NHL Rumor Mill – March 30, 2026
Do Patrik Laine, Arber Xhekaj, and Jayden Struble fit into the Canadiens’ plans beyond this season? Could Ducks center Mason McTavish become an offseason trade chip? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: A reader asked Stu Cowan if Patrik Laine will play another game for the Canadiens. The 27-year-old winger was sidelined in October by abdominal surgery. He’s been practicing with the team for weeks, but there hasn’t been any room for him in their current lineup.
Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine (NHL Images).
Cowan noted the rebuilding Canadiens needed Laine’s offense in 2024-25, and wouldn’t have squeaked into the 2025 playoffs without him. However, the Canadiens are this season’s third-highest-scoring team, and no longer need his power-play contributions. He doesn’t fit into the Canadiens’ fast-paced style of play this season.
Laine is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. Cowan believes he will seek a fresh start elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble have been battling for the sixth spot on the Canadiens’ blueline all season. Xhekaj has been a healthy scratch in several recent games as Struble has moved past him on the depth chart.
However, Cowan wouldn’t be surprised if both defensemen were traded during the offseason. Promising young blueliners David Reinbacher and Adam Engstrom could be ready to make the jump to the NHL next season. General manager Kent Hughes could also be in the market for a veteran right-shot defenseman.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been another difficult season for the oft-injured Laine. There simply isn’t any room for him now with the improving young Canadiens, who are expected to soon welcome prospect forward Michael Hage into their lineup.
Laine’s injury history means he won’t be getting any lucrative long-term offers in this summer’s free-agent market. Nevertheless, his big shot should help him land with another NHL club seeking a power-play specialist, though he’ll likely have to accept a significant pay cut on a one-year contract.
Xhekaj’s physical style has made him a fan favorite in Montreal, but he’s struggled to nail down a full-time spot on the Canadiens’ third defense pairing. A strong performance in the upcoming playoffs might help him, as his style of play seems better-suited to the postseason’s physical grind.
However, with those promising youngsters knocking on the door, this could be Xhekaj’s final season with the Canadiens. He might’ve been part of that mysterious blockbuster trade that Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes was working on before the trade deadline.
Struble seems the least likely to be moved this summer, but that doesn’t ensure his long-term future in Montreal. He could be moved next season if Engstrom or Reinbacher make the club.
DAILY FACEOFF: Tyler Yaremchuk and Carter Hutton recently spoke with Felix Sicard of the Crash the Pond podcast regarding Mason McTavish’s future with the Anaheim Ducks.
McTavish missed most of training camp last fall before signing his six-year, $42 million contract. The 24-year-old center has struggled this season and was recently scratched from a couple of games. He has 14 goals and 34 points in 66 games.
Sicard noted that McTavish was supposed to have nailed down the second-line center position. His struggles could be attributable to missing camp or playing under a new head coach. Sicard doesn’t think it’s reached the point where McTavish will get traded, but he didn’t dismiss the possibility.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sicard also pointed out that the Ducks have succeeded this season despite McTavish’s difficulties. That could make his future in Anaheim less certain than it was a year ago.
Nevertheless, I concur with Sicard that it’s unlikely McTavish will be traded this summer. The Ducks will remain patient and anticipate a bounce-back performance from him next season.
Anaheim may have to look at trading McTavish because they have $40M in cap space for next season and it will likely take close to half of that, if not more, to sign Carlsson and Gauthier. Plus they will have Sennecke the following year to sign too.
With the remaining $20M they need to sign 5 or d-men since only Lacombe and one other guy is under contract. John Carlson (who IMO likely won’t be back), Trouba and Gudas are UFAs and Mintyukov, Zellweger and Moore are RFAs. Plus they will need a 13th and 14th forward and a backup goalie.
Maybe they could be a good trading partner with Montreal. Montreal would likely be interested in McTavish as a 2C to play with Demidov and likely Hage next season, especially since McTavish is a L shot.
Maybe a deal like:
To Mtl: McTavish
To Ana:
Dach (rights since he’s RFA),
Montembault (for a change of scenery),
Struble or if Ana wants more of a prospect D then Engstrom instead,
A pick (depending on the combination above up to a 2nd rounder)
This could fill out several of Anaheim’s needs; a backup goalie, more R shot fwds (they only have Terry and Sennecke) and get a young D who is still on a ELC.
Montembault’s stats are worse than Dostal or Husso who are both signed next year.
Dach just can’t stay healthy. Dach + Montembault combined salaries (if Dach were to be qualified) are just shy of Mctavishs salary.
Can’t see Anaheim jumping on that type of proposal.
Drive,
I agree that Monty needs a change of scenery and has no future with the Habs, and that Dach is too unreliable to sign to anything but short, inexpensive contract — which he might not accept. Struble only has a future with the Habs as a 7th D.
But I dispute the notion that the Habs would be very interested in McTavish at 2C. He’s signed for 4 more years after this season. What do they do with Kapanen? Hage is projected as a center.
Acquiring McTavish made more sense last July.
Husso is signed for another year as BU. Monty would be excessive.
McT would be a better fit in Detroit, and Y and Verbeek are trading partners and long time friends.
Wouldn’t mind Xhekaj on NYR. Since dumping Trouba they’ve lost that fear factor for teams entering zone.
Is Granlund 2c with Ducks? Can’t see team trading McTavish, unless they get back another center. Ducks have plenty of cap space next year but, 6 of their 8 rostered D men need new deals. Leo Carlsson is going to get a significant raise. Gather new deals probably not as much. Will be interesting summer for them. Let’s see how well they do in playoffs.
McT is currently playing wing on line 4. Very much in the dog house! Granlund is line 2 C.
Starting to look like McT might be a reclamation project. His trade value would be low. A very good prospect goalie and 3rd line C would be considered a good return. I would see if Postava, Rasmussen and a 3rd would be enough to get McT. Postava is sporting a .932 SA in the AHL backing up Cossa (.918) and can be in the AHL will Husso is gone in a year. Raz would help their PK. And it would give the Ducks around $4M in cap savings.
Where the Habs really hit the jackpot is with the untried Martin St Louis as coach. Believe he’s the best teacher & roster maximizer (perhaps after Cooper) in the league.
High praise, Richard.
But let’s not step over their draft picks: Hutson, Kapanen, Demidov and especially of late Dobes have made a major impact on the team.
HF30, from late yesterday, in your hallelujah chorus on Zacha (who certainly is playing well for the Bs), you made an eyebrow raising statement:
“Zacha 52% on faceoffs compared to Kapanen’s 46.7%, that equates to 34 more faceoff wins in Kapanen’s 604 faceoffs. We are all aware how important possession on faceoffs is and it probably contributes to the 20 extra points.”
You state this based on?
You may be tired of me pushing back but how about a rebuttal from a different source, AI:
“While faceoffs provide immediate possession, research indicates that winning them has little to no long-term correlation with a team’s final goal differential or position in the standings.”
Rich a little early for a jackpot description. He at least has to win a playoff series Reminds me a little bit like Brinda mour in Carolina. Problem is he has become a bridesmaid every year. Never winning the big one.