Fraser Minten’s new seven-year extension in Boston may have done Montreal a favor, even if it wasn’t the Bruins’ intention. With the Bruins locking up Minten and Elias Lindholm long term, Pavel Zacha suddenly looks like the odd man out - and that’s exactly the kind of situation the Canadiens should be watching closely.
Zacha is in the final year of his deal at an AAV of $4.75 million, and after a career season, he’s in line for a raise. The veteran center, who has already played in over 700 NHL games, put up 30 goals for the first time in his career and added 35 assists. He remains an important piece for Boston, but if the Bruins can’t find common ground on a long-term extension, a trade starts to make a lot of sense.
That said, this wouldn’t be a simple negotiation for Montreal. Boston would almost certainly prefer to move Zacha anywhere but to the Canadiens, and for obvious reasons: they’re division rivals, and the Bruins would have no interest in strengthening them. That means Kent Hughes would likely need to come in with an offer Boston can’t refuse.
The good news for Montreal is that it has the kind of assets that can get a deal across the finish line without gutting the organization. The Canadiens have several top-end prospects and all of their first-round picks, which gives them real ammunition if they decide Zacha is worth the push.
If this ever got serious, it would also be a rare move between these two teams. Since 2000, the Canadiens and Bruins have completed only two trades.
The most recent came during the 2025 NHL Draft, when Montreal and Boston swapped picks and the Canadiens moved up to 69th to select Hayden Paupanekis. Before that, you have to go back to 2001, when Montreal acquired Patrick Traverse for Eric Weinrich.
From Montreal’s side, the appeal is obvious. Zacha would be a major upgrade and give the Canadiens another strong two-way center behind Nick Suzuki. But a trade like this would carry real ripple effects, because Zacha is not a short-term fix.
If Montreal brought him in, the next question would be what that means for Michael Hage. He is not expected to be able to join Montreal until the latter part of the regular season, but expected to be a full-time NHL player next season.
So there are hurdles here: the cost, the long-term fit, the impact on Hage, and the simple fact that Boston would rather not help Montreal at all. Still, this is the kind of player Kent Hughes has to at least explore. Pavel Zacha would push the Canadiens closer to being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.
In Other News...
Canadiens Face A Pricey Adam Fantilli Decision They Can't Ignore
Montreals center picture already looks crowded enough for next season, with Nick Suzuki, Oliver Kapanen, Jake Evans and Phillip Danault expected to hold down the middle and Kirby Dach still in the mix as another option. Even so, the Canadiens are keeping an eye on a bigger swing if the opportunity ever opens up, and that means watching the situation in Columbus closely as Adam Fantilli works through his contract talks with the Blue Jackets.
For Montreal, the appeal is obvious: Fantilli is the kind of young center who can change a lineups ceiling. The problem is just as obvious, too. Any serious run at him would come with a steep price, and the kind of move that could pry him loose would not be a simple cap maneuver or a minor trade adjustment. It would be the sort of commitment that forces a team to decide how badly it wants to chase a franchise piece. [Read more 🡒]
Lane Hutson Just Added To A Canadiens Debate Fans Love
Corey Pronmans latest 2022 NHL Draft re-ranking gave Canadiens fans plenty to chew on, especially because it centered on the same class that already shapes so much of the teams future conversation. Juraj Slafkovsky stayed at No. 1 in Pronmans view, and the exercise was built around long-term upside rather than a simple do-over of draft night, which is why these lists tend to ignite the kind of debates that linger well beyond the original selection.
The most intriguing part for Montreal is Lane Hutsons rise from a second-round pick to a level usually reserved for the drafts elite, joining Cutter Gauthier in the upper tier of the re-rank. Logan Cooley landed ahead of him, which only adds another layer to the discussion about how teams should value skill, projection and development, and why the Canadiens draft haul remains such a favorite topic whenever these rankings surface. [Read more 🡒]
Samuel Montembeault Faces A Defining Year In Montreal's Crease
Samuel Montembeault arrives at this season with a lot to prove after a rough 2025-26 campaign in Montreal, one that saw his game slip far enough that he went from being the Canadiens starter to third string. In 25 appearances, he struggled to a .872 save percentage and a 3.43 goals-against average, numbers that left the club searching for steadier answers in net as his role eroded over the course of the year.
Montembeault is now at a critical point in his Canadiens tenure, with his future tied directly to how he handles the pressure of this next stretch. He is entering the final year of his contract as a pending unrestricted free agent, so a rebound would help him rebuild his standing in Montreal and across the league, while another difficult season would only deepen the questions around where he fits next. [Read more 🡒]