NHL Rumors: Canadiens Could Make Blockbuster Trade For Center

Thursday, May 28, 2026 , , ,
Minnesota Wild Forward Joel Eriksson Ek reacts during 2026 game.

The Montreal Canadiens' rebuild arrived ahead of schedule.

They've made it to the Eastern Conference Finals against the Carolina Hurricanes, seven wins away from the Stanley Cup, and are doing it with a roster younger than almost anyone in the league expected to be here this fast.

They're currently down 3-1 in the series after winning the first game, however.

The question Kent Hughes now faces is whether to stay patient and trust the system or accelerate the timeline by moving one of his prize prospects for the center upgrade this team needs to push them over the top this summer.

Stu Cowan of The Athletic raised the question in his Habs mailbag this week, asking whether Michael Hage or Alexander Zharovsky could be expendable to acquire a legitimate second-line center.

Hughes' answer in practice has been to at least keep the conversation open.

Multiple reports confirmed that Hughes was working on a deal at the trade deadline that he indicated could materialize this summer, suggesting the front office is evaluating what it would take to add a proven pivot rather than waiting for its prospects to develop.

"You have to give up something to get something," Cowan wrote, "and I'm sure other teams will be asking Hughes about Hage and Zharovsky this summer in trade talks."

Who Hage and Zharovsky Actually Are

Hage was selected 21st overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, has deep family roots in Montreal and was a lifelong Canadiens fan before being drafted by the franchise.

He led the 2026 World Juniors in scoring with two goals and 15 points in seven games despite Canada finishing third, establishing himself as the most production-ready center in the system and the most logical candidate to eventually become the second-line center Hughes has been searching for.

He recorded 13 goals and 52 points across 39 games played with Michigan this season.

The prospect who most closely parallels what Montreal needs at center is, in fact, the one it has in Hage.

Zharovsky is a different profile entirely.

He was drafted 34th overall in 2025 after Hughes traded up two picks to get him, a Russian winger who has spent this season in the KHL with Salavat Yulaev, recording 16 goals and 42 points across 59 games played.

He will not be available to leave for North America until the end of the 2026-27 season per his club contract, which limits his immediate value in a trade but does not eliminate it for a team willing to wait.

The Center Market and the Candidates

If Hughes is going to make a move, the names that keep circulating in this context are Robert Thomas of the Blues, Jordan Kyrou in the same organization, Nico Hischier of the Devils, whose extension situation remains unresolved, and Joel Eriksson Ek of the Wild.

Thomas would require an enormous package and has been discussed in trade circles since last February's deadline.

Hischier would be the franchise-altering swing, a player Cowan noted would essentially be a left-handed Nick Suzuki alongside Montreal's current No. 1 center.

Eriksson Ek, as a two-way center, also fits the Canadiens' defensive identity, and the Wild's willingness to listen has been reported by multiple writers.

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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