The Montreal Canadiens will be a team to watch once the NHL Olympic roster freeze passes. With the Canadiens being among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, there is an expectation that they will look to add to their roster ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Now, the Canadiens are being connected to one of the NHL's top trade candidates. In a recent article for The Athletic [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7030048/2026/02/11/nhl-trade-board-matchmaker-thomas-wallstedt-trocheck/], Chris Johnston predicted that the Canadiens will be the team that acquires New York Rangers star center Vincent Trocheck. "The Canadiens’ biggest hole all season has been down the middle, and it’s going to be a battle at the deadline for the limited options who can fill the 2C role on a contender. Even at 32, Trocheck certainly fits that description, and the fact he comes with some term at a reasonable cap hit will help the Habs bridge the gap as their youth movement progresses," Johnston wrote. Seeing the Canadiens being viewed as a potential landing spot for Trocheck is not difficult to understand. There is no question that he would give the Canadiens' top six a nice boost if they acquired him. His stats this season show this, as he has recorded 12 goals, 24 assists, and 36 points in 43 games. Yet, with Trocheck being a legitimate top-six center who has a $5.625 million cap hit until the end of the 2028-29 season, it is clear that the Rangers would want a significant return for him in a potential move. Yet, with the Canadiens needing another impactful center, he could be worth the price. It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up being the team that lands Trocheck ahead of the deadline. There is no question that the skilled center is going to have several suitors.
