Insider: Canadiens To Trade 'Excess Roster Pieces' For Upgrade

The Montreal Canadiens have been hammered by injuries this season. Several key pieces are currently out of the lineup. But eventually, players like Jake Evans, Patrik Laine, Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook will all be back.

But that will make for a crowded forward corps. Habs insider Marco D'Amico feels the team will have to trade some excess roster pieces.

I don't see how the Canadians don't make a trade between now and the trade deadline to maybe alleviate themselves with some of the similar players that they have in their depth chart, right? When Kirby Dach, Patrik Laine, and Alex Newhook come back, you're going to have to send down three guys...
So I am of the mind that the Canadiens will be trading some of their excess roster pieces. If they want to go out and make a splash, like for example, if they want to go out and get a second line center... or another top six winger if they feel they need to. I don't know how you do that with just futures. You're going to have to give a roster player and that may be like a win-win situation for the Canadiens.

The one thing in their favour, says D'Amico, is that since Newhook isn't expected back before the deadline, after that, there is no more 23-man roster limit. You still have to stay under the cap, but bodies aren't counted at that point.

And for every player they send down to the minors, they'll buy themselves a little extra cap space. For now, it only sits at $1.7M, but that will grow.

Some interesting roster juggling and trade possibilities ahead for GM Kent Hughes & Co., as the Habs—eventually—start to get healthy.

The Canadiens are currently third place in the Atlantic Division with 50 points going into Friday's play, just two points out of first place. But they are also just five points up on the Florida Panthers, who are chasing the second Wild Card spot where the red-hot Buffalo Sabres reside (who had the Sabres IN a playoff spot and the Panthers OUT of one on their bingo card at the beginning of 2026?).