Rumor: Montreal Canadiens considering a trade of one of their core forwards.

The Montreal Canadiens may be considering a trade of one of their long-time forwards.

In a recent "30 Thoughts" article for Sportsnet, insider Elliotte Friedman pointed to some new and bizarre behavior from head coach Michel Therrien as an indication that something was up in Montreal.

From Friedman:

"Speaking of the Canadiens, I don’t believe in coincidences. There was Tomas Plekanec getting 2:42 of power-play time in Monday night’s loss to Washington, scoring their lone goal. It was the team’s first game since Nick Kypreos mentioned the centre as a possible trade candidate. In Montreal’s last three outings (Toronto, Dallas, Nashville), Plekanec was out there for a combined 37 seconds during the man advantage. Monday’s goal was his fourth of the season, which is lower than the club would like, but Plekanec is eighth among forwards in power-play time per game. Nick is correct in saying moving Plekanec is a possibility..."

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Montreal would have to feel they were getting a significant return as Therrien has leaned heavily on Plekanec's in defensive situations, and losing him would cost the head coach one of his more reliable defensive options.

It's unclear what Montreal is hoping to add in return.