MAJOR TRADE RUMOR: Max Pacioretty to Edmonton

After missing the playoffs for the 2nd time since the 2010-11 season, the Montreal Canadiens need to make some changes if they want to be back in the playoffs soon. And those changes may come at a hefty cost, trading away captain Max Pacioretty.

Rumor has it that the Canadiens and the Edmonton Oilers have been in talks and the Habs could trade Max Pacioretty to the Oilers in exchange for either Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse or the 10th overall pick or they could make a major deal involving a couple of them, the Edmonton Journal reported.

The rumors began back in late October of 2017 when Hockey Night in Canada's Elliotte Friedman mentioned that the Oilers should call the Habs.

If I'm the Edmonton Oilers, I'm calling the Montreal Canadiens and asking for Max Pacioretty, Friedman stated during the segment.

Things kept going in early January when Ray Ferraro speculated about this kind of move.

What if there's a deal made between Edmonton and Montreal that involved Nugent-Hopkins and Pacioretty is in it? And there are some other pieces to equal the way that works. Edmonton gets a shooter. Gee, that would look pretty good on McDavid's side. Montreal gets a centre. Gee, that would look pretty good in that centre spot.

For the past couple of years, Montreal has been having some difficulties with finding a consistent centreman and Nugent-Hopkins could fill that void. This has been Nugent-Hopkins' best season and Pacioretty seems to be needing a change of scenery. Do you think this exchange could happen?

Could we see Pacioretty heading west sometime soon?