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The Montreal Canadiens have been busy in the trade market this 2025 NHL offseason. They have made two deals already, including bringing in Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders. Still, the Habs may not be done in the trade market, and could make another move this summer.
After losing to the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs in 2024-25, this young group of players seems poised to take the next step. They will be looking to be the first Canadian team to win the Cup since the Habs won it all back in 1993. They were the fifth youngest team in the NHL this past season, and the youngest to make the playoffs. While there is hope for the future, Montreal still needs to be aggressive this offseason in the trade market.
Beyond trading for Dobson, the Canadiens also added forward depth, trading for Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues. Still, they need another second-line forward, ideally a second-line center. Nick Suzuki has the top-line center spot locked down. Currently, the second-line center is Kirby Dach, who is much more suited to be a bottom-six forward. Many of the top free-agent centers have also found new contracts. Sam Bennett and John Tavares both re-signed with their respective franchises. Pius Suter went to the St. Louis Blues, while Mikael Granlund headed to the Anaheim Ducks. This means the Habs may need to make a trade to snag a second-line center for their roster.
The Canadiens could work a deal with the Rangers
The New York Rangers have been busy this offseason. They opened up their summer by signing Vladislav Gavrikov in free agency. They would continue by moving restricted free agent K'Andre Miller to the Hurricanes. The Rangers would then re-sign Will Cuylle and would sign Taylor Raddysh away from the Washington Capitals. With the flurry of transactions, the Rangers are now in a difficult cap situation. They have just $3.24 million in cap space left. With their star forward Artemi Panarin eligible for a contract extension this offseason, the Rangers may need more cap space. This places the franchise in a position to make some moves this offseason.
Jeff Gorton is the Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations in Montreal. This is a position he has held since November 2021. Prior to joining the Habs, he was the General Manager of the Rangers. He drafted such players as Alexis Lafreniere, Miller, and Cuylle. While a player like Cuylle could have made sense for Montreal to go after, his recent re-signing with the Rangers makes that unlikely.
Still, Montreal has the assets to make a trade happen with the Rangers, and New York boasts two attractive options. Montreal has some young talent on the squad that could be moved, such as Dach. They also have three extra picks in the 2026 NHL draft, including a second-round pick. They do not have the cap space currently to make a major move, but could shed some space by sending a player in return, or finding another creative solution.
Meanwhile, the Rangers have two veteran forwards in Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck, who could be moved. Zibanejad would require some creative accounting for the Habs to take on his contract. He is due $8.5 million per year for each of the next five seasons. The Swede is coming off a slightly down season in New York. While he did play all 82 games, he had just 20 goals, his lowest since the 2016-17 campaign. Further, he recorded just 62 total points, the fewest since the shortened 2020-21 season. Finally, his minus-22 rating was the second worst of his NHL career. He will turn 33 this year, but would still bring a solid veteran presence to the locker room and would be a good second-line center. Still, he has a no-movement clause, which could make it difficult for the Habs to acquire him.
The other option is Trocheck. Contract-wise, this would be easier for Montreal to manage. He is due just $5.625 million per year for the next four seasons. It would still require some financial creativity from the Canadiens, but it is more manageable. Further, the American-born center has a modified no-trade clause, which allows for a 12-team no-trade list. In his three seasons with the Rangers, he has played in all 82 games in all three of them.
Further, the forward has scored 22 or more goals in all three campaigns. He is coming off his lowest assist total in his three years in New York, but still had a total of 59 points. Trocheck would be another solid option for the second line in New York. Given Gorton's connection to the Rangers and the possibility New York could still make some moves, the Canadiens need to kick the tires on these guys to potentially improve their roster.
