The Montreal Canadiens have surfaced in the Simon Edvinsson conversation, and that alone is enough to turn a few heads.
According to The Fourth Period, Montreal has been “apparently” linked to the Red Wings defenseman since Tuesday, with the Canadiens mentioned alongside the Blues, Predators, Hurricanes, Maple Leafs, Kraken, Flyers, Bruins, and Sharks. For a player who has spent the past few days flying a bit under the radar compared with the Nikita Kucherov and Dylan Larkin noise around the league, Edvinsson’s situation in Detroit is suddenly getting attention.
The reason is simple: he is still without a contract, has asked the Red Wings to trade him, and is currently on injured reserve because of the dispute. He has not played a game this season.
Edvinsson’s profile explains why so many teams would at least take a look. He is 6-foot-6, just 23 years old, and already carries a reputation as one of the league’s better two-way defensemen. Detroit drafted him sixth overall in 2021, and a player with that kind of upside is going to register on plenty of radars.
But Montreal’s fit is where the question gets interesting.
The Canadiens already have a crowded left side on the blue line, with Lane Hutson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, and Arber Xhekaj in the mix. Hutson, in particular, has been producing at a high level with 14 points in 15 games. Luke Mittelstadt is also putting up big numbers in the American League as a rookie.
So would Montreal really want another left-shot defenseman? One path would be using one of its current young lefties, Guhle or Mittelstadt, as part of a deal to bring in Edvinsson and reshape the defense group.
The timing adds another layer. Montreal is 9-3-3 and sitting second in the Atlantic Division, while Detroit is 19th in the League at 7-6-3.
That doesn’t mean Edvinsson is headed to Montreal anytime soon, or even that the talks will go anywhere at all. But the Canadiens being tied to his name is still notable. Even if this never becomes a serious pursuit, it suggests Montreal is at least keeping an eye on ways to adjust its blue line.
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Florian Xhekaj Suddenly Faces Real Pressure In Canadiens Lineup
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Martin St-Louis did not call out Xhekaj publicly, which fits the coachs usual measured approach, but the bigger issue may be what comes next for the young forward. Montreal is getting healthier, and when the lineup starts to tighten up, every shift matters more. For Xhekaj, the fight may not have drawn an immediate rebuke, but it could still make his place in the lineup a lot less secure. [Read more 🡒]
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For a team still sitting second in the Atlantic Division, the loss landed as a reminder that the margin for error can disappear fast, especially when two important forwards like Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach are out of the lineup. St-Louis message was less about one bad bounce than a bigger concern the Canadiens cannot really brush aside, because the way they played at even strength is the part of this story that lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Suddenly Have A No-Cost Roster Decision Kent Hughes Must Weigh
Waiver season has handed Kent Hughes an unexpected bit of roster flexibility, with a pair of available players suddenly giving the Canadiens a chance to add help without paying a trade price. Montreal is at least evaluating the fit, which makes sense for a front office that has tried to balance immediate depth with longer-range planning as it shapes the roster.
The decision comes down to what the Canadiens value more right now: a younger piece who could grow into a bigger role over time, or a veteran who might help sooner but comes with a shorter runway. No move has been made yet, and for Montreal the real intrigue is whether Hughes sees this as a rare no-cost chance to address a need before another club gets there first. [Read more 🡒]