One of the Montreal Canadiens' top goals this off-season should be to bring in another right-shot defenseman. 

Unfortunately for the Habs, one of the top right-shot defenseman trade candidates is no longer a potential option for them. 

This is because the Calgary Flames have acquired defenseman Simon Nemec from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for the Vegas Golden Knights' 2027 first-round pick, the Colorado Avalanche's 2028 first-round pick, the New York Rangers' 2026 second-round pick, and defenseman Etienne Morin. The Flames also added forward Maxim Tsyplakov from the Devils in the deal. 

With Nemec being a 22-year-old right-shot defenseman with high potential, he would have had the potential to be an excellent addition to the Canadiens' roster. He could have fit very nicely in the Canadiens' young core, but alas, he is heading to the Flames instead. 

With Nemec no longer available, the Canadiens will need to consider other options if they hope to land a new right-shot defenseman this off-season. The top right-shot defenseman trade candidates right now are Dougie Hamilton, Braden Schneider, and Rasmus Ristolainen. This year's top pending UFA options currently are John Carlson, Rasmus Andersson, and Jacob Trouba.