Montreal needs to improve their lineup drastically, and are targeting Anaheim's Trevor Zegras, who could have been a Canadiens player during the 2024 Entry Draft.
With the Montreal Canadiens struggling this season, with rumors of their head coach Martin St. Louis stepping down, to trade talks about Arber Xhekaj, to the litany of injuries to stars; it has not been pleasant to say the least. They could use a lot of help up front, and they have their man although he could have been here if GM Kent Hughes got his wish this summer.
"The Canadiens and Ducks had agreed on the framework of a trade that would have sent Trevor Zegras to Montreal along with one of their second-round picks. In return, the Canadiens would have traded young defenseman Logan Mailloux as well as their later first-round pick (21st overall) in 2024." - Marco Normandin
According to Anthony Di Marco, contributor for The Daily Faceoff, Zegras is still available for trades, however, it might be too much to pay for the young star:
"The Ducks continue to make Trevor Zegras available, but they're asking for a high price" - Anthony Di Marco
Zegras would not only join best friend Cole Caufield in Montreal but would instantly become one of the stars of the team. Once Patrik Laine returns, having a trio of Laine, Zegras, and Caufield is as deadly as ever, not to mention Juraj Slavkofsky's ability as well.
This season, Zegras has struggled and dealt with several injuries last year so it's been a bit of a downturn for the forward but when he's on, he's on. In 2021-2022 he scored 23 goals and 61 points, then had 23 goals and 65 points a year later. He's clearly capable of putting up some big numbers, and having been on a struggling Ducks team hasn't helped him either.
Montreal's interest in Trevor Zegras is as high as it has ever been, and for good reason. He is the difference between a surprise playoff appearance or another disappointing season.