The pressure is rising in Montreal as the Canadiens battle to keep their Stanley Cup dreams alive. After a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 at the Bell Centre, the Canadiens now trail the Eastern Conference Final 2-1.
But even with the postseason still raging, major offseason speculation is already heating up, and one NHL insider has now linked Montreal to a blockbuster move for a $50.75 million star described as a “left-handed Nick Suzuki.”
Montreal Canadiens Linked to $50.75M Trade Target
The player at the center of the speculation is Nico Hischier, the New Jersey Devils captain who has one year remaining on a seven-year, $50.75 million contract and becomes extension-eligible on July 1. Hischier owns a modified no-trade clause that allows him to block trades to 10 teams.
Trade chatter around Hischier has started growing due to several factors, including New Jersey’s front office changes, future contract decisions, and pressure to maximize the current competitive window.
NHL insider Pierre LeBrun believes Montreal would make perfect sense if Hischier ever became available.
“Would there be a better fit than the Montreal Canadiens? Hischier is basically the left-handed Nick Suzuki. Imagine those two guys 1-2 down the middle. It’s the exact hole in the Canadiens’ lineup that needs addressing. There’s no doubt that Montreal would be among the interested parties if and when Hischier became available,” LeBrun reported.
In Pierre LeBrun’s view, pairing Nico Hischier with Nick Suzuki down the middle would solve the Montreal Canadiens’ biggest long-term need at center.
Hischier is coming off another excellent season, finishing with 28 goals and 66 points in 81 games while further cementing himself as one of the NHL’s elite two-way centers.
Still, landing a player of his caliber would almost certainly require a huge trade package. Fortunately for Montreal, they are one of the few teams with both the cap flexibility and deep prospect pool needed to realistically pursue a blockbuster move like this.
With Patrik Laine’s $8.7 million cap hit coming off the books this summer, the Montreal Canadiens will have plenty of financial flexibility to explore major moves. Possible trade pieces could include Kirby Dach, rising young forward Oliver Kapanen, or defensemen Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble.
At the same time, the strong emergence of Jakub Dobeš and the rapid rise of prospect Jacob Fowler could make goaltender Samuel Montembeault a legitimate trade option as well.
Montreal’s impressive playoff run has also strengthened the belief that this young core may already be ahead of schedule. There are similarities to previous young contenders like the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins, 2009 Chicago Blackhawks, 2015 Tampa Bay Lightning, and 2023 Florida Panthers, teams that broke through early before eventually becoming Stanley Cup champions.
Now, much of the focus shifts toward what general manager Kent Hughes does this summer to strengthen the roster even further.
Whether New Jersey seriously considers moving Hischier remains uncertain, but if he ever hits the trade market, Montreal is expected to be one of the teams watching very closely.
