Alexis Lafrenière in Montreal: we’ll probably have to forget about that

Maxime Truman
Alexis Lafrenière in Montreal: we’ll probably have to forget about that
Credit: Getty Images

NHL teams will be able to start trading again on February 23 at 12:01 a.m. However, they will only have two weeks to do so, since after March 6 (the trade deadline), any player acquired via trade will not be eligible to play for their new team in the playoffs.

In short, we can expect 11 days of (very) numerous rumors in the NHL.

Since timing is always everything in life, we have to admit that the timing of Greg Lanctôt (BPM Sports) and Marco D'Amico (The Starr & D'Amico Show / BPM Sports / RG Media) to launch their brand new podcast Sur le marché couldn't be better.

From the very first minutes of the first episode—posted online yesterday—it's clear that there will be no set frequency or length for this brand-new podcast. When Marco hears a rumor about an interesting transaction, he'll call Greg and record a few-minute episode. Or an hour! We'll see! What should we take away from this first episode, in which the Rangers got pretty much all the attention?
Chris Drury sent Artemi Panarin to the Kings before the start of the Olympics in exchange for not much, but he won't be the only Rangers player to jump ship before the end of winter. Vincent Trocheck, Braden Schneider… and Alexis Lafrenière are all names D'Amico hears when it comes to current trade rumors involving the Blueshirts. Trocheck… Schneider… Lafrenière… there's one name that intrigues CH fans more than the others: Alexis Lafrenière.

What did Marco D'Amico have to say about Lafrenière and the Habs?

“One of the easiest fits that people are going to look at is Montreal. Because Montreal is really looking to complete the top line to have two top lines…” – Marco D'Amico

The problem, according to both Lanctôt and D'Amico, is the likelihood of Chris Drury and Jeff Gorton completing a trade.

“Will Dolan, the Rangers' owner, let Drury trade with Gorton? That's the big question.” – Marco D'Amico

It should be noted that before joining the Montreal Canadiens, Jeff Gorton was fired by the Rangers after a violent game against the Capitals, but also because of a rebuilding plan that never delivered on its promises. It seems that the split between Gorton and the Rangers' owner was not amicable. The Hurricanes didn't like Marc Bergevin and Geoff Molson; now it's the Rangers who don't like Jeff Gorton and the CH.

Except that when you dig a little deeper, you realize that the problem seems to date back more than 15 years and is not only related to the Gorton-Dolan relationship. When was the last trade between the Rangers and the Canadiens?

June 30, 2009, when the Canadiens acquired Scott Gomez, Tom Pyatt, and Michael Busto in exchange for Chris Higgins, Ryan McDonagh, and Pavel Valentenko.

Before that? March 18, 1996 (Brian Noonan vs. future considerations).

Why does the CH hardly ever trade with the Rangers? Could it be a matter of historical rivalry between the two organizations?

However, knowing this, I believe it's time to put an end to the rumors involving Lafrenière and Montreal once and for all. Deal? Especially since Lafrenière has only 32 points in 57 games this season, all for an annual salary of $10 million in 2025-26!

In closing, Marco D'Amico sees Lafrenière being traded to the Canucks, due to the presence of his former agent, Émilie Castonguay, and the rebuilding process in Vancouver. Except that these types of trades often happen during the summer, not at the trade deadline.


In a nutshell

– He's becoming more and more important.

– Women's hockey: bronze for Switzerland.

— A name to remember.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!