February 25, 2025 | 2:35pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com
HABS CONTINUE TO TAKE TRADE CALLS
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Joel Armia, forward
The Montreal Canadiens are expected to pull the trigger on some deals between now and the March 7 trade deadline and GM Kent Hughes continues to have trade conversations with other clubs about some of his players.
Habs forwards Jake Evans, Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak and Michael Pezzetta, and defenceman David Savard are in the final year of their respective contracts and are eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1.
Hughes has discussed all five players with other teams and those talks are expected to carry on over the next 10 days.
During Tuesday’s “Early Trading” segment on TSN, Pierre LeBrun reported the Habs and Evans are still not close to a contract extension and a trade before the deadline remains expected.
“I know that the Habs have talked to teams here these last few days on that front,” LeBrun said. “Where it gets interesting to me, because the Habs have a lot of draft picks from the last few years ... I don’t think they’re interested in getting a third-round pick or a fourth-round pick for Jake Evans. That doesn’t move the needle for them. They might as well just keep him and try and stay in a playoff race, which they’re on the outside of right now. The odds are very long that they can make it back.”
According to LeBrun, the Canadiens want at least a second-round pick in a deal for Evans, but they might be willing to package him with Armia to try and land a first-round pick from a contender looking to add two solid defensive forwards for their bottom-six.
“That is something that I believe the Habs have given some thought to, and so, let’s keep an eye on that because that could be something different if both guys get dealt in the same deal,” LeBrun added.
Evans has a $1.7 million cap hit, while Armia comes with a $3.4 million cap hit.
The Habs have one salary retention slot available this season and could use it to retain a portion of Armia’s deal, or eat some salary on either Savard or Dvorak’s contract.
Trade talks involving Dvorak ($4.45M cap hit) and Savard ($3.5M cap hit), though, are not believed to be as consistent as discussions involving Armia and Evans, but that could change in the days leading up to the deadline.