The Montreal Canadiens have an abundance of high-level prospects, boasting one of the deepest prospect pools in the NHL in addition to possessing some of the most exciting young players. With the line of Cole Caufield, Nick Suzuki, and Juraj Slafkovsky likely remaining intact to begin the 2024-25 season, the club will look to the likes of Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, Joshua Roy, or perhaps bring in some outside help to solidify their top two forward lines.
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Newhook and Dach have established themselves as serviceable top-six NHL forwards as they continue to grow, though the team does appear to have a gaping hole with only five truly established top-six forwards (whether Newhook and Dach have earned that title may be up for debate). With several enticing forward options on the trade market such as Martin Necas, Trevor Zegras, and Nikolaj Ehlers, here are three realistic trade scenarios that would see the Canadiens acquire a quality top-six forward.
Canadiens Trade Owen Beck, Sean Farrell & a 2024 1st-Round Pick to Hurricanes for Martin Necas
Necas has been a name surrounded by trade rumours following the Carolina Hurricanes’ second-round demise. The 2017 first-round pick finds himself stuck behind the likes of Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis among other ‘Canes forwards and has reportedly sought out a trade.
Necas has recorded four seasons of 40 or more points, peaking at 71 in 2022-23. Beck is coming off of a Memorial Cup championship with the Saginaw Spirit in which he was named MVP. He recorded 81 points in just 57 Ontario Hockey League (OHL) games, and his value is at an all-time high. Farrell, a former college superstar, recorded 28 points in 47 American Hockey League (AHL) games as a 22-year-old.
The first-round pick in question would be the pick the Habs acquired from Winnipeg for Sean Monahan, sending a late-rounder to Carolina to sweeten this deal. The Hurricanes may reject this, though it’s unlikely the Canadiens would part ways with one of their top young players such as Kaiden Guhle or David Reinbacher.
Canadiens Trade Justin Barron, Joshua Roy, a 2025 1st-Round Pick & 2025 2nd-Round Pick to Ducks for Trevor Zegras
Trevor Zegras, much like Necas, has been a name that has emerged in trade conversations. The 2019 ninth-overall pick had an injury-riddled season, but recorded consecutive 60-point seasons to begin his career. He already has chemistry with Caufield, dating back to their time with the United States National Team Development Program (USNTDP). He would also become the fourth player on the Canadiens roster from the first round of the 2019 Draft, joining Caufield, Dach, and Newhook.
It has been reported that the Ducks would seek either Guhle or Reinbacher in a potential Zegras deal — a move the Canadiens would surely be hesitant to do. Roy is one of their most promising young forwards, and Barron still has great NHL potential behind a logjam of young Habs defensemen. The first-round pick would almost certainly have to come with conditions such as being top-10 protected in the event that the Canadiens don’t take the jump many fans may expect.
Canadiens Trade David Savard, Logan Mailloux & a 2025 2nd-Round Pick to Jets for Nikolaj Ehlers
Nikolaj Ehlers has reportedly asked out of Winnipeg following a swift and disappointing first-round exit. The 28-year-old has never played below a 40-point pace throughout the entirety of his career, and saw his production rate peak in 2020-21 as he posted 46 points in just 47 games.
The Habs can afford to move a veteran player such as Savard, as he enters the final season of his contract and doesn’t fit into the club’s future. The tough blow for the team in this situation would be giving up arguably their second-best defensive prospect in Mailloux, who has skyrocketed up the depth chart following a tumultuous few seasons. The Canadiens may even be unwilling to move him, though he may be what it takes to facilitate a trade for a player of Ehlers’ calibre. Given trading Mailloux is indeed a steep price, they wouldn’t likely need to entice Winnipeg with a first-round pick.
While all of these scenarios may simply be wishful thinking, it’s exciting to imagine scenarios where one of these established NHL forwards joins the Canadiens to bolster their lacking top-six. Time will tell if general manager Kent Hughes and company have some tricks up their sleeves.
