NHL Rumour Roundup: Canadiens looking for forward to pair with Demidov

The Montreal Canadiens made positive strides this past season after reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2021 but now the team is looking for ways to improve.

There isn’t one particular area of focus for the Canadiens this off-season, but a main priority, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, is to add more talent to the top six.

“I’ve heard a little bit about upgrading it forward, too… I think some of that focus could be on, you know, who do they envision playing with Demidov for a while?” Friedman said on Tuesday’s episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. “Is there somebody out there that they would look at and say, those are two people that could grow together a little bit?”

Demidov brought a lot of excitement when he made the move to North America earlier than expected and gave the Canadiens a glimpse of what he is capable of.

The Canadiens do have some assets to work with in the trade market as the team has multiple picks in the first three rounds of the upcoming draft, and potentially some prospects as well.

In addition to forward, Friedman mentioned one defenceman who was on Nick Kypreos’ off-season trade board as a possible fit for the Canadiens.

“I know Nicolas Hague has been linked to them and I could see it,” Friedman said.

Hague is a pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights and just one year away from being eligible for unrestricted free agency.

The 26-year-old will find it tough to get a pay bump in Vegas, who has already committed a lot of money to Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore and Noah Hanifin on the back end.

Hague appeared in 68 games, recording 12 points while averaging 17 minutes of ice time last season. The six-foot-six, 245-pound defenceman brings the size and length that many contending teams will be trying to acquire.

Vegas not interested in moving Karlsson

The Vegas Golden Knights are never shy about making a big push for a big-name player, but in order to do so, the team has to move out a player to make some room.

As a result, William Karlsson’s name had been brought up as a potential trade candidate in order to shed some cap space with the forward set to earn $5.9 million for the next two seasons.

However, as Friedman explained, there doesn’t appear to be any truth to Karlsson being on the trade block.

“I got pushback from teams about Karlsson,” Friedman explained. “I haven’t spoken to Vegas directly and it’s always possible that they may be talking to one or two specific teams about him that I haven’t found.

“But I will say that I asked a few people about Karlsson and either they told me they’re not under the impression he’s available or I suspect that one or two teams asked and were told no.”

Friedman also said that the Golden Knights really like what Karlsson brings, and he’s one of the few original expansion draft picks who has remained with the team.

The 32-year-old had a down season, scoring just nine goals and 29 points in 53 games as he dealt with a lower-body injury that forced him to go on long-term injured reserve.

Mammoth looking to make big splash

The Utah Mammoth made some big moves to add to their blue line with trades for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino at last year’s draft.

It didn’t necessarily have the desired impact as Utah missed the post-season, finishing sixth in the Central Division.

With owner Ryan Smith not afraid of making bold moves, it appears his club will try to be active again this off-season.

“I heard that the Mammoth are discussing some stuff and some stuff that might not necessarily be considered small,” Friedman said. “The pressure’s on there and they want to have a big season so I think Utah’s in the middle of a lot of things.”

Jack McBain is the only restricted free agent the team needs to sign. Friedman said that while the team will try to bring him back, McBain could be an offer sheet candidate, too.

A missed blockbuster trade?

It was no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs were looking to move Mitch Marner at the NHL trade deadline and the target in return was Mikko Rantanen.

However, it appears that a third team was looking to get involved in what could have been one of the bigger blockbuster trades in recent memory.

James Mirtle of The Athletic reported that Vegas would have been the final destination for Marner as part of a three-team trade involving the Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes.

“According to league sources, there were also discussions around a Marner-to-Vegas transaction before the trade deadline this year, a move that would have involved the Hurricanes in a three-way deal,” Mirtle wrote.

“It’s unclear just how far those talks went, or if Marner was asked to waive his no-movement clause to go to Vegas, but it sounds like what killed the deal was Vegas and Carolina failing to find the right assets to include to get it done.”

Friedman reported after the trade deadline that the Hurricanes initially asked for Marner in return for Rantanen.

The Maple Leafs told Marner their desire was to sign him, but they had to ask if he was willing to waive his no-movement clause, and the winger declined. 

This is not the first time the Golden Knights have been linked to Marner, as they reportedly talked with the Leafs about a deal last off-season. However, as Friedman said, the deal was never “realistic,” as Toronto pushed for defenceman Shea Theodore but was rebuffed by Vegas. Theodore later signed a seven-year extension with the Golden Knights.

Penguins in tough position with Letang

With the Pittsburgh Penguins retooling their roster under new head coach Dan Muse, president and general manager Kyle Dubas is looking to find a solution for his blue line.

One option could be trying to move on from veteran Kris Letang, but it appears that a deal isn’t on the table for the blueliner.

On top of his no-trade clause, Letang’s health and contract are too much of a risk for teams to consider. The 38-year-old Letang has three years remaining on a deal that pays him $6.1 million per season.

If the Penguins do decide to keep Letang around, Yohe believes the team would prefer for Letang to take on a reduced role.

Letang had a major dip in production, scoring just nine goals and 30 points in 74 games last season. He averaged 23:32 of ice time, below his career average but still among the league leaders for defencemen.