The Montreal Canadiens are well-versed in trade rumors this season — both realistic and improbable.
However, on Oct. 16, an NHL insider proposed an interesting idea that would send a Vancouver Canucks’ forward to Montreal.
How would this trade pitch unfold?
Canadiens Named Potential Destination for Canucks’ Jake BeBrusk
According to Adam Gretz of Bleacher Report, there are five likely landing spots for 29-year-old Jake DeBrusk.
The Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Ottawa Senators and the Canadiens.
As mentioned by Gretz, Montreal already has a promising core of players. But perhaps this is a strength they need to lean into.
“While they are very good with a great future, they are still not a finished product,” he wrote. “They still need some help in the lower half of their lineup, and after a quiet offseason that only saw them add Chris Kreider, that is still the case.
“DeBrusk wouldn’t need to be a major play-driver here and could easily settle into a middle-six role on the left side and chip in some much-needed secondary scoring, both now and in the short-term future.”
At the time of this writing, DeBrusk has skated in seven games and posted a 3-2-5 performance.
During his 2025-26 campaign, he appeared in 81 games and logged a 23-19-42 performance.
This marks his 10th NHL season, but only three of those years have been spent with the Canucks.
Before landing in Vancouver, he played a seven-year stint with the Boston Bruins.
Where Do the Canadiens Currently Stand?
Looking at the Atlantic Division, Montreal is ranked second-to-last at 3-3-1 overall.
They’ve edged out the Detroit Red Wings (2-3-2), but the margin is incredibly small.
The Canadiens are coming off a tight 5-4 loss to the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, Oct. 14.
Next up on their schedule is a clash against the Buffalo Sabres at Centre Bell on Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m. ET.
Montreal Canadiens Trade Pitch Lands Canucks’ $38.5 Million Forward