Is there a trade brewing between the Habs and Blackhawks?

With all the visits from Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin to Chicago and Rockford this season, it’s difficult not to think there is something brewing between the two teams. According to Charlie Roumeliotis of NBC Sports, Bergevin has been heavily scouting the Blackhawks with several personal appearances at United Centre, including this past Sunday. He’s also been at BMO Harris Bank Center, the home of the IceHogs, a few times this season.

So, what is the Habs GM after? Roumeliotis believes it’s a left-shot defenseman, something Chicago has an abundance of. And there is one name that sticks out to him specifically.

"Erik Gustafsson, most notably, is an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season and there haven’t been any talks about a possible extension to this point, according to a source.”

Interesting. Roumeliotis also notes that injuries have meant the Blackhawks have had the chance to showcase more prospects at the NHL level this year, with names including Dennis Gilbert, Anton Wedin, Adam Boqvist, Matthew Highmore and Dylan Sikura.

Of course, if you’re aware of any of the history involving Bergevin and the Blackhawks, you know there is a connection there already. Before Bergevin became the general manager of the Canadiens, he served as a professional scout, assistant coach, director of player personnel and, eventually, assistant general manager in Chicago. Bergevin has also pulled off a few trades with the organization since taking over in Montreal. He picked up Phillip Danault in exchange for Tomas Fleischmann and Dale Weise in 2016, which also included a second-round draft pick that became defenseman Alexander Romanov. Then there’s Andrew Shaw. The Habs and Hawks swung a deal in 2016 that sent Shaw to Montreal, with another deal in 2019 that sent him back to Chicago.

With Chicago and Montreal both sitting outside of a playoff spot at the moment, it’s still difficult to tell who will be buying and who will be selling once the trade deadline comes in February. But with Bergevin’s frequent visits to Blackhawks territory, it sure seems like there’s something afoot. It’s worth keeping an eye on, for sure.