After taking a nice step forward during the 2024-25 season, the Montreal Canadiens have been busy this summer. They acquired Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders and Zack Bolduc from the St. Louis Blues in two notable trades. However, the possibility of them making another splash before the season is here should not be ruled out.
When looking at the Canadiens' current roster, it is apparent that they could use an upgrade at the second-line center spot. Due to this, let's look at three potential trade targets for the Canadiens who could help them on that front.
Marco Rossi, Minnesota Wild
Marco Rossi has been the subject of trade rumors this off-season, and he would be a nice player for the Canadiens to bring in. The 2020 ninth-overall pick just put together a strong 2024-25 season with the Minnesota Wild, posting new career highs with 24 goals, 36 assists, and 60 points in 82 games. With numbers like these, he would certainly give the Canadiens a boost at the 2C spot.
Furthermore, with Rossi being only 23 years, he is young enough where he could improve further and be a long-term part of the Canadiens' core. However, it is also important to note that he is currently a restricted free agent (RFA), so he is due for a raise from his previous $863,334 cap hit.
Mason McTavish, Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish is another young center who has come up in the rumor mill this off-season. Like Rossi, he is currently an RFA and would be a significant pickup for a team on the rise like the Canadiens. The 6-foot-1 forward is continuing to trend in the right direction, as he posted new career highs with 22 goals, 30 assists, 52 points, and 70 hits in 76 games in 2024-25.
McTavish's potential, skill, and size would make him a perfect addition for the Canadiens. However, it would need to take a very big offer for the Ducks to even consider trading McTavish, as he is one of their most promising young players. Thus, this is a move that would be harder for the Canadiens to pull off.
Pavel Zacha, Boston Bruins
The Canadiens and Boston Bruins made their first trade since 2001 at this year's draft, as they swapped picks. While these big-time rivals rarely do business together, Pavel Zacha is a center who could make sense for the Canadiens to pursue.
Zacha has come up as a trade candidate often since this past trade deadline as the Bruins continue to retool their roster. During this past season with Boston, he posted 14 goals and 47 points in 82 games. This was after he recorded 57 points in 2022-23 and 59 points in 2023-24, so he is capable of producing solid offense. This and his strong two-way play could make him a nice pickup for the Canadiens' 2C spot.
Zacha also has a very reasonable $4.75 million contract until the end of the 2026-27 season, which only adds to his appeal.
Canadiens: Zharovsky Starts His Season With Big Win In KHL TournamentIf Ivan Demidov gave a good show on Saturday night in Boisbriand, the Montreal Canadiens’ first pick at the last draft did the same thing earlier in the day. Second-round pick and 34th overall selection Alexander Zharovsky started his KHL year with a win at the league’s three-on-three tournament with his team, Salavat Yulaev Ufa.
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