NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canadiens, Canucks & Maple Leafs Concern

There was a lot of action in today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap (September 6, 2026). Training camp’s right around the corner, and there’s a lot riding on health and roster decisions across the league today. Montreal’s got a real puzzle to solve with Xhekaj, Vancouver just made a bold long-term bet that’s got people talking, and in Toronto, everything might hinge on whether one veteran defenseman’s body cooperates. 

Could Montreal Move Xhekaj to Forward to Keep Him Around?

With Arber Xhekaj still unsigned and no clear spot for him on Montreal’s blue line, one idea gaining steam is moving the big 6-foot-4 defenseman up to forward instead. He’s actually done it before. He played some junior games in Kitchener. He also got a one-game look at forward for the Canadiens last season. By most accounts, he handled himself fine, playing physical and simple in front of the net. It’s not some silly idea. There’s real precedent for defensemen making that switch, as Dustin Byfuglien and Brent Burns did earlier in their careers.

That said, his old junior coach says the move isn’t as simple as it sounds and always viewed Xhekaj as a defenseman first, using forward duty mostly just to keep him engaged as a depth guy. So this feels more like a creative way to keep him in the lineup than a guaranteed fit. If Montreal can’t find a role for him one way or another, don’t be surprised if trading him seems the more realistic path instead.

Bold Idea for Canadiens Includes a Big Change for D-Man Arber Xhekaj

The Canucks Bet Big on Buium — And Somehow Made the Wild Look Worse

Vancouver just handed 20-year-old Zeev Buium an eight-year, $9.38 million extension. That’s a massive commitment for a guy with only 76 career NHL games and 26 points to his name. But the bigger story here might be the irony buried in it. Buium was the centrepiece coming back in the Quinn Hughes trade, and while Vancouver’s already locking in their new cornerstone piece, Minnesota still can’t get Hughes himself signed to a long-term deal. It’s a wild twist where the team that’s supposedly rebuilding has already secured more long-term certainty from the deal than the team that acquired the established star.

The bet itself makes sense given Buium’s background. He dominated college hockey at Denver, won a national championship, and has a stacked résumé with Team USA, including multiple golds. Vancouver’s clearly betting that translates to the NHL over time, and locking him up now, while he’s still developing, gives both sides security regardless of how ugly this coming season gets for the Canucks. As one analyst put it, it’s about turning lemons into lemonade. Vancouver’s going to be bad this year no matter what. But at least they’ve built something real for the future in the process.

Zeev Buium Gets Paid, But the Canucks May Have Turned Lemons into Lemonade

Tanev’s Optimistic About Camp — But the Leafs Really Need Him to Be Right

Chris Tanev says he’s on track to be ready for day one of training camp, even though he still hasn’t been medically cleared roughly six months after core muscle surgery. It’s been a brutal stretch for the 36-year-old. He dealt with a concussion, a hit from behind that left him injured, a spinal issue, and now this groin/core problem all in one season. But he’s been putting in real work over the summer, training with Gary Roberts and skating alongside guys like McDavid and Draisaitl. He sounds confident, even if the slow rehab timeline understandably has some fans nervous.

The bigger issue is how much Toronto actually needs him healthy. Tanev played a career-low 11 games last season, and his absence was a real factor in the Leafs’ struggles. The team pencilled him in as a top-four piece again this year. But none of Toronto’s other blue-line additions play the same shutdown style he does. Now that all 50 contracts are already signed, there’s no easy fix if he’s not ready. So while Tanev’s staying positive, this is shaping up to be one of the bigger storylines to watch as camp approaches.

Should the Maple Leafs Be Concerned About Chris Tanev’s Latest Injury Update?

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