Montreal Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis. As the NHL trade deadline approaches, the Montreal Canadiens appear to be in full “sell mode,” according to Stu Cowan of the *Montreal Gazette*. The team struggled heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, posting a 1-7-1 record in their last nine games and falling six points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final wild-card spot.
Cowan identifies several potential trade candidates, including pending unrestricted free agents Jake Evans, Joel Armia, David Savard, and Christian Dvorak. However, he believes Brendan Gallagher is unlikely to be moved due to his $6.5 million cap hit through 2026-27. Additionally, while Josh Anderson might attract interest, general manager Kent Hughes is not expected to part with the veteran forward for a low return.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun recently reported that the Canadiens and Evans are not close to a contract extension, making a trade a likely outcome. Multiple teams have expressed interest in the 28-year-old center, who has recorded 11 goals and 27 points in 56 games this season. Evans is in the final year of a three-year, $5.1 million contract with a $1.7 million cap hit.
Other trade chips include:
– Joel Armia (31) – 10 goals, 24 points in 56 games, $3.4M cap hit.
– David Savard (34) – One goal, 10 points in 50 games, averaging 17:45 ice time per game, $3.5M cap hit on an expiring deal.
– Christian Dvorak (29) – Six goals, 17 points in 56 games, carrying the highest cap hit among the expiring group at $4.45M.
Savard, Evans, and Armia were all featured on TSN’s latest Trade Bait board, ranked No. 4, No. 12, and No. 3, respectively.
Will Utah Make a Move?
The Utah Hockey Club remains in the playoff hunt, sitting six points behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final wild-card spot. General manager Bill Armstrong has emphasized seeing how the team performs post-break before making trade deadline decisions.
“We’re still in the fight,” Armstrong told the team’s website. “We’ve made a lot of moves already in the summer and fall, so our team is built to some degree. We’ll see where we are as the deadline approaches.”
Armstrong declined to reveal trade plans regarding pending UFAs Alexander Kerfoot, Nick Bjugstad, Ian Cole, Olli Maatta, and Karel Vejmelka. Head coach André Tourigny, however, stressed that winning games will dictate the team’s direction.
“If we win our games and we’re in the race by the trade deadline, we all know what will happen,” Tourigny stated. “If not, management will have decisions to make.”
The team could soon welcome back injured forward Logan Cooley and defenseman Sean Durzi, providing a potential boost ahead of the deadline. Utah has six games remaining before the trade cutoff, beginning Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings.
Trade Activity Expected as Practices Resume
Following the 4 Nations Face-Off, NHL teams can resume practices starting Tuesday at 2 p.m. ET. While no roster freeze was in effect during the tournament, most teams have held off making trades.
With 17 days remaining until the deadline, the final push is expected to bring a flurry of activity, adding to the significant moves made earlier in the season.
