Report: Multiple teams in 'serious' trade talks for Pacioretty

Dave Pagnotta of The Fourth Period joined in on TSN 690 radio in this weekend to discuss trade rumors surrounding the Montreal Canadiens.

He believes the next 5-7 games will dictate the direction the team takes for the rest of the season - if they win the majority of the games, they stay the course, and fight for the playoffs.

If things derail in the next couple of weeks, they retool for next season, rather than rebuild.

A retool would involve moving a few pieces, picking up some picks, and making moves in the offseason to bolster the team's offensive weaponry - a department in their roster that is severely lacking.

In reference to Max Pacioretty's availability on the trade market, Pagnotta had this to say.

"Teams have been knocking on the door already, trying to get more serious, knocking a little harder already."

Ultimately, whether Pacioretty gets traded or not depends heavily on the aforementioned 5-7 games coming up for the Canadiens - if they turn things around, they are not about to trade him this season.

With 1 year left on his contract after this season, he's the type of player you trade in a re-tool, but when you're competing, his ability to consistently score 30 to nearly 40 goals every season is an invaluable asset on a team that direly lacks in scoring ability.

Pagnotta's mention of Pacioretty on the trade market echoes the talks from Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet last week, and further adds fuel to the fire that one of the league's best scorers in the last half-decade could soon be available.

There was no specific mention of which teams would be involved in such a deal, but there were connections between the Canadiens and the Pittsburgh Penguins, and one could foreseeably teams such as the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Islanders, among several others express serious interest.