March 5, 2025 | 1:19pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

CANADIENS WORKING ON THE PHONE LINES

Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak, forwards

The Montreal Canadiens took care of some internal business on Tuesday, signing centre Jake Evans to a four-year contract extension.

With Friday’s 3pm ET trade deadline fast approaching, Habs GM Kent Hughes has also been busy navigating the trade waters, listening to calls for some of his pending free agents while also making calls to teams in an attempt to improve his hockey club now and down the road.

It is no secret that the Canadiens are scouring the market for a young, NHL-proven top-six forward to add to the core of their forward group.

Hughes has been manning the phones, much like the rest of the league, exploring options to both sell and buy this week.

The Canadiens have been linked to such players as Buffalo Sabres centre Dylan Cozens and Anaheim Ducks winger Trevor Zegras, among others, though it is unclear if any traction on either of those two fronts have been made, or if the Habs have pivoted to another young player in the NHL.

There is a strong belief that Monreal is looking to add a second-line centre and that could be a focal point for Hughes this off-season if a move is not completed ahead of the deadline.

View TFP Trade Watch List

Habs forwards Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and Michael Pezzetta, and defenceman David Savard, are all on expiring contracts and have been the subject of trade talk this season. Armia has generated the most interest, it appears, though moving Savard could also be in the cards if the right deal presents itself.

The Canadiens have one salary retention slot available to them this season and could retain on someone’s contract if incentivized to do so.

The Washington Capitals, Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning are among the teams reportedly interested in Armia.