The Montreal Canadiens are looking to build off last season, where they made the postseason, and should be aggressive on the trade front.
Heavy.com has a trade idea that sees the Canadiens acquiring Jaden Schwartz from the Seattle Kraken to help replace the void of Patrik Laine.
Canadiens acquire:
Kraken acquire:
- Joshua Roy
- 2026 second-round pick (Columbus)
The proposed deal would be an intriguing one and makes sense for both sides. Montreal would get a middle-six forward who can add some scoring, replacing the void of Laine, while Seattle gets a young NHL forward and a second-round pick.
Montreal would acquire Schwartz, who’s in the final year of his five-year, $27.5 million deal with the Kraken. Schwartz can be a middle-six winger for the Canadiens and add some veteran leadership and scoring to the locker room. This season with Seattle, he’s recorded 4 goals and 4 assists for 8 points in 9 games. Last year, he had 26 goals and 23 assists for 49 points in 81 games. He helped the St. Louis Blues win the Stanley Cup in 2019.
In return, the Canadiens would give up a second-round pick, which is the key part of the trade and Roy. Roy is 22 years old and has struggled to crack the Canadiens’ roster. He’s skated in 1 game this season, and a change of scenery could be needed for the young forward. With the Kraken, he could be a bottom-six forward and add some more youth to the lineup.
Canadiens’ Laine Out 3-4 Months With Injury
Montreal could explore the trade market for a forward after the injury news to Laine.
The Canadiens announced Laine will be out three to four months after having surgery to repair a core muscle injury.
It was disappointing news for Laine, who’s in the final year of his four-year, $34.8 million deal and was looking to have a good season to earn a big payday in free agency. Laine was also going to be a key part of the Canadiens’ offense this season.
But, with Laine out for multiple months, his future with the Canadiens is now up in the air. Before the season, he spoke about wanting to stay in Montreal for the foreseeable future.
“We’ve mostly just focused on this year. All that stuff will come, eventually. Now, it’s just focused on playing,” Laine said before the season. “I’ve not really had too many discussions like that. I think I’ve been pretty open publicly and everywhere about it that I love it here and this organization is something I definitely want to be a part of for a long time. But you never know how these things happen, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Laine recorded 1 assist in 5 games before the injury.
Schwartz Named as Trade Candidate
With Seattle unlikely to make the playoffs, Schwartz is expected to be traded this season.
Schwartz is in the final year of his deal, and NHL insider Chris Johnston of The Athletic named him a trade candidate.
“Schwartz is among a group of intriguing forwards playing out the final year of their contracts with the Kraken — joining captain Jordan Eberle, Mason Marchment and Eeli Tolvanen, among others — and will carry trade value if Seattle becomes a seller for a second straight year,” Johnston wrote.
“A quick, skilled winger coming off a 26-goal season, Schwartz has a little extra shine thanks to his Stanley Cup bona fides, earned during the 2019 run with the St. Louis Blues. He’s cracked the 20-goal plateau on six occasions during his career and is off to a solid start early in the 2025-26 campaign.”
If Schwartz is made available, several teams will be interested in the former Stanley Cup champion.
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This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
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