Trade talk is starting to heat up with the NHL trade deadline under two months away, and the Montreal Canadiens are expected to sell once again. Here's the latest speculation.

The rebuilding Montreal Canadiens have made some improvement this season, sitting within striking distance of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Nevertheless, GM Kent Hughes is expected to be a trade-deadline seller for the third straight year.

Sportsnet's Eric Engels said Hughes could peddle as many as five players by the March 8 trade deadline.

Topping the list is Sean Monahan, who's fourth among Canadiens scorers with 25 points in 43 games. Fully recovered from last season's injuries, the versatile 29-year-old Monahan carries a one-year contract with an affordable $1.985-million salary-cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. It's believed Hughes will attempt to ship him to a contender by the deadline.

Defenseman David Savard and winger Tanner Pearson are also on Engels' list. A big shutdown blueliner, the 33-year-old Savard is signed through 2024-25 with an average annual value of $3.5 million. Pearson, 31, is slated to become a UFA on July 1 and carries a $3.25-million cap hit.

Engel mentioned the possibility of Hughes shopping one or two of his promising young defensemen. He didn't indicate which ones, but potential candidates could include Justin Barron, Jordan Harris and fan favorite Arber Xhekaj, who's been toiling with their AHL affiliate in Laval since Dec. 4.

It's believed the Canadiens could shop one of the three goaltenders they've been carrying this season. However, Hughes won't guarantee that will happen. If it does, Jake Allen seems the odd man out. Sam Montembeault has secured the starter's job, while Cayden Primeau has steadily improved this season.

Engels also reported Hughes would like to add forwards to boost his club's offense. With 22 picks in the next two drafts, a deep prospect pool and plenty of promising blueliners, the Habs GM has plenty of trade bait to acquire a forward or two via trade.

TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie said Hughes is working on adding a scoring forward. His colleague Jean-Charles Lajoie recently suggested they pursue Anaheim Ducks center Trevor Zegras. Lavoie, however, isn't sure if Hughes will go after Zegras or attempt to add a scorer at the draft.