The Montreal Canadiens have already pulled off a major trade this offseason by acquiring Patrik Laine, and now there’s speculation about them bringing in another star forward. A fan on PuckPedia’s PuckGM tool suggested a trade where the Canadiens would land Jonathan Huberdeau from the Calgary Flames.
Canadiens acquire:
Jonathan Huberdeau (with $3 million salary retained) and a 2025 second-round pick.
Flames acquire:
Christian Dvorak and a 2025 first-round pick.
The proposed trade would be a major move, as Montreal and Calgary would exchange forwards who have underperformed under their current contracts. In addition, Montreal would swap a first-round pick for Calgary’s second-round pick.
Montreal would acquire Jonathan Huberdeau, who is entering the second year of his eight-year, $84 million contract. As part of the deal, Calgary would retain $3 million of Huberdeau’s salary, reducing his cap hit to $7.5 million per season for Montreal.
In his first season with Calgary, Huberdeau played 81 games, tallying 12 goals and 40 assists for 52 points. Over his career, he has played in 831 games, recording 225 goals and 495 assists for a total of 720 points. Huberdeau would be a top-six forward for the Canadiens.
On the other hand, Christian Dvorak is in the final year of his six-year, $26.7 million contract. Dvorak has struggled in Montreal, managing only 9 points (5 goals and 4 assists) in 30 games last season. He would likely slot into Calgary’s middle-six forward group and could be traded at the deadline for additional assets.
Huberdeau Confident In Rebound Season
Jonathan Huberdeau was part of the blockbuster trade in 2022 that sent Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers. However, in his two seasons with the Calgary Flames, Huberdeau hasn’t lived up to the high expectations. Heading into the 2024-25 NHL season, he feels his confidence has returned.
“I think more speed… I’m never going to be the fastest guy, but I think more power and stuff, and I had a lot of time to work on it,” Huberdeau told NHL.com. “I’m really happy with the summer I had. It’s probably the best summer of training I’ve ever had. Now, I just need to bring that onto the ice. I also skated more this summer, so I feel better.”
He continued, “The confidence is back. I just need to bring that to the team. This year, I want to make my game fun. That’s what we need as a team. You never know, we could surprise people.”
During his two seasons with the Flames, Huberdeau has played 160 games, recording 27 goals and 80 assists for a total of 107 points.
Canadiens Make Blockbuster Deal to Acquire Laine
On August 19, Montreal pulled off a blockbuster trade by acquiring former second-overall pick Patrik Laine from the Columbus Blue Jackets. While the move boosts the Canadiens’ scoring potential, general manager Kent Hughes emphasized that Laine’s success will be measured by more than just his goal tally.
“Whether he scores 20 or 40 goals, his success here won’t be defined solely by goals,” Hughes said. “It will be about his contribution to the team and how he helps us grow. We’re a very young team, and even though he’s only 26, that makes him one of the elder statesmen on the Montreal Canadiens. We hope that, in this role, he’ll help guide and teach our young players.”
Last season, Laine played just 18 games for the Blue Jackets, where he recorded 6 goals and 3 assists for a total of 9 points.
Leave a Reply