NHL trade rumors: Montreal Canadiens young defensemen first in-line as trade pieces

There's some trade buzz around the Montreal Canadiens' young defensemen, with David Reinbacher and Kaiden Guhle possibly being trade pieces for the team to acquire an impact forward.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period recently appeared on TSN radio in Montreal, where he was asked a variety of questions, including what the Canadiens could do this offseason and whether one of their defensemen could be included in a trade if the Habs decide to add a forward.

Pagnotta suggested that the Montreal Canadiens are aiming to bolster their forward line, especially in their pursuit of adding a top-six scorer to strengthen their forward line. The Habs seem poised to take a more aggressive approach to pursuing this goal during the offseason.

When asked about what the Canadiens could do this offseason, Pagnotta said (quoted by NHL Trade Rumors):

So, from a Canadian perspective, you’re looking at all these pieces that you have. I don’t know if there’s necessarily that type of option available, but that’s part of the gig. Like, Hughes and his staff are gonna have to look to find, if that’s something that they want to do, that type of player, and I don’t get the sense that they’re looking for, you know, a Mittelstadt type in terms of a second line type player.

Pagnotta noted that the Montreal Canadiens are considering making bold moves by potentially using their young defensemen Guhle, Reinbacher, or Hutson as trade assets to target a player who could have a significant impact on their first line:

I think if they are going big game hunting and utilizing one of their top young defensemen, whether it’s Guhle, Reinbacher, or Hutson, whomever, you’re probably looking at somebody that would impact the first line is my guess based on some of the moves they’ve already made in each of the last two summers by bringing in somebody like Kirby Dach and then Alex Newhook

It will be interesting to see how these potential trade scenarios play out and how they might reshape the Canadiens' lineup for the upcoming season.

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The Habs traded center Sean Manohan and goaltender Jake Allen at this year's trade deadline. In exchange, they were able to add more picks, including a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft and a conditional third-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.

By adding those selections to their expanding pool of picks in the upcoming two drafts, the Montreal Canadiens have positioned themselves well to enhance their roster even more during the offseason.