NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canadiens, Flames & Avalanche Rather Have?

Today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap (August 30, 2026) has a theme running through today’s roundup. Honestly, it’s kind of everywhere at once. The Canadiens have a goalie surplus that might set off a trade domino with the Winnipeg Jets or the Edmonton Oilers. The Calgary Flames are stuck with a Huberdeau contract that somehow still looks bad even in a league where salaries are exploding. And everyone’s playing “would you rather” with Cale Makar’s massive new deal.

Could Sam Montembeault Be the Next Player in the Goalie Market?

The Connor Hellebuyck trade request is shaking things up around the league, and it’s got people talking about Sam Montembeault of all people. Here’s the logic. Montreal’s already set at goalie with Jakub Dobes and Jacob Fowler both in the pipeline, so Montembeault’s kind of the odd man out heading into his contract year. Trading him now would give him a real shot to land a starting job somewhere else. And Montreal gets to cash in on him while he’s still worth something instead of losing him for nothing later.

The timing lines up too. If Hellebuyck actually gets moved, Winnipeg suddenly needs a partner for Stuart Skinner. That would make Montembeault a logical fit. Edmonton’s also dealing with an injury to Frederik Andersen, and if that turns into a longer absence than expected, they might not love their options behind him either. Basically, one big goalie domino (Hellebuyck) could set off a chain reaction that puts Montembeault right in the middle of it as camps get closer.

Oilers and Jets Linked as Montembeault Trade Rumours Heat Up

Even With Salaries Exploding, Huberdeau Still Can’t Catch a Break

You’d think with Makar signing for $20.4 million, every “bad” contract in the league would suddenly look cheap by comparison. Except for Jonathan Huberdeau’s. Fans are already comparing their own team’s “overpaid” guys to Makar and saying “I’d take that deal.” But nobody’s doing that with Huberdeau. He put up just 10 goals and 25 points in 50 games last season for a $10.5 million cap hit. And even his better year before that (28 goals, 62 points) still doesn’t come close to justifying the money.

The real kicker is how untradeable this contract still looks. Edmonton actually managed to dump Darnell Nurse’s bad contract and got real pieces in return. But almost nobody thinks Calgary could pull off the same move with Huberdeau. So while the rest of the league’s salary scale is inflating and making old “expensive” deals look reasonable, Huberdeau’s contract is somehow still the one everyone points to as the worst in hockey.

Flames Star Being Trolled Over “Cheap” But Way Too “Expensive” Contract

Would You Rather Have Makar’s Contract — Or Someone Else’s?

Since Cale Makar signed for $20.4 million a year, fans everywhere have been playing the “would you rather” game with their own team’s defensemen. Take Darren Raddysh, for example. He’s not Makar, but at $8.5 million, Toronto’s saving nearly $12 million that could go toward a top-six forward or more blue-line depth instead. Then there’s Lane Hutson, who signed for less than half of Makar’s number and already looks like a massive bargain given how fast he’s developing, even though comparing an early-career RFA deal to a true superstar’s contract isn’t really apples to apples.

The most interesting comparison might be Jaccob Slavin, though. At $6.4 million, he’s arguably a better pure defensive defenseman than Makar, just without the offence. And Carolina’s been able to build a genuinely stacked, well-rounded blue line around him for way less money than Colorado’s spending on Makar alone. It all boils down to one real question. Is it smarter to pay one guy $20 million, or spread that money across two or three really good players instead?

3 “Would You Rather” Questions Following Cale Makar’s New Deal

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