The Montreal Canadiens are among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, so they should be buyers at the 2026 NHL trade deadline. Due to this, they are now being predicted to address a specific roster need. In a recent article for The Athletic [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7081912/2026/03/03/nhl-trade-deadline-2026-predictions-bold-teams/], Arpon Basu predicted that the Canadiens would trade for a right-shot defenseman ahead of the 2026 NHL trade deadline. "It is bold because the right-shot defensemen seemingly available on the market are in high demand, and one just came off the board with Connor Murphy’s move to Edmonton. When demand is higher than supply, prices generally inflate, and the Canadiens are unlikely to want to overpay. But it could happen because it represents a clear area the Canadiens can improve, balancing out their left-shot-heavy defense corp," Basu wrote. It is no secret that the Canadiens could use another right-shot defenseman, so predicting that they will acquire one ahead of the deadline makes sense. They have already been connected to Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. A few other interesting names floating around the rumor mill who could make sense for the Canadiens include Justin Faulk, Zach Whitecloud, MacKenzie Weegar, Braden Schneider, and Brandon Carlo. Ultimately, with the Canadiens needing another impactful defenseman on their right side, they should not be afraid to swing a deal for a new blueliner. It will be interesting to see if they do just that from here.
