4 NHL Teams Could Land Mark Scheifele, But Where Do the Canadiens Rank?

The Montreal Canadiens missed out on one of the biggest trades ahead of the regular season, which could open the door for the organization to make a different move. The Canadiens were hot and heavy over Kirill Marchenko. The Toronto Maple Leafs landed him. Now, if Canadiens GM Kent Hughes wants to make a trade, he needs to find another top-six forward. One Winnipeg Jets veteran, Mark Scheifele, keeps coming up as a possible target.

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Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz says the rumors haven’t cooled. “They wouldn’t need him as a No. 1 center (Nick Suzuki has that spot locked down), but they do need an upgrade at their No. 2 center spot and with their depth down the middle. That might be the one big Achilles heel they have with the roster this season, and Scheifele would give them a pretty dynamic 1-2 punch down the middle.”

They also have a ton of salary cap flexibility and adding Scheifele is doable financially.

What Obstacles Stand in the Way of Scheifele to Montreal?

There are obstacles. Scheifele hasn’t publicly asked for a trade, he’s in his age-33 season, and his large contract includes a no-movement clause. Every single one of those hurdles would need to be jumped and just because Connor Hellebuyck wants out, doesn’t mean everyone else in Winnipeg does.

Other teams would also show interest in Scheifele if the forward were suddenly available and open to a move. The Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins are possible landing spots, and all would likely take a solid run and put competing trade offers together. As the Canadiens failed to offer when they lost out on Marchenko, they don’t have an obvious roster player to give back to the Jets.

Next: NHL Trade Talk Recap: Maple Leafs, Oilers & Our Weekly Podcast