The Montreal Canadiens are leaving no stone unturned in their search for a second-line center this offseason. General manager Kent Hughes has been actively exploring the trade market, even reaching out about players many teams consider untouchable.
One of those inquiries reportedly involved a top center from the New York Islanders, but Montreal’s ambitious approach was quickly shut down.
Canadiens’ Bold Trade Call Gets Immediate Rejection
Islanders center Bo Horvat has emerged as one of the names Montreal checked in on this offseason. The 31-year-old has five years remaining on his eight-year, $68 million contract and is coming off another productive campaign with 31 goals and 57 points.
Despite the interest, the Islanders had no intention of making him available.
According to NHL insider Pierre LeBrun, Kent Hughes has been aggressive in calling around the league about several high-profile players, including Horvat. “My understanding is that he called the Islanders about Bo Horvat. And the answer was that he’s not available,” LeBrun reported.
Plugged-in Canadiens insider Marco D’Amico also backed up that bit of reporting, adding that Montreal is not believed to be on Horvat’s 22-team no-trade list.
Unsurprisingly, can say MTL checked in on Barzal.
MTL is not believed to be on his 22-team NTC.
But remember that the Islanders do not want to take a step back here. https://t.co/2zzh0GsIcV
— Marco D’Amico (@mndamico) June 26, 2026
The Canadiens’ interest is easy to understand. They’re a young team on the rise, coming off a highly competitive season. However, they have a glaring hole on their second line right behind captain Nick Suzuki.
Hughes appears to view Horvat as the ultimate fix: a premier, high-end two-way center who wins faceoffs at an elite rate, handles heavy defensive assignments, and consistently scores 30+ goals a year. Adding him would have given the Canadiens one of the strongest center duos in the Eastern Conference.
From the Islanders’ perspective, though, moving Horvat was never a realistic option. He remains one of the team’s leaders on and off the ice, and New York is focused on competing rather than rebuilding. Trading away one of its top centers would create a major hole in the lineup.
Horvat wasn’t the only player Hughes checked on. LeBrun also revealed that Montreal contacted the Columbus Blue Jackets about Kirill Marchenko, but received the same response: he wasn’t available either.
LeBrun also praised Hughes’ aggressive approach, noting, “What I like about this is that sometimes first-time GMs are scared to ask about so-called untouchables. All you can do is ask. No harm in that. Sometimes you get a surprising answer. But it also tells us that Montreal is trying to get a full scope of the trade market, not just the obvious names.”
Whether it’s checking on Bo Horvat, Kirill Marchenko, or Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, one thing is becoming clear: Hughes is casting a wide net as he looks to add a top-six center and take the Canadiens another step forward this offseason.
