As the NHL season progresses towards the trade deadline and the much-anticipated 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves at the center of various discussions and speculations. Here's a look at the latest news and notes surrounding the team:

Trade Rumors

Trade talks involving veteran forward Patrik Laine have intensified as the trade deadline approaches. With the Canadiens performing well with a young team, Laine, who has been sidelined since late October due to core muscle surgery, appears to be on the periphery of the team's plans. Montreal is reportedly willing to retain 50% of Laine's $8.7 million cap hit to facilitate a trade. Several teams have been identified as potential landing spots for Laine, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Seattle Kraken, and Los Angeles Kings. The Detroit Red Wings are also reportedly interested in Laine to bolster their offensive capabilities for a potential playoff push.

In other trade-related news, the Canadiens were reportedly interested in Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri earlier in the season, but that interest has cooled. The team acquired Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings instead. General Manager Jeff Gorton has also addressed rumors surrounding defenseman Arber Xhekaj, expressing confidence in Xhekaj and Jayden Struble, effectively shutting down speculation about acquiring another defenseman.

The Canadiens are also reportedly in the market for a top-line right-winger to complement Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki.

2026 Winter Olympics

With the NHL returning to the Winter Olympics in 2026, several Canadiens players are vying for a spot on their respective national teams. Nick Suzuki, Noah Dobson, and Sam Montembeault are potential candidates for Team Canada. Cole Caufield and Lane Hutson could represent Team USA, Patrik Laine for Team Finland, Juraj Slafkovsky for Team Slovakia, and Jakub Dobes for Team Czechia.

However, Quebec will not have a man playing hockey for Team Canada at the Olympics. The only Quebec-born player with a chance of being selected was Sam Montembeault, but a slow start to the NHL season led decision-makers to look elsewhere. Phil Pietroniro, born in Saint-Eustache, Que., will be playing for the Italian men's hockey team at the games.

Other News

Oliver Kapanen's emergence has addressed the need for a second-line center, with the rookie performing well alongside Ivan Demidov and Juraj Slafkovsky.