Canadiens and Blue Jackets hook up on trade in a swap of RFAs

The NHL trade market was buzzing on Thursday, with deals flying across the league ahead of next week's free agency opening. But tucked among the bigger moves was a quiet swap between the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets that carried a notable family connection.

According to TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun, Montreal has agreed to send forward Luke Tuch to Columbus in exchange for centre Hunter McKown. Sportsnet also confirmed the deal.

Both players spent the entire 2025-26 campaign in the AHL. Tuch recorded nine goals and 14 points across 68 games with the Laval Rocket, while McKown tallied nine goals and 25 points in 63 outings for the Cleveland Monsters.

Neither player is currently under contract, as both are pending restricted free agents heading into the offseason.

Tuch, 24, was originally selected by the Canadiens in the second round of the 2020 NHL Draft, 47th overall. Despite that relatively high draft pedigree, he never suited up for an NHL game in Montreal, compiling just 28 points in 114 career AHL contests with Laval over three seasons.

His older brother Alex Tuch was the subject of a much higher-profile transaction earlier in the week, when he was dealt to the Washington Capitals.

McKown took a different path to professional hockey. Undrafted out of Colorado College, he signed with the Blue Jackets during the 2022-23 season and earned 12 NHL appearances that year, picking up two points. He then spent the following three campaigns in Cleveland, where he accumulated 80 points across 184 AHL games.

For Columbus, the Tuch acquisition marked the club's second deal of the day, following a notable move that brought Valeri Nichushkin over from the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a trio of draft picks.

With free agency set to open next week, both Tuch and McKown will need new contracts from their respective new organizations. For now, this looks like a change-of-scenery swap, with each team betting that a fresh start could unlock more from a prospect whose development had stalled.