HABS TRADE WATCH | Who’s the Best Partner? Flames, Rangers, Jackets & Blues

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The Montreal Canadiens are heating up the trade market — and the big question is: who’s the best partner to get a deal done? 🤔

In this show, Shaun Starr and Marco D’Amico break down the top potential trade partners for the Habs, including the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and St. Louis Blues.

We analyze possible targets, contract fits, prospect costs, and what Kent Hughes may be willing to move as Montreal looks to take the next step.

Is a major trade coming? Who makes the most sense? And what would it cost?

💬 Drop your trade ideas in the comments — we’re reading them LIVE!

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48 comments

  1. Include Olivier in any trade with Columbus. He's big, strong, he can and will contribute.
    We've got too many guys taking up space on the roster.
    Olivier will be better than 3 guys that I can think of off the top of my head.

  4. Final proposed trades for MTL:

    TRADE 1 – Montreal / New Jersey
    MTL receives: Dougie Hamilton (NJD retains $2.5M), Juho Lammikko, Mikael Diotte
    NJD receives: Patrik Laine (MTL retains 50%), Kirby Dach (MTL retains 50%), Jayden Struble, 2026 NJD 4th, conditional 2026 MTL 6th (upgrades to a 4th if Hamilton plays 20 games or MTL makes playoffs)

    TRADE 2 – Montreal / St. Louis
    MTL receives: Robert Thomas, Calle Rosén, Mikhail Abramov
    STL receives: Kaiden Guhle, Jake Evans, Owen Beck, 2026 1st (Top-10 protected)

    Post-2026 Trade Deadline Lines and Pairings:

    Caufield – Suzuki – Texier
    Slafkovský – Thomas – Demidov
    Bolduc – Kapanen – Veleno
    Gallagher- Danault – Anderson
    Blais – Newhook (IR) – Lammikko

    Matheson – Dobson
    Hutson – Hamilton
    Xhekaj – Carrier
    Rosen – Engstrom

    Montembeault
    Dobes

    (Let me dream crazy 🤪)

    On a serious note:

    @Marco, I appreciate your response to my earlier comment a couple videos ago on why Hamilton might not fit. I don’t really agree that Hamilton isn’t defensive or physical enough though. In over 80 career play-off games he has averaged more than 1.5 hits per game, +11.5 C/60 this regular season at even strength, and a +2.8 E+/- on an NJD team that is -21 in goal differential. This season he also has 67min PK time in 46GP, which means he is averaging over 85 seconds per game on the penalty kill.

  7. I have grown to really like Slaf offensively it is not his fault he is dumb defensively that is on MSL.
    The reason I bring this up I would make my first line Suzuki/Robertson/Slaf two big wingers and Robertson is really good at protecting the puck and likes to circle to the middle NOT the perimeter where Caufield plays.
    I am still ok with Caufield as the top PP guy AND OT where he has more room but 5 on 5 I replace Caufield in a heartbeat with Robertson.Caufield second line with Demidov and Hage imo the future and THAT is what MTL should be gearing towards.
    As for faceoffs imo Hage just needs like everyone else better coaching faceoffs is a SKILL that can be taught learned.MTL can't keep dickering around with bottom 6 moves and thinking about goalies geesh reminds me of the Flyers always switching and blaming goalies.
    Point being I go al in to get Robertson every prospect is available except Hage heck I give Dallas 3 top prospects for Robertson.

  8. Montreal already is a top three scoring team with G.F. 177, so why mess with the offense. They also have Hage coming in March/April. The problem is defence not offense. Montreal have allowed 175 G.A. …. 1) Montreal must reduce their shots against … 2) they get way too many penalties ….. 3) their PK is way inadequate….

    SOLUTION: Montreal should concentrate on fixing their defencemen’ and their P.K…. Trade for Paryko from St Louis. … restructure and simplify, simplify, simplify, the defence structures.

  13. the problem with Montreal and on a lot of these podcasts is they want quality for nothing, Thomas for low level prospects and draft picks and so forth, you need to trade quality for quality

  14. Come on Marco.. you know better than that. Boone Jenner has problems staying healthy. Not worth 6mill aav for 4 years. Pure rental player for being contenders and the Habs are not contenders. We will possibly make playoffs but in no world do we make it far and thats being nice about it. We have so many young prospects we can use to get an actual good player that isnt injury prone and still in their prime. We need someone useful for next season.

  19. Dont think the Habs will be active… Too many buyers, not enough sellers , Buyers are going to overpay a LOT to get certain players, just not Hughes style i think , unless it's a Hockey trade, not a rental

  23. Think a solid shutdown RD is our biggest need. Lane needs to play on his strong side. We need to stop hindering our best player and get better behind our blue line.

  24. the first and second lines are playing well. Third and fourth lines are a work in progress. They have too many forwards, especially when Laine and Newhook return. And they have no cap space.
    I don't see a trade for a rental player coming, it's going to be a hockey move. But because they have no cap space it's going to involve roster players going out. So we're probably looking at a 2 for 1 deal or something like that. Or paying someone to take Laine. or something like that.

  25. With Laine heading out, possibly gally being bought out, Anderson may not be here either, this team is in need of some veteran players. With those guys Montreal is one of the youngest teams only to get younger with fowler, Hage, reinbacher, that other Russian dude, etc. We need to get some late twenty year olds that are a point per game forward or true defenseman like what Savard was. And our 3rd and 4th lines need to add some size and grit. And look Hughes needs to look into seeing if he can put together a package for players like Rattanan or Draisitle or Marner or similar.

  27. Daily comment letting Marco know his camera is too grainy/saturated. Stop messing with the filter!! It's distracting as a guy that's worked in video :p

  29. Why would we rush the rebuild to trade for some old bum thats not gonna push us past the 1st rd let alone anywhere further . We need a way better defensive structured playing system before we make any trades unless the trades are for the purpose of future assets. Reality is we could make 4 or 5 trades and we still not going anywhere until our coaches system changes from pond hockey to real hockey

  31. Putting Sammy back in helps, getting a player like Olivier would be great. And Habs desperately need a solid goalie….

    Trade Laine, Reinbacher, Monty or Dobes.

  35. How about a whole episode about teams that overshot their own rebuild. There are many.
    So maybe; depending upon the requested return – Voronkov; even Lindstrom; Dvorsky … along those lines…

  36. 2c isn’t a position of need anymore. You have Kapanen who can either be a stop gap or grow into the role and Hage right behind him.

    We need a top 6 forward with grit and a 2nd pairing right D with grit.

  40. I think habs should target Pospisil from Calgary he is such a pest,top 10 fastest skater in the nhl can chase pucks can hit can play up in the lineup if needed sleeper target,as for 2C overpay for Thomas Zharovsky,Reibacher,Dach,26 1st and swap 2nd rounder for their 3rd rounder

  42. I'm still of the mind that it's still year 4 of a 5 year rebuild….things still have to shake out. If we bring players in, we have to get rid of players. We are not Stanley Cup ready yet so if a special player for a reasonable price is available, sure, pull the trigger but change for change sake is not smart. HUGO are smart

  46. I'm sorry but if Gorton is SO selfish that he won't trade with the Rangers because of something that occurred to him at a personal level then how can he promote 'team first'. Crap has happened to many management level & coaches in this business, you don't shut down your options just because you got your feelings hurt!

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