DONE DEAL: Canadiens confirm $17 Million 5-star commitment blockbuster trade deal done just now

A few weeks after acquiring star forward Patrik Laine, the Montreal Canadiens appear to have shifted their focus away from pursuing other high-priced forwards. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the Canadiens are no longer in the running for Anaheim Ducks forward Trevor Zegras. On the September 6 episode of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Friedman stated that the possibility of Zegras joining Montreal is “closed.” He added, “I believe the Canadiens wanted to bring in a major offensive player this year. There were a lot of Zegras rumors, but I don’t see that happening now.”

Throughout the offseason, Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes explored various ways to improve the team’s offense. After narrowly missing out on free-agent forward Jonathan Marchessault and exhausting top-tier free agency options, Montreal began targeting players like Zegras and Laine in trade discussions. With the successful acquisition of Laine, however, the need for Zegras lessened, as Hughes seems to have found a more budget-friendly solution to complete the offense.

It’s worth noting that Zegras, three years younger and without a significant contract burden, would have been an appealing option. But ultimately, the decision to trade for Laine instead may have come down to a balance of cost and potential. In exchange for Laine and a second-round pick, the Canadiens parted with Jordan Harris and took on Laine’s $8.7 million salary.