{"id":430007,"date":"2026-01-27T03:25:19","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:25:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/430007\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T03:25:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T03:25:19","slug":"3-canadiens-who-could-be-dealt-before-the-2026-trade-deadline-the-hockey-writers-montreal-canadiens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/430007\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Canadiens Who Could Be Dealt Before the 2026 Trade Deadline – The Hockey Writers – Montreal Canadiens"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the trade deadline approaches, the Montreal Canadiens<\/a> find themselves in an unusual, and enviable, position. Despite a long list of injuries throughout the season, the team has stayed competitive, discovered internal solutions, and now faces a new challenge:\u00a0too many NHL-caliber players once everyone is healthy. That reality opens the door to speculation. While Kent Hughes has no obligation to make a move, the Canadiens do have flexibility, and that could mean listening on a few names. Here are\u00a0three players who could, realistically, be moved before the deadline.<\/p>\n

Patrik Laine\u00a0<\/p>\n

Patrik Laine<\/a> is the name that comes up first, and it\u2019s not particularly close. When Montreal acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets, the risk was clear: elite offensive talent paired with a long injury history and an inconsistent five-on-five impact. Unfortunately for the Canadiens, that risk has largely defined his tenure so far.<\/p>\n

Laine has played just five games this season before being sidelined again, this time with a core muscle injury<\/a>. Availability has been a recurring issue throughout his career, and while his shot remains one of the best in the league, the Canadiens have learned to function, and win, without him.<\/p>\n

From a roster-building perspective, Laine is also a difficult fit. He is primarily a power-play weapon who needs offensive touches to be effective, and Montreal\u2019s top-six has found chemistry without him. At even strength, the Habs already have faster, more versatile options who can play with pace and forecheck effectively.<\/p>\n

With Laine set to become a free agent after the season, the Canadiens must ask themselves a simple question: Does he still have a long-term role here?\u00a0If the answer is no, moving him at the deadline, even for a modest return, could make sense, especially for a contender looking to add scoring depth for the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Kirby Dach\u00a0<\/p>\n

This one is more delicate. Kirby Dach<\/a> remains a talented, intriguing player, but the situation around him is changing rapidly. Injuries have once again disrupted his season, and while patience has been a constant theme in Montreal, opportunities are becoming harder to find.<\/p>\n

When Alex Newhook returns from injury, things get crowded quickly. Alexandre Texier has seized a golden opportunity on the first line alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield. Meanwhile, Dach has found himself in a depth role, at times on the fourth line, a tough spot for a player who was once projected as a core top-six piece.<\/p>\n

\"MontrealMontreal Canadiens Kirby Dach (David Kirouac-Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

That\u2019s the key issue,\u00a0role. If Texier sticks on the first line and Newhook slides back into the top-nine, where does Dach fit? He\u2019s not an ideal fourth-line player, and the Canadiens already have multiple centres competing for ice time.<\/p>\n

At some point, the organization has to decide whether Dach is still part of the long-term vision or whether a change of scenery could benefit both sides. He still has value around the league, especially for teams willing to bet on upside.\u00a0A trade isn\u2019t inevitable, but it\u2019s no longer unthinkable.<\/p>\n

Jayden Struble\u00a0<\/p>\n

Jayden Struble may not generate headlines, but he represents a classic deadline-type discussion. Struble has been decent when called upon, bringing physicality, mobility, and reliability in a limited role. However, the Canadiens\u2019 blue line depth is quietly becoming one of the deepest in the organization.<\/p>\n

Related: What Is the Canadiens\u2019 Plan for Patrik Laine?<\/a><\/p>\n

Arber Xhekaj and Struble are already fighting for spots. Add to that the strong NHL auditions from Adam Engstr\u00f6m<\/a> earlier this season and the fact that David Reinbacher is getting closer to being NHL-ready, and the math becomes tricky.<\/p>\n

To be clear,\u00a0the Canadiens do not need to move Struble. But if another team values him and the Habs add a veteran, he could be moved. Depth defencemen with upside are always in demand near the deadline, and Struble fits that profile well.<\/p>\n

The most important thing to remember is this:\u00a0the Canadiens don\u2019t have to force anything. They could very well move only Laine, or even stand pat entirely. Having too many viable options is not a problem; it\u2019s a sign of organizational progress. For years, Montreal lacked depth and flexibility. Now, Hughes has choices.<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s moving a contract, clearing a logjam, or simply keeping the group intact, the Canadiens are operating from a position of strength, and that\u2019s exactly where rebuilding teams hope to be at this stage.<\/p>\n

\"SUBSCRIBE<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a>
\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As the trade deadline approaches, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves in an unusual, and enviable, position. Despite a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":430008,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5103],"tags":[265,5,410,4687,264,21,5147,4,640],"class_list":{"0":"post-430007","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-montreal-canadiens","8":"tag-canadiens","9":"tag-hockey","10":"tag-jayden-struble","11":"tag-kirby-dach","12":"tag-montreal","13":"tag-montreal-canadiens","14":"tag-montrealcanadiens","15":"tag-nhl","16":"tag-patrik-laine"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115964931822207305","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430007","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=430007"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/430007\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/430008"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=430007"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=430007"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=430007"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}