NHL Rumours: Canadiens Exploring Options on Pending UFAs Rumour: Pierre LeBrun spoke in the latest edition of TSN’s Insider Trading about the Canadiens plans heading into the trade deadline. He mentioned the Canadiens are not looking to move both Joel Armia and David Savard, but could move one for the right deal. Analysis: With the Canadiens sitting just two points back of the final wild card position, it’s no surprise that they wouldn’t want to sell off and hurt their chances at making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Like LeBrun mentions, the Canadiens season was already a success. The goal at the beginning of the year was to play meaningful games in March, and they’re doing just that. They made the next step in their rebuild and are soon ready to become legitimate playoff contenders. However, there is still work to do. General Manager Kent Hughes needs to weigh his options and figure out what’s best for the team. Fortunately for Hughes, there is no pressure here. They don’t need to trade either player if they don’t get a deal that makes sense to them. They can use them as their own rentals to try to make a run. This could also potentially lead to an extension for either Savard or Armia. As LeBrun states, they don’t need another fourth-round pick, they have plenty of those from years prior. Unless a team is going to step up and make an extremely enticing offer that Hughes cannot refuse, expect to see both remain in Canadiens sweaters after the deadline. Other Interesting Trade Options for the Canadiens? The one interesting comment LeBrun made was that what other general managers around the league are hearing is that Hughes is, in fact, looking to make a hockey deal at the deadline. Much like the ones he made for Alex Newhook and Kirby Dach in years past. Hughes would be in the market for another young, NHL-ready player to slot into their lineup and help them immediately as well as in the future. One name that comes to mind specifically is Trevor Zegras. Zegras sits at number 33 on TSN’s Trade Bait Board, however, he’s been linked to Montreal over the last year or so. At 23 years old and in need of a change of scenery, Zegras fits exactly the type of player Hughes is looking to trade for. Whether or not the two teams could strike a deal remains to be seen. But it’s something hockey fans should keep an eye on.