The Montreal Canadiens kept themselves busy as the regular season approached, extending a variety of contracts and signing left winger Chris Kreider.
But the chances of them settling are slim — there are still a handful of moves they could make.
According to one NHL insider, an upcoming splash could involve the Minnesota Wild’s $47 million defenseman.
Canadiens’ Trade Pitch Sends Quinn Hughes to Montreal
Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report revealed his top landing spots for 26-year-old Quinn Hughes, and Montreal cracked his list.
“The Canadiens could absolutely win this season, but they are better set up for sustained, long-term success beyond it,” Gretz wrote. “Especially as their core group is all locked into team-friendly contracts that should prove to be bargains against the ever-increasing salary cap in the coming seasons. They have the foundation to be a force…”
He added, “… A defense with Hughes, Lane Hutson and Noah Dobson would be as good of a top-three as there is in the Eastern Conference, or the entire NHL, and potentially help put them closer to the top.”
Ultimately, Hughes would slide in quite well to the Canadiens’ blue line crew.
During his 2025-26 campaign with Minnesota, he skated in74 games and scored seven goals with 69 assists for 76 points.
This will mark his ninth year playing in the NHL.
He spent the first half of his professional career with the Vancouver Canucks, who selected him seventh overall in the first round of the 2018 NHL draft.
But in December 2025, the Canucks shipped him to the Wild in exchange for Zeev Buium, a first-round draft pick in 2026, Liam Ohgren and Marco Rossi.
Hughes brings elite playmaking to the ice, and his 2024 Norris Trophy proves him to be a skilled defenseman. In fact, he was named the first defenseman in Vancouver history to receive the award.
Realistically, the New Jersey Devils remain a popular prediction for Hughes’ landing spot, but finding a home in Montreal isn’t too out of the question.
How Do the Montreal Canadiens Stack Up Right Now?
Montreal’s preseason was bustling with roster moves, but they still held down the fort on the ice, winning four of their five matchups.
The Canadiens are gearing up to enter their regular-season opener on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. ET against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
At the time of this writing, Montreal has the pieces it needs to reach postseason contention this year — finding a way to fit each of them together is the challenge.
Whether Hughes ends up sporting a Habs sweater or not, the Canadiens stack up to be an imposing team. But having Hughes on board would, of course, boost their position.
Montreal Canadiens’ Trade Pitch Could Land Wild’s $47 Million Defenseman