The NHL trade narrative is only going to get more intense with every passing day. Amid this deafening trade chatter and a constant, almost unceasing competition between teams for desirable trade targets, an insider has poured cold water over any odds of the Montreal Canadiens landing an elite forward.
Do the Montreal Canadiens Have a Chance of Adding a Valuable Forward to Their Roster?
From Quinn Hughes to Rasmus Andersson, the hockey community has received the news of one blockbuster trade after another. Then there is the New York Rangers’ Artemi Panarin: a standout forward whose prolonged partnership with the team is most likely to come to an end, making him a target for teams across the league.
After Andersson, the Calgary Flames are dealing with trade rumours surrounding two other star players, Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman. In Chris Johnston’s NHL Trade Board for The Athletic, Coleman, who is currently in the fifth year of his six-year, $29.4 million contract with the Flames, appears among the top ten, and so does Kadri.
So, with sufficient noise around the forward, what are the Habs’ chances of landing the veteran? According to Elliotte Friedman, not much. The Canadiens might need help in the form of a middle-six forward, and Coleman’s playoff experience could make sense for the Habs’ mostly young team. Even then, Friedman doesn’t feel too confident about such a development.
“Blake Coleman has 10 teams he can go to; I don’t know how flexible he’s gonna be with that; Montreal, I’m not convinced that’s gonna happen; Tampa Bay makes so much sense; just depends if Tampa has enough to get this done,” Friedman stated, weighing in on the subject in a recent episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, as shared by the NHL Rumour Report on X.
For Friedman, a trade between the Flames and the Tampa Bay Lightning for the veteran forward would make a lot of sense. However, Johnston believes that despite many teams being interested in Coleman, the Flames are not entirely sure that they are ready to bid adieu to a producer who has been as consistent as the 34-year-old.
Coleman has a record of positively impacting any game whenever he is on ice and has also proved himself to be especially valuable on the penalty kill front. It is no wonder that the Flames will think long and hard before deciding to go ahead with a Coleman move.
“Coleman is signed through 2026-27, but it’s little wonder so many teams are calling the Flames already to inquire about his services. He’s the kind of upgrade that can raise the bar for a contender. However, the Flames aren’t sure they’re ready to part with him,” Johnston wrote.
This is an evolving storyline, and the community should expect exciting updates sooner rather than later.
