The Montreal Canadiens are exploring trade options as they try to combat their underwhelming start to the 2024-25 season. General Manager Kent Hughes has begun reaching out around the league, gathering information on potential trades, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic. Frank Seravalli reports the team is checking prices to add a top-four, right-shooting defenseman. Happy with their long-term prospects on the blue line, Hughes is finding out it’s expensive to land a stopgap solution.
However, Hughes is also cautious about parting with future assets, focusing instead on salary-matching trades that won’t jeopardize the team’s long-term plans.
As for who that might be, Arber Xhekaj‘s name has come up, with his $1.3 million cap hit being one that the Canadiens might be willing to part with.
With the Canadiens currently at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and second-last in the Eastern Conference with a 2-4-1 record, pressure is mounting for the organization to take the step many expected they might this season. While the initial goal was to contend for a playoff spot, internal expectations have shifted, with a realization that the team might not be where it needs to be yet.
Some of that is not on the Canadiens, who were hit with an unfortunate injury to Patrik Laine before the season began. While Laine might not have been the difference between making the postseason and not making it, his injury set the team off on the wrong foot to start the 2024-25 campaign. They might need a deal to spark them back into playing better than they’ve shown.
The Canadiens do have some LTIR space due to Carey Price‘s contract and Laine’s situation, and if there is an appetite to do something, they could. That said, panicking and making a huge deal might not be the best for a team that is still retooling and rebuilding.
Conversations with other teams indicate that Hughes is being proactive in trying to make a deal. LeBrun noted, “I don’t think there’s anything imminent for Montreal, but I think it’s noteworthy that the Habs aren’t just sitting there and saying, ‘Oh well, we’re off to a slow start, that’s life.’” Who he is targeting or what he is dangling isn’t clear.
Other GMs have already noted that the market isn’t offering up much, and LeBrun echoed that sentiment. With most teams not ready to start wheeling and dealing, the Canadiens might have to offer up something intriguing that other GMs might be interested in.
One player frequently mentioned in trade rumors is defenseman Arber Xhekaj, whose physical play and grit have made him a fan favorite. He’s polarizing in the Montreal market, but his potential trade value could be leveraged to acquire a skilled forward or bolster the team’s scoring depth. Moving Xhekaj would be a tough decision given his popularity and impact on the ice.
LeBrun reports that any deal has to be salary in, salary out. If true, Xhekaj’s contract isn’t exactly big enough to land a difference-maker for the Habs. That might rule him out of any trade talks, assuming the Canadiens are interested in moving the defenseman at all.
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