Two teams that almost never do business with one another are suddenly linked in trade chatter.
According to James Murphy of RG, sources indicate the Montreal Canadiens have discussed the potential availability of center Pavel Zacha with the Boston Bruins. That alone is headline-worthy, given the long, bitter history between these rivals. Over the last six decades, the Canadiens and Bruins have relaxed hostilities just enough to complete exactly one player-for-player swap.
That came in February 2001, when Montreal sent pending free-agent defenseman Eric Weinrich to Boston for defenseman Patrick Traverse. Before that, you have to go all the way back to 1964, when the teams made a pair of separate deals, including one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history. The Canadiens acquired goaltender Ken Dryden, who went on to become a Hall of Famer and one of the game’s all-time greats, along with Alex Campbell. In return, Boston received Guy Allen and Paul Reid, neither of whom ever played an NHL game. Campbell never did either, leaving Dryden as the defining piece of that transaction.
For many Bruins fans, the sting of losing Dryden has never completely faded, and it helps explain why the two franchises have been reluctant to reopen trade lines. Still, rumors this offseason suggest that could change, with Zacha potentially filling Montreal’s long-standing need for a second-line center.
Pavel Zacha Would Fit Nicely as Canadiens’ Second Line Center
It makes sense for Montreal.
An up-and-coming team that boasts one of the more exciting young cores in the NHL, as well as a highly coveted pool of prospects, the Canadiens reached the playoffs last season for the first time since 2021. Led by a stable of studs who are age 25 or younger – including Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Noah Dobson, Juraj Slafkovsky, 2025 Calder Trophy winner Lane Hutson and 2026 Calder Trophy favorite Ivan Demidov – Montreal has high hopes of continuing its climb back to the top of the NHL mountain.
Zacha, the 28-year-old who was taken in the first round (No. 6 overall) of the 2015 draft, would provide consistent scoring and reliable minutes. In his three seasons with Boston, Zacha played in 242 of a possible 246 games, scoring 56 goals and 163 points with a +30 rating while averaging 17:44 minutes of ice time. He would definitely be a boost to what most in the industry see as a significant drop-off behind Suzuki at the center position.
The Canadiens had hoped Kirby Dach would step into the No. 2 center spot last season, but the 24-year-old has had trouble staying healthy, and there are questions about his ability to open the season as he returns from knee surgery in February. The No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 draft by the Chicago Blackhawks, Dach has suited up for just 117 games in three seasons since he was acquired by Montreal.
Other current options at center don’t move the needle very much. Montreal could move a player like Zack Bolduc into the middle, but he is better suited on the wing, while players like Alex Newhook, Joseph Veleno or Jake Evans are bottom-six candidates.
Pavel Zacha Looms as ‘A Very Interesting Name’ in Montreal Trade Talks
That’s why the Canadiens are repeatedly tied to trade rumors involving the carousel of top targets like Anaheim’s Mason McTavish and Seattle’s Jared McCann, although the likelihood of those players being available remains extremely low. It’s also helped spur the rampant speculation in recent days over the potential for Montreal to make a bid for future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby. But as Travis Yost of TSN recently stated on The Sick Podcast with Tony Marinaro, Zacha “would be a very interesting name,” and certainly a more realistic option.
As always, the question is what it would take to get a player with two years remaining on a contract that will pay him $4.75 million per season. As Murphy stated in the article for RG, the names of forward prospects Joshua Roy and Oliver Kapanen, and current Habs defenseman Jayden Struble have frequently been mentioned as possible trade chips. Owen Beck, a center prospect coming off an impressive debut season in the AHL, is another potential player to consider.
The Canadiens also boast some draft capital, with extra picks in the second, fourth and seventh rounds of the 2026 draft, and veteran defenseman Mike Matheson, who will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, has been rumored as available. With the Bruins not likely to battle for a playoff spot, Zacha could possibly be acquired for a package of either Beck or Kapanen, plus Matheson, who could stabilize Boston’s shaky defensive group, and a second-round pick in what is considered to be a deep 2026 draft.
But even if a trade never materializes, the fact that the Canadiens and Bruins are talking at all feels like the start of something new.
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