Edmonton Oilers

NHL Trade Talk Recap: Canadiens, Oilers & Senators Have Room

Montreal’s Marchenko plans hit a snag, Edmonton likes Babcock’s approach, and Ottawa could have a shot at Chris Kreider.

by
Old Prof
September 10, 2026

There’s a little bit of everything in today’s NHL Trade Talk Recap (September 9, 2026). One Canadiens trade rumour might not actually work out the way everyone assumes. Edmonton has some early good vibes around the Oilers’ new coach. And a surprise free agent who might just fall into the Senators’ lap.

NHL Recap April 26 — NHL Recap September 10, 2026

Does Montreal Actually Have What It Takes to Land Marchenko?

Everyone assumes the Canadiens are the frontrunners for Kirill Marchenko, but analyst Pierre McGuire isn’t sure it will work. The issue is that Columbus GM Don Waddell isn’t interested in a rebuild-style return — he wants a real roster player back to replace the offence Marchenko provides, not a pile of picks and prospects. McGuire’s honest take was basically that he doesn’t see Montreal having the right piece to make that kind of trade happen, and since Kent Hughes is focused on improving his team rather than weakening it to add elsewhere, that mismatch could be a real problem.

Waddell made it pretty clear he’s not desperate to move Marchenko either, calling him a productive player on a great cap hit who they can’t just remove from the lineup without replacing him. He’s fielding calls, including reported interest from the Islanders too, but for now nothing is close to happening. So while Montreal’s linked to Marchenko in theory, the actual mechanics of a deal might be tougher to pull off than the rumours suggest.

Insider Doubts Canadiens and Blue Jackets Trade, Given What’s Needed in the Deal

Draisaitl’s Loving Babcock’s Blunt Approach So Far

Draisaitl’s giving Mike Babcock a big thumbs up early on, saying the communication’s been clear and straightforward, exactly what the leadership group asked for when they pushed for a more direct coach. He called Babcock a “real man” about it, saying the room full of guys who all just want to win appreciates someone who’ll tell them straight to their face what the team actually needs, instead of dancing around it.

It’s still early, and Babcock hasn’t even been on the ice with the group yet. Rookie camp starts without him too. But the messaging so far has been consistent and well received. The real question is whether that goodwill holds up once the season actually gets tough, or whether this honest, no-nonsense approach is exactly what pushes Edmonton out of the gate strong.

Draisaitl Reveals Babcock Has Already Been Getting Directly in the Faces of the Oilers

Mike Babcock Oilers coach — Mike Babcock, Oilers coach

Could Ottawa Land a Surprise Free Agent in Chris Kreider?

Chris Kreider just became a free agent unexpectedly after Anaheim put him on unconditional waivers to clear cap space for a Cutter Gauthier extension. That opens up an interesting opportunity for Ottawa. The Senators actually have real room to make this work. Sending a few depth guys down to the AHL would bump their cap space up to around $7.2 million, plenty to sign a 22-goal, 50-point winger (last season) who’s reportedly willing to take a discount in the $4-5 million range at this stage of his career.

The fit on paper is pretty clean too. Kreider’s a big, physical power forward at 6-foot-3, which matches Ottawa’s overall size and the type of player coach Travis Green likes to build around. He’d slot in nicely on a second line, giving Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux a legit scoring partner and pushing Ridly Greig down to a more natural third-line role. The only real question is whether Kreider, coming off wanting to be closer to family in the East, actually wants to play in Canada. But if he’s open to it, Ottawa looks like one of the more sensible landing spots out there.

Could the Ottawa Senators Be in Play for Chris Kreider?