NHL Shocker: Canadiens, Senators, and Oilers Poised for Unthinkable Moves That Could Shake the League!

When you peek behind the curtain at the Montreal Canadiens’ defense, it’s clear the team is swimming in talent — maybe a bit too much of it. Locked in for the foreseeable future are stalwarts like Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson, and Kaiden Guhle, all penciled in for a good five years or more. Then you toss in guys like Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Alexandre Carrier, Adam Engstrom, and David Reinbacher, and suddenly, the blue line looks like a full house with nowhere left to sit. It’s a fascinating conundrum — do you hold tight to every piece because of their promise, or start cutting loose to avoid a logjam? Guhle’s role, once seemingly solid, now faces a challenge, as he’s trailing behind Hutson and Matheson on the depth chart. Trade whispers around him are more than just idle chatter, especially from Western teams that have been circling him for seasons. Yet, the Canadiens appear smitten with his game, which complicates matters. The team’s coming moves will likely involve some tough calls around Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher — with selling low on Reinbacher off the table for now. To shake up the roster enough for a top-six impact, some of these young defenders might need to be part of the equation. It’s a classic case of a deep roster forcing tough decisions, and Montreal’s next few seasons hinge on how they navigate this defensive puzzle. LEARN MORE

The Montreal Canadiens’ future blue line looks crowded

Marco D’Amico of RG Media: The Montreal Canadiens now have defenseman Mike Matheson, Noah Dobson, Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle signed for at least the next five seasons. Also under contract are Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Alexandre Carrier, Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher. Something is going to have to give in the future.

Guhle has five years left on his deal at a $5.5 million, but he’s third on the depth chart on the left side behind Hutson and Matheson. Can confirm Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA sports report that Guhle’s name has come up in trade talks, though it’s not a surprise, as other teams have brought his name up for a while now. Teams in the West have been asking and denied for the past two offseasons.

The Canadiens love what Guhle brings, and he seems like he’s part of their future plans. Any Canadiens decision will likely involve Xhekaj, Struble, Engstrom, and Reinbacher. Moving Reinbacher may be selling low right now, and that’s not something they’d want to do.

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To land a top-six, the Canadiens might have to include one of Xhekaj, Struble, or Engstrom.

Maybe someone will sign Alex Formenton to an offer sheet

TSN: The Ottawa Seantors didn’t get any interest in forward Alex Formenton before the December 1st deadline to sign a contract to be NHL eligible this season, according to Darren Dreger. He’ll need to play better and hope wants to trade for his rights, or …

“The most likely scenario though here, fellas, is that an offer sheet is signed by Alex Formenton. If he signs for less than $1 million, then there’s no compensation going to the Senators, but that’s fine. Ottawa at that point would be willing to move away.”

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Don’t see a scenario where the Edmonton Oilers trade Darnell Nurse at this point

NHL Rumour Report: David Pagnotta on OilersNation Everyday on the rumors involving Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse: “I haven’t heard that by any stretch they’re even considering that possibility; I just don’t see a scenario where that’s realistic right now.”

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