for a first-round pick plus a top prospect for him last year. I don’t think the Canadiens are in that business where they’re one player away from the Stanley Cup.”
Instead, D’Amico believes the Montreal Canadiens would be better off targeting a younger center. In this scenario, the new second-line center could develop with the team’s highly rated young core. The journalist also claimed that Montreal waiting for top prospect Michael Hage to enter the fray would be a smart move.
Montreal Canadiens Were Linked to Ryan O’Reilly Before Previous Trade Deadline
O’Reilly’s future in Nashville is very much in the air. The 35-year-old veteran forward was linked with a move back in March, and the Montreal Canadiens were a potential destination. Nevertheless, no NHL team was willing to pay the massive asking price. On top of this, the center also previously revealed that former Predators GM Barry Trotz essentially treated O’Reilly as if he had a full no-trade clause. This likely meant that the player was able to personally veto pending trades.
Trotz, however, is now gone, and new Predators GM Chris MacFarland has shown that he is not afraid to make a deal. This was evident in a relatively shocking trade involving Luke Evangelista recently. Because of this, O’Reilly has already been named as an early-season trade candidate. The center is set to enter his final season of a four-year, $18 million ($4.5 million AAV) contract in Nashville.
While the Montreal Canadiens still need a 2c, O’Reilly is not expected to be willing to join the Habs. Nick Kypreos previously reported that while Hughes has “been connected” to him, the star “wants to go somewhere quieter.” It seems as if Montreal will have to move on to other targets.
Montreal Announces Injury Update on Blueliner
The Montreal Canadiens also revealed some disappointing injury news on September 16. According to the club, defenseman Kaiden Guhle recently underwent surgery to fix a nagging adductor issue. The blueliner previously appeared to be experiencing balance problems throughout the 2025-26 campaign. As a result of the setback, he is expected to be out of action for four to five weeks.
Canadiens Unlikely to Land $18 Million Center on Trade Block