Rumors are running wild, so I'll take this opportunity to offer my take on the ones that touch on Montreal:
Starting with the Predators, it's been rumored over the last couple of days that the Canadiens have been spotted scouting at Nashville games. I really don't think there's much to the idea floated in the Nashville Examiner that the Habs are interested in defenseman Alexander Sulzer.
It's been generally conceded that the Preds likely aren't interested in Andrei Kostitsyn, and if they were, the return would certainly be higher than a depth defenseman.
With the Preds well entrenched in the hunt for a playoff berth, it seems hard to imagine they'll part with the kind of player Montreal needs. Steve Sullivan would be attractive to the Canadiens, and as a pending ufa there's always the potential he could move, but it doesn't make sense at this stage with the Preds having paid a first round pick to Ottawa to add Mike Fisher to the picture.
If anything, they might consider losing J-P Dumont if there were any takers. Dumont's on the hook for another 4,000,000 after this season, and has only managed 17 points in 55 games. But even if Nashville were willing to move him, would the Canadiens be interested?
This management group has passed on Dumont twice already, but as Steve Hindle pointed out to me this morning, timing is everything and the management group, at the time, didn't include Larry Carriere who played a big hand in scouting the deal that brought Dumont to the Buffalo Sabres.
Others have floated the possibility that the Habs could be interested in rugged d-man Shane O'Brien. A ufa at year's end, O'Brien could be had relatively cheap for what he could bring to the Canadiens; a good teammate, with a physical edge and a willingness to fight.
On the Panthers:
By all accounts Stephen Weiss is Dale Tallon's best trade chip, and the likelihood of the Panthers dealing their top centreman is rather high.
Given that he's under contract for two more seasons, at a friendly 3.1 mil on the cap, and given what Versteeg and Fisher went for, it's entirely likely a deal for Weiss starts with a 1st round pick.
If you're the Canadiens that's a high price to pay for a player that would make for a nice addition, but doesn't typically fit what you're searching for on the trade market.
If the Canadiens were to deal for Weiss, they'd have to be considering a multi-player deal involving one of their wingers and potentially another piece, in exchange for Andrei Kostitsyn and that first round pick.
Sounds pretty tough to pull off, even if these two teams have been rumored to be connected to one another, more than any two other teams in the league have.
On Calgary:
I'm not sure the prospect of adding Robyn Regehr merits any more analysis than "not going to happen". It's not...
The Flames have played tremendous hockey in the New Year, but in order to make the playoffs they'll have to continue on that torrid pace. Anything under it puts them in serious jeopardy, having played three or four more games than anyone below them in the extremely tight Western Conference.
A drop off in play will have them undoubtedly selling off pieces at the deadline, though it's foolish to think those pieces will include players like Regehr and Jarome Iginla--who are crucial to any hope the team has at making the playoffs.
That said, if they fall off the map as opposed to just falling off pace, I suppose there's a minute possibility that Regehr could be had-- for an unreasonable price.
Regardless of where they stand, the Flames could very well move pending ufas Curtis Glencross, Steve Staios and Anton Babchuk.
Anyone of those three could make for interesting additions to the Canadiens, and the price for anyone of them could be as high as a second round pick.
On Montreal:
I stipulated last week that the priorities for the Canadiens are clearly at forward. I still believe that to be the case, though it wouldn't surprise me to see the Canadiens turn to contingencies and add on the blue line.
With an injury to Hal Gill, the severity of which is relatively unknown, their priorities could certainly be rearranged, but the pressing needs are for an improvement on Andrei Kostitsyn and a tough guy who can play a regular shift.
It's becoming harder to deny that Kostitsyn's relationship with the Canadiens is completely stale. And the inevitability of his departure is rapidly approaching. But unless the team can find a player of equal worth in terms of offensive production, and one that's a better fit with this team, it'll be hard for them to lose the enigmatic Belarussian before the deadline.
Montreal Canadiens Blogger • 
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