Kent Johnson’s name has resurfaced

All eyes have been on Kirill Marchenko for the past 48 hours. Will he join the Canadiens in the coming days?

According to some insiders, a trade is imminent and the ball is in Kent Hughes' court.

However, according to reporters in Columbus and Marchenko's agent, he is not about to move to Montreal.

Who should we believe?

From what I'm hearing, Kent Hughes could very well finalize a major trade in the coming days… but it wouldn't necessarily involve Kirill Marchenko.

Instead, the Canadiens might (finally) acquire their second center.

Discussions reportedly took place recently with at least two teams: the Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs. Did the conversations start with Marchenko's name and end with that of a center from Ohio? It's possible.

As for the
Leafs
, we know that the Habs and the Leafs nearly completed a trade involving Matthew Knies at the trade deadline. The lines of communication are still open despite Brad Treliving's departure, it seems…

Which player is involved?

The Blue Jackets have about $14.5 million available under the salary cap, but they need to sign Adam Fantilli to a contract. And Fantilli isn't going to come cheap…

No, I don't think Kent Hughes is going to go after Fantilli (neither via trade nor via a hostile offer), but it would be just his style to help Don Waddell free up some money on his payroll.

Could Sean Monahan return to Montreal in a role he knows well?

Could Kent Johnson—who was moved to the wing and just had a pretty tough season—be traded with less than a year left before he negotiates his next contract? Kent Johnson, the fifth overall pick in 2021, has often been linked to the Canadiens in the past, and it's fair to say he represents the kind of risk Kent Hughes likes to take.

It's worth noting that Marco Normandin seems to be hearing the same thing we are right now.

I'm taking a brief break from my vacation, but here's the info I have:

1. Something is clearly going on between the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets, but to close a major deal, it would take a third team that would receive the Canadiens' prospects and draft picks and would send…

— Marco Normandin (@MarcoNormandin) July 27, 2026

Could Kirby Dach be involved? David Reinbacher? Alexander Zharovsky?

As for the Maple Leafs, John Tavares might be of interest to Kent Hughes, but I'm not convinced. He's getting older and still has three years left on his contract. Plus, he's decided to stay in Toronto…

Honestly, I see a trade with the Blue Jackets taking shape more than a deal with the Maple Leafs.

We'll see in the coming days if anything comes to fruition.

Reminder: Several big names on the Habs are on vacation this week. If something does materialize, we might have to wait a few days before an announcement is made.