The members of the Montreal Canadiens’ core could be up for debate. So, to simplify matters, for the purposes of this piece, the core is defined as all Habs under contract until 2030 at least… and rookie Ivan Demidov, who will presumably meet that criterion in short order.
That list includes seven other Canadiens: Forward Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky and defensemen Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson and Lane Hutson. As the March 6 trade deadline approaches, it’s safe to say those eight total Habs are staying where they are, for all intents and purposes.
Related: Canadiens Must Weigh Pros and Cons of Trading Guhle
However, as general manager Kent Hughes weighs the degree to which he wants to go all-in to improve on last season’s first-round exit, the concept of everyone else being on the table is clearly inaccurate. There are certain players, both veterans and high-ceiling prospects alike, who are inherently unlikely to be traded. Here are the top five:
5. Jake Evans
One of these things is admittedly unlike the other players listed here. While Jake Evans doesn’t have the high ceiling of other players on this list, it’s difficult to envision the Canadiens trading him, unless another centre would be coming back the other way, because faceoff-capable pivots are in fairly short supply on the team.
Of their regular centres, only Evans (55.2%) and Phillip Danault (58.3%) are above 50% on the season. And, while the impact of winning faceoffs is debatable in the grand scheme of things, it’s fairly clear the Canadiens believe it is important, making Evans something of a commodity.
It’s easy to go back and forth regarding whether Evans’ four-year, $11.40 million extension was worth it, especially in light of his sharp drop in production relative to last year. However, in making the decision to re-up the bottom-six forward like he did, general manager Kent Hughes signalled that a) the Canadiens were going to try to make the playoffs last season (which they did) and that b) he has faith in the bottom-six forward in a shutdown capacity.
Obviously, never say “never.” If, for whatever reason, the St. Louis Blues wanted Evans back as part of the return for fellow-centre Robert Thomas, it would make sense to move the former. However, such a scenario is inherently unlikely, and, if there is a situation in which the Canadiens considered trading him for another centre, it would likely be for one fitting a similar profile, in which case they’d probably just keep Evans, because they trust him, right or wrong.
Prospect Owen Beck appears to be the eventual heir to Evans’ spot in the lineup, but it’s likelier that Hughes includes him in any trade-deadline move, because of the balancing act he is playing. Now that the Canadiens have made the playoffs once as a rebuilding team, the goal must be to get back to the postseason and you’re not going to entrust a 22-year-old like Beck with Evans’ usual shutdown minutes down the stretch. Just like Hughes passed on the opportunity to trade Evans last season when he was a pending unrestricted free, he’ll keep him in the fold now, after having extended him until 2029, the longest possible term of anyone not considered part of the core, as defined in the opening paragraphs of this piece.
4. Alexander Zharovsky
Whether the hype surrounding Alexander Zharovsky is real, the Canadiens would do well to exercise some patience and find out for sure themselves, especially if there’s a good chance he can develop into a linemate who’s capable of keeping up with childhood-friend Ivan Demidov.
Canadiens fans, probably like the fans of any team, do tend to overvalue their prospects. So, the idea of a second-round pick (No. 34 in 2025) making this list is in some ways laughable. However, plenty of second-round picks do pan out and even achieve star status. Whether Zharovsky ends up one of the ones that do, no one knows for sure. The Habs certainly don’t know for sure that he won’t, and at least for now that’s probably enough to ensure he stays.
3. Alexandre Carrier
Even if David Reinbacher were further along in his development, it wouldn’t make sense to trade fellow-right-handed-defenseman Alexandre Carrier. He has another year under contract until he becomes an unrestricted free agent and the lack of righties on the back end currently under contract is underwhelming to say the least.
So, while Carrier hasn’t been as much of a stabilizing presence on defense as he was last season upon being acquired, it’s likelier the Canadiens end up extending the 29-year-old in due time than trading him, especially this season. Similar to with Evans, you’re not going to trade the man if you have designs on reaching the postseason, especially if the 21-year-old Reinbacher remains a relative uncertainty. Even as a fairly top-end prospect, he arguably has a better chance of being traded, at least if it means securing a highly coveted second-line centre, for example.
2. Michael Hage
That ever-elusive second-line centre could admittedly be in the Canadiens’ system as we speak, in the form of prospect Michael Hage. Taken 21st overall in 2024, Hage has since impressed both with the University of Michigan and representing Canada at this past World Junior Championship. While that team by and large disappointed with a bronze, Hage didn’t by leading the tournament in scoring with two goals and 15 points in seven games.
There have been suggestions, especially from Calgary Flames fans, that Hage would be adequate compensation for Nazem Kadri in a hypothetical trade. That just wouldn’t make sense from the Canadiens’ perspective, though. There are several reasons, including how Kadri is on the back nine of his career. Investing in a 35-year-old in the midst of a down season on a rich contract with three seasons left should sound all kinds of alarms.
Furthermore, according to Darren Dreger, the Canadiens wouldn’t want to trade for Kadri, even if Hage wouldn’t be going back the other way, as it would potentially block the latter’s path into the lineup. That mindset speaks to the Habs holding Hage in incredibly high esteem in general. With specific regard to Kadri, while he could be a missing piece to the puzzle for one team right now, the Habs have too many question marks to justify mortgaging their future at the position to go for it now.
1. Jacob Fowler
The biggest question mark is obviously in net, as goalies Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes have generally struggled. That’s true of Montembeault especially, who has a save percentage of just .875, while Dobes’ is .892, the NHL average being .896 this season.
Up to now, the Canadiens have gotten by on the strength of a third-ranked offense. However, they can’t really count on that one dimension of their collective game to go deep in the postseason, when goal scoring traditionally drops and teams rely more on defense and, yes, goaltending. That’s why, unless Hughes is intending to trade for a new goalie at the deadline, which seems unlikely for a variety of reasons, he shouldn’t gamble on this being “the year.“
One of those reasons is goalie Jacob Fowler, who is one of the top prospects at the position in the entire league. Similar to with Kadri and Hage, it’s nonsensical to trade for a new goalie who would only serve to block his path to the NHL, when, after appearing in 10 Canadiens games earlier this season, he may not be all that far away.
The Canadiens don’t seem to be either, in terms of contention for the Stanley Cup. Hence suggestions the Habs could be active on the trade market. It’s possible that they will be, but a measured approach, with tweaks here and there, is probably what fans should anticipate. And, in the absence of huge moves, players like any of the five named above simply won’t be part of any hypothetical trade. That would be the case even if the opposite were true instead.
