Discussions for an impact transaction: the Canadiens involved (according to David Pagnotta)

The Montreal Canadiens aren’t having a great season. Presumably, the club will be selling at the next trade deadline – and we shouldn’t be surprised, of course.

What will the Habs do then? I don’t know.

What we do know, for example, is that two files are pressing a little harder than the others. After all, in the short term, we need to settle the ménage à trois in front of the net… and in the medium term, the case of Sean Monahan needs to be decided.

We could talk about Tanner Pearson, but he has a hand injury and God knows when he’ll be back… and in what condition.

Now that the groundwork for the 2023-2024 season has been laid, and management is able to determine their team’s strengths and weaknesses, it’s logical to assume that some discussions are taking place in the NHL.

And because the Habs have three goalies, it’s also logical to believe that Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are on the phone.

On this subject, David Pagnotta talked about the Habs on TSN 690, asking questions about the market and the Habs’ presence in it.

He says he doesn’t expect Samuel Montembeault to be the one sacrificed to the Habs, even though nothing is ruled out. But since the Habs’ GM seems to like the Quebecer, it would take a LOT to let him go…

But it’s not just the goaltending issue that needs to be discussed.

Without specifying what type of player was in question, Pagnotta stated that the Habs have spoken, in the past week, to NHL teams. He doesn’t feel that anything is imminent, that said, but…

Several teams are watching and trying to make a move.

There are discussions about depth moves and impact moves, and the Habs have been involved in a few discussions to that effect. – David Pagnotta

He thinks that one of them involves a forward, without thinking that one of the team’s core players is on his way out. Makes sense.

Be careful, though: it doesn’t necessarily mean that a top striker will leave Montreal. Firstly, not every discussion leads to something concrete.

But also, what’s to say that it won’t be the Habs who get a (young) forward of the future? Or that it’s not Kent Hughes who wants to use his third and final salary deduction to help a big forward move by being the third team in a transaction?

Remember, this doesn’t mean it’s imminent. That said, it’s interesting to see that the Habs’ GM has his nose glued to a number of high-impact files.

Extension

In the segment, which I recommend you listen to, we also hear discussions between Pagnotta and the TSN 690 guys about the value of David Savard.

How much will his name be circulating between now and March 8? That remains to be seen.