NHL Trade Rumors: 5 teams that must make a move before trade deadline

1. Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are the most desperate team in the NHL. They have won just three of their last 10 games as of January 12th and are quickly seeing their playoff chances get worse every passing day. The Canadiens must make a move now if they want to right their ship and bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal.

Ryan Johansen would have been a perfect fit, but the Blue Jackets traded him to the Nashville Predators. They could trade for Steven Stamkos or even Jonathan Drouin, but who knows if their division rivals would be willing to trade their franchise player or best young player to them. They’ve been tied to various other players as well. It’s likely that they’ll be calling the Leafs to check up on their pending UFA forwards and see how much it will take to get them.

The Canadiens need more than depth. They need a top center. The best remaining center on the trade market? Eric Staal of the Carolina Hurricanes. He is a pending unrestricted free agent. He would help the Habs because he would give them a two-way center and help optimize their lineup. Right now, there likely isn’t a team that needs Staal more than the Canadiens. So why not trade for him now before a contender loses a center and starts getting desperate?