Will the Habs Stand Pat on Trade Deadline Day?

The trade market ahead of this year’s trade deadline is one that significantly favours the sellers, as there are players going for more than they otherwise would. Since the Montreal Canadiens are currently in the #1 Wild Card spot, they are finally in a spot where they can be buyers, but at the same time, they aren’t in a position to make trades that can only benefit them in the now rather than someone who can help for multiple years. With that being said, the prices of rentals such as Jason Dickinson getting the Chicago Blackhawks a 1st round pick so that he can be a 4th line centre for the Edmonton Oilers. With that being said, the price to make a trade could be too pricey for Kent Hughes and his staff.

As one team exec said to me this morning, it’s definitely a sellers’ market right now. Prices are sky high for the buyers. Not an over abundance of players available, either.

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 5, 2026

Insiders on Thursday didn’t really have much news regarding who the Habs were potentially interested in acquiring ahead of Friday’s deadline. This could mean one of two things; given how the Canadiens have been good at keeping their cards close to their chests, it’s possible that they pull off a deal that nobody saw coming on Friday, or it’s a possibility that this seller’s market is turning the Canadiens off to making potential deals.

It’s already well known that the Canadiens were looking for a potential 2nd line centre but were also unwilling to trade top prospect Michael Hage in any deals that they could make, despite numerous teams requesting him in return for a player. This includes a deal for a 26-year-old star player in Robert Thomas. Of course for Thomas it will take a lot more than just Hage to get a deal done than for someone like Nazem Kadri or Vincent Trocheck, who have both been linked to the Canadiens in some way.

Would @CraigJButton feel comfortable trading Michael Hage for Robert Thomas?

“Absolutely, without a question!”#GoHabsGo #thesickpodcast @TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/aaklrrz4cK

— The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro (@thesickpodcasts) March 5, 2026

Even so, trading Hage still seems like a non-starter for the Canadiens. Although Craig Button says that the Habs shouldn’t be afraid to move Hage if it means getting someone like Thomas in return. The reality is that Thomas is a perennial 80-point player that, like everyone with the Blues, is having a down year, which is why the centre has so much value. It is also crazy to even imagine that Thomas is on the trade block considering he’s young enough to still stick around for a rebuild and he has a good team-friendly deal where he’s making $8.1 million for the next 5 years.

Nonetheless, whoever gets Thomas will need to pay a very pretty penny that will seem like a lot, but he could be the type of player that helps the Canadiens become a legit Stanley Cup contender.

Aside from Thomas, there likely isn’t a player that the Canadiens should pay a high premium for by giving up a 1st round pick and one of their top prospects in the process. With that being said, the 1st round picks that are being moved for bottom 6 players like Nic Roy are signs that the market could be too much to be worth the price for a team that is just exiting their rebuild to pay premiums to get a player that can help their team for a playoff run.

Pierre LeBrun: Zach Whitecloud, that’s a player of interest to the Canadiens – Insider Trading (3/5)

— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 6, 2026

At the same time, teams may start to get desperate to make moves closer to 3:00 pm ET on Friday, which could allow the Habs to get a player at a cheaper price than expected. In terms of short-term help, a 3rd pairing defenseman may be the way to look, as it shouldn’t be something that costs too much with the clock ticking down on tomorrow’s deadline. However, it’s also entirely possible that nothing gets done at all, which could include the Patrik Laine contract being moved.

Do you think the Habs make any moves on Friday to bolster up the roster for the playoffs?