NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest Trade Buzz On The Canadiens And Senators

The Montreal Canadiens' recent surge in the Eastern Conference standings has them jockeying with several teams for a wild-card berth.

When the Canadiens were near the bottom of the standings a month ago, most pundits assumed GM Kent Hughes would again become a seller at the trade deadline. However, Stu Cowan of The Montreal Gazette speculates Hughes could become a buyer and a seller by the March 7 deadline.

Cowan thinks the Canadiens GM could listen to offers for pending UFAs David Savard, Jake Evans, Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak. Instead of seeking draft picks and prospects in return, he could ask for players who can provide immediate help for the Habs as they attempt to remain in the playoff chase.

Hughes won't want players on expiring contracts unless they're willing to sign extensions. He'll likely want roster players with at least a year remaining on their deals.

As for Evans, The Hockey News' Karine Hains mentioned there are mixed reports about his future with Les Canadiens.

RG.Org's Marco D'Amico cited sources suggesting the 28-year-old checking-line center's strong performance in his contract year could price him out of Montreal. One source told D'Amico he doubted a three or four-deal deal worth $3 million annually was attainable. Another felt they couldn't pay a fourth-line center upwards of $3.5 million long-term and hope to be competitive over the long term.

However, TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie believes the two sides will reach a deal. A source told Lavoie that Evans wants to stay in Montreal, and the Canadiens want to keep him. With the salary cap expected to reach $100 million in two years, no one would be upset if Evans got an extra $1.5 million annually over his current cap hit of $1.7 million.

Hains said Evans plays a valuable role with the Canadiens, and with Montreal in the playoff mix at the moment, trading him wouldn't send a good message to the players.

Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators have struggled since starting goaltender Linus Ullmark was sidelined on Dec. 22 by an upper-body injury. They've since dropped five of their last six games, slipping out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

There is no timetable for Ullmark's return besides being "week-to-week." The Senators are making do with backup Anton Forsberg and third-stringer Leevi Merilainen.

A Postmedia report suggested the Senators should shop for a goaltender, but pickings are slim. They include John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, Cayden Primeau of the Canadiens and James Reimer of the Buffalo Sabres.

Gibson is the best of the bunch but carries a hefty $6.4-million cap hit through 2026-27. He also has a 10-team no-trade clause, which could include the Senators.

The Hockey News' Adam Proteau believes the Utah Hockey Club's Karel Vejmelka or the New Jersey Devils' Jake Allen would ideally be trade targets, but neither is currently available. The Senators would have to move Forsberg if they pursued Vitek Vanecek or Alexandar Georgiev of the San Jose Sharks. Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are hanging onto Dan Vladar to prevent burning out promising Dustin Wolf.

Related: Is The Ottawa Senators Acquiring A New Backup Goalie All That Easy?

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