A major Canadiens-Blue Jackets trade may be inching forward, but the missing piece is a third team.
That’s the key detail in the latest update from Marco Normandin, who says the framework being discussed would need another club to make the deal work. According to his report, the Canadiens would send prospects and draft picks to that third team, and that team would then send an NHL player to Columbus.
“Something is clearly happening between the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets, but to get a major deal across the finish line, it would require a third team that would receive the Canadiens' prospects and draft picks while sending an NHL player to Columbus, and that's what appears to be complicating the negotiations.”
That structure explains why the talks are proving so tricky. Columbus doesn’t seem interested in taking only futures, while Montreal is apparently trying to use its young talent and picks as the main currency. The middle team would have to bridge that gap, and that’s where the process gets messy fast.
Three teams have to line up at once, and each one brings its own needs, cap situation and timeline. If even one front office pauses, the whole thing can unravel.
The report points to the third club as the real roadblock. Finding a team willing to part with an NHL player for Columbus is the hard part, and that’s what appears to be slowing everything down.
For now, the sense is that something substantial is being worked on between Montreal and Columbus. But unless that third partner comes through, the deal may stay exactly where it is: behind the scenes.
In Other News...
Canadiens Fans Face Another Frustrating Change To Watching Their Team
Canadiens fans are staring at another shift in how they will watch their team, with the NHL and Gary Bettman confirming a 12-year broadcast agreement with Rogers Communications that deepens the leagues long-term move toward streaming in Canada. The new setup will bring English and French coverage into the mix, a reminder that the viewing experience for Quebec audiences is once again changing along with the leagues media landscape.
The biggest immediate wrinkle for Montreal supporters is the timing: Wednesday night NHL games in Canada are set to move to Prime Video beginning in the 2026-27 season. For the Canadiens, that means seven games will be part of the package, adding another layer of adjustment for fans who have already seen the way they follow the team evolve in recent years. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Just Showed Exactly What They Value In This Rebuild
Mike Mathesons new five-year extension says plenty about what the Canadiens are trying to build, and what they expect from the veterans helping steer the rebuild. Montreal has leaned on Matheson as more than a puck-moving defenseman, using him in a variety of jobs as the roster around him has changed, and the organization clearly values that kind of adaptability as much as any highlight-reel offense.
He has gone from top power-play quarterback to a second-unit role and then into penalty-kill duty, all while remaining a steady presence for a team still sorting out its long-term blue line. Kent Hughes has made it clear he sees Matheson as the kind of player who puts team success ahead of individual numbers, and the extension gives Montreal a reliable piece whose value could shift again if the lineup changes around Lane Hutson or Noah Dobson. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Fans Wont All Agree On This Kirby Dach Trade Twist
Kirby Dachs name is back in the rumor mill, and for Canadiens fans that alone is enough to split opinion. Reports have linked Montreal to trade discussions involving the young center, with the idea that his inclusion could help the club reshape its forward group as it looks for a different kind of fit in the lineup.
The twist is less about whether Montreal is listening and more about what Dach represents in those talks. His injuries, uneven play and uncertain availability have all fed into a murky valuation, and any move would almost certainly need more than just one player going the other way. The Canadiens would likely have to add more to the package, and for now the whole thing remains speculative, which is why the debate around Dach feels so much bigger than a simple trade rumor. [Read more 🡒]