Welcome back to another edition of NHL Rumours brought to you by the crew at Last Word on Hockey. We’re at the eve of the trade deadline, and teams are ready to get to work to make their final roster decisions for their push for Lord Stanley’s Cup. One of those teams is the Montreal Canadiens, who currently sit just two points out of the final wild card position. The Canadiens have decided not to be a full-on seller by signing Jake Evans to a four-year deal, however, they still need to make decisions on a couple of other pending unrestricted free agents who will certainly receive some attention before tomorrow’s deadline. This edition of NHL Rumours focuses on the Canadiens and what they plan to do with Joel Armia and David Savard.
All NHL Rumours come from their original source and are subject to change.
INSIDER TRADING – @DarrenDreger, @PierreVLeBrun & @reporterchris go across the country and look at where each Canadian
team stands with two days left until the NHL trade deadline: https://t.co/DTSTdnFC9i pic.twitter.com/rliFyyd1a6
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) March 5, 2025
NHL Rumours: Canadiens Exploring Options on Pending UFAs
Rumour: Pierre LeBrun spoke in the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading about the Canadiens plans heading into the trade deadline. He mentioned the Canadiens are not looking to move both Joel Armia and David Savard, but could move one for the right deal.
Analysis: With the Canadiens sitting just two points back of the final wild card position, it’s no surprise that they wouldn’t want to sell off and hurt their chances at making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Like LeBrun mentions, the Canadiens season was already a success. The goal at the beginning of the year was to play meaningful games in March, and they’re doing just that. They made the next step in their rebuild and are soon ready to become legitimate playoff contenders.
However, there is still work to do. General Manager Kent Hughes needs to weigh his options and figure out what’s best for the team. Fortunately for Hughes, there is no pressure here. They don’t need to trade either player if they don’t get a deal that makes sense to them. They can use them as their own rentals to try to make a run. This could also potentially lead to an extension for either Savard or Armia. As LeBrun states, they don’t need another fourth-round pick, they have plenty of those from years prior. Unless a team is going to step up and make an extremely enticing offer that Hughes cannot refuse, expect to see both remain in Canadiens sweaters after the deadline.
Other Interesting Trade Options for the Canadiens?
The one interesting comment LeBrun made was that what other general managers around the league are hearing is that Hughes is, in fact, looking to make a hockey deal at the deadline. Much like the ones he made for Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach in years past. Hughes would be in the market for another young, NHL-ready player to slot into their lineup and help them immediately as well as in the future.
One name that comes to mind specifically is Trevor Zegras. Zegras sits at number 33 on TSN’s Trade Bait Board, however, he’s been linked to Montreal over the last year or so. At 23 years old and in need of a change of scenery, Zegras fits exactly the type of player Hughes is looking to trade for. Whether or not the two teams could strike a deal remains to be seen. But it’s something hockey fans should keep an eye on.
Main Photo: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
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