Report: Canadiens Driving Up The Price For Their Trade Bait

Saturday, March 01, 2025

The Montreal Canadiens are making it clear they won’t settle for draft picks alone in trade discussions for Jake Evans and Joel Armia, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. 

With the trade deadline approaching, teams like the Winnipeg Jets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, and Minnesota Wild have inquired about the two forwards, but Canadiens GM Kent Hughes is holding firm on his asking price. 

“We don’t have to trade these guys,” LeBrun reports Montreal has told teams. “We’ve got a lot of draft picks in this organization from our rebuild. If you’re not serious in your offers, we’re happy to keep them.” 

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman adds that while Montreal is looking for at least a second-round pick for Evans, they prefer an NHL-ready player or a strong prospect in return.

Winnipeg has been linked to Armia, given his familiarity with the organization, but a trade for Evans could be complicated by his history with Mark Scheifele following their 2021 playoff incident. 

Toronto and Edmonton are logical fits given their struggles on the penalty kill, but their weak prospect pools and lack of 2025 first-round picks could make a deal difficult. 

New Jersey’s interest appears to be more about forward depth, while Minnesota, with one of the league’s worst penalty kills, is the most natural fit. 

The Wild have a deep prospect pool, but top names like Zeev Buium and Danila Yurov are likely off-limits, meaning any trade would need to involve a second-tier prospect and future draft assets.

Hughes appears willing to wait until the deadline to maximize value rather than settling for a lesser return. 

“This is a seller’s market,” LeBrun noted, adding that Hughes is using a “serious offers only” approach to drive up the price.

Photo Credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images

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