Canadiens Nearly Pulled Off “Significant” Deadline Trade, Says Insider

The Montreal Canadiens didn’t make any splashy moves at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, but it sounds like they came a lot closer than people might think.

According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Canadiens were involved in several serious negotiations before the March 6 deadline passed. In his recap of the deadline activity, Pagnotta noted that Montreal GM Kent Hughes admitted the team had been working on what he called “a significant deal for us,” though it ultimately didn’t come together in time.

Hughes didn’t offer many details, but he did hint that the story might not be finished. “I’d like to answer you, but perhaps you’ll find out in the summer,” he said after the deadline. He did note, “We spent a lot of time (on) one deal in particular, and it went down to the last minute, but it doesn’t prevent us from revisiting in the summer.”

Pagnotta seems to suggest that Montreal’s main focus was finding a top-line forward—someone who could fit alongside the team’s young core, led by Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. There was a lot of chatter that Matthew Knies was on their radar and Elliotte Friedman noted he’d heard rumblings, but wasn’t prepared to confirm how serious talks got. He might not have been the only player the Canadiens checked in on. In the days leading up to the deadline, Hughes had been connected to several notable names, including Nazem Kadri, Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, Ryan O’Reilly, and Jonathan Marchessault.

All but Kadri stayed with their respective teams.

Canadiens Also Looked at a Defenseman

Montreal was also reportedly close to landing a right-shot defenseman who still had term left on his contract. Pagnotta says the basic structure of that deal had been worked out before the other team unexpectedly backed out at the last minute.

There were other discussions happening behind the scenes as well. The Canadiens explored moving Patrik Laine and his $8.7 million cap hit—possibly with salary retention—but nothing materialized. Goaltender Samuel Montembeault was also mentioned in trade talks.

In the end, Montreal stayed quiet at the deadline. Hughes was aggressively looking to add, but it didn’t happen. Expect noise to pick up around the NHL Draft.

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