The Montreal Canadiens may have missed their swing at Kirill Marchenko, but that doesn’t mean they’re done hunting for help up front. If GM Kent Hughes goes back into the trade market, the focus has to shift to another top-six forward, and Mark Scheifele is one name that keeps circling back.
Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz believes the fit in Montreal makes plenty of sense. “They wouldn’t need him as a No. 1 center (Nick Suzuki has that spot locked down), but they do need an upgrade at their No. 2 center spot and with their depth down the middle. That might be the one big Achilles heel they have with the roster this season, and Scheifele would give them a pretty dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle.”
Cap space wouldn’t be the issue. The Canadiens have enough flexibility to make a deal work financially if they decided Scheifele was the target.
The harder part is everything else. Scheifele has not asked out publicly, he’s in his age-33 season, and his contract comes with a no-movement clause. Those are major hurdles, and every one of them would have to be cleared before Montreal could even start feeling good about its chances.
And the Canadiens would not be alone if Scheifele ever became available. The Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins are all mentioned as possible destinations, and each would likely be prepared to make a strong bid. Montreal also has another problem: when it missed out on Marchenko, it did not have an obvious roster player to send back to Winnipeg.
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For Winnipeg, the parallel is hard to miss. Connor Hellebuycks situation has already cast a long shadow over the group, and losing the opener did little to calm things down. With both teams trying to steady themselves before the schedule gets away from them, the next stretch feels less like an early test and more like a search for something fans can actually trust. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Jets, the Hellebuyck piece matters most because he has been such a central figure in their plans, and any hint of movement around a player of his stature naturally ripples far beyond one roster. The broader story is still taking shape, with some of these situations tied to family considerations or a search for better opportunities, but the fact that several high-profile teammates from that Olympic team are now dealing with uncertainty keeps the league watching for the next shoe to drop. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Finally Have Something To Build On After Opening Night Sting
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Kyle Connor and Cole Perfetti were both involved in the offense over the first two games, which is encouraging for a club looking to settle in before a home stretch begins. The next test comes against Pittsburgh, and then Winnipeg will return to a run of games at home, where the Jets should have a better sense of whether the first week was a wobble or the start of something more stable. [Read more 🡒]