5 trade targets still available for the Montreal Canadiens as training camp approaches
It has been a relatively quiet offseason for the Montreal Canadiens, as they were unable to make a blockbuster deal as they have in past summers. However, with the season quickly approaching, it creates more urgency for teams around the league to ensure issues don’t linger into training camp.
This could be the opportunity Kent Hughes needs to get a deal done and add to a roster that is already a playoff contender. Among players who have been rumored to be available or to have requested a trade, these are five players that the Canadiens could target in a trade.
Dylan Larkin
There is no question that Dylan Larkin would be a perfect fit for the Montreal Canadiens. He is an experience center that could step right in on the second line and be a boost for this team.
However, there are too many roadblocks currently to him being a realistic option before training camp. The first is that Larkin has a no-movement clause in his contract and can dictate where he will be traded to. On the surface, the Canadiens should appeal to Larkin, but he has kept his list small, and Montreal is not one of those teams.
Even if Larkin does change his mind and adds Montreal, the Red Wings currently don’t have a general manager after Steve Yzerman stepped down. It is hard to imagine they would agree to trade one of their best players right before a new general manager is announced.
This is a player that has to be mentioned but is unlikely to happen any time soon.
Cutter Gauthier
This is another player who seems unlikely but should at least warrant a call from Kent Hughes to see if a trade is possible. After the Flyers signed Leo Carlsson to an offer sheet, it put the Anaheim Ducks in a tough spot with their salary cap, as Gauthier also needs a contract, one that probably has an AAV over $15 million.
Gauthier is still a restricted free agent, and if he doesn’t have a new contract when the Ducks open training camp, he can’t report. It is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later, and it might mean the Ducks are more open to discussing a trade than they were just a few months ago.
Gauthier undoubtedly would be an upgrade for the Canadiens Top 6 on the wing and is coming off a 41-goal season and is still early in his career at 22 years old. It would be costly, and certainly more costly than the fifth overall pick that the Flyers wanted for Gauthier back in 2024, which the Canadiens turned down.
Shane Wright
This is a trade that the Montreal Canadiens should consider because they really can’t lose by trading for Shane Wright, who requested a trade earlier this summer. The former third overall pick has struggled with the Seattle Kraken, with 44 points in 2024-25 but only 27 in 2025-26.
It raises the question of why the Canadiens would even consider trading for a player like Wright. They would be betting on the upside that Wright, being surrounded by a talented group of forwards, could help unlock that potential.
A move like this also doesn’t really block Michael Hage, who is considered the future 2C for Montreal, but is rather just a bridge until he is ready. Wright is in the final year of his deal but will be a restricted free agent after the season.
If Wright struggles, the Canadiens can just move on and turn to Hage, but if he has a breakout, then the Canadiens could trade him to bring back some of the value they traded away to acquire Wright originally.
Rasmus Ristolainen
While it seems the Canadiens have too many defensemen, in actuality they have too many left-handed defensemen. That is why Rasmus Ristolainen might be a trade target for the Canadiens before the start of the season.
Ristolainen is a bigger, right-handed defenseman who could really play on any pair. The biggest concern is durability, as Ristolainen has dealt with injuries seemingly every season of his career. Over the past seven seasons, Ristolainen has played in 70 or more games in a single season once, while playing in 50 or fewer on three occasions.
If the Canadiens decide to trade away Arber Xhekaj, it could open a spot for a player like Ristolainen to bring some balance to their blueline.
Kirill Marchenko
Without question, the trade that seemingly everyone wants to see is the Canadiens adding forward Kirill Marchenko. He is the player that not only helps the team now and addresses some of their biggest needs but fits in somewhat seamlessly with the vision Kent Hughes has for this roster.
Marchenko is a power forward who has 102 goals and 106 assists over 292 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is only 25 years old and would be a perfect fit on the second line with Ivan Demidov and whoever is the center.
It seems, based on recent comments by Blue Jackets’ Don Waddell, that they don’t want to trade Kirill Marchenko but will with the right offer. This is a situation where the Canadiens and Kent Hughes may not want to pay up, but it would be worth it.
There is no guarantee that Marchenko gets traded over the next few weeks but if he ultimately does, the Montreal Canadiens are probably the team that gets a deal done.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
