Marc Dumont
Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Thursday.
Montreal Canadiens News
While a few insiders have suggested the Canadiens were actively involved in trade negotiations including players such as Nazem Kadri or Matthew Knies, Pierre Lebrun does not think the player has been identified, at least not yet. Considering all the rumours that include the Habs tend to come from outside sources, he may be onto something. Like a bucket owned by someone other than Henry, or a proper fishing boat, Kent Hughes does not leak.
Pierre LeBrun: While there has been speculation on the Habs trying to acquire Matthew Knies…Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Ristolainen…whatever major trade the Canadiens were working on hasn’t actually been identified yet in all the post-deadline reports – The Athletic (3/18)
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) March 19, 2026
As for Elliotte Friedman, he reported the Habs showed “significant interest” in Knies, while also revealing that “everyone has denied” the report. [32 Thoughts]
The Canadiens have a relatively healthy powerplay, but they could immediately improve upon it if they decided to take a few more shots every game. The Habs have the seventh-ranked powerplay in the NHL, but are among the teams that take the fewest shots. [Canadiens Powerplay Issues Reflected In One Key Statistic]
Thursday night’s game between the Habs and the Detroit Red Wings was crucial for both clubs, but the Canadiens made one mistake too many, allowing precious standing points to slip away. [Canadiens Highlights: Habs Drop Four-Point Game]
Out Of Town Scoreboard
It was an absolutely terrible night from a playoff standpoint. Not only did the Habs fail to take advantage of their lead versus the Red Wings, most of the other Atlantic Division teams chasing the Canadiens managed to secure two points.
The Columbus Blue Jackets refuse to lose under Rick Bowness, earning a 6-3 win versus the New York Rangers. The Boston Bruins easily dispatched the Winnipeg Jets, to the tune of 6-1. As for the New York Islanders, they did lose, however, the game was against the Ottawa Senators, a team that’s only five points behind the Canadiens in the standings.
Montreal’s playoff hopes remain relatively healthy (79%), but there’s no denying they are at risk of dropping out of contention, especially if their offence dries up.
Sportsnaut Network
We knew that if the New Jersey Devils were going to do anything at the 2026 NHL Trade Deadline, it would have been an all or nothing type of deal. It wound up being the latter, but that doesn’t mean that they didn’t try. [New Jersey Devils]
We are two weeks past the 2026 Trade Deadline, and even still, we have new information trickling in. However, unlike the whispers of things the Carolina Hurricanes missed out on in the drive to the postseason, it seems this time we are hearing rumours about something that may shape their summer. [Carolina Hurricanes]
The final impact of Radko Gudas’ brutal knee-on-knee hit on Auston Matthews has been revealed. The Toronto Maple Leafs captain has officially undergone surgery to repair his MCL, the team announced on Thursday. [Toronto Maple Leafs]
