Rumor: Habs place a new trade chip on the market

If you live in Montreal or are a great fan of the Canadiens: the season so far has been rough and your ears are probably ringing with all the trade chatter buzzing about many Habs players. Unfortunately, you might have to add one more name to the list. 

After many rumours have surfaced about star goalie Carey Price, captain Max Pacioretty and veteran defenseman Shea Weber, now it's the Habs best scorers' turn to find himself in the speculations. Brendan Gallagher, who lead the team with eight goals this season, has been mentioned in trade talks. 

According to NHL insider Darren Dreger, who took on the air of Montreal’s TSN 690 earlier today, GM Marc Bergevin is not in danger or looking to make desperate moves... yet. 

“Bergevin doesn’t appear to be any more closer to pushing that panic button today than he might have been a couple three weeks ago,” said Dreger. “So it sounds like he still has the support of all of those above him, which is important. Support in not only how he goes about his day-to-day business, but the fact that they’re in it for the long haul.”

However, the ifs and the maybes have pushed rival clubs to ask about Gallagher's availability on the market. 

“I had a team on the weekend ask me about Gallagher, do I think the Canadiens would trade Gallagher. And my instant reaction was, ‘No, I don’t unless it’s for a big defenseman that you’re getting back or a piece that obviously is going to make you better,’ because when I look at Brendan Gallagher – and correct me if I’m wrong, you guys see him on a night-in, night-out basis and I watch from afar – he still kind of exudes the work ethic and culture of what you’d want a team to be about, doesn’t he? When you start moving pieces like that, it gets real dark.

“But it almost feels, again in that game of what if, it feels like that’s where the organization is going to have to get to if things don’t turn around here in the very near future.”

What if a team was willing to part with a top defenseman in return for Gallagher? The Columbus Blue Jackets are said to be shopping for a top forward and are willing to part ways with Ryan Murray. 

We never know: the Canadiens might get more desperate and deals might look more and more interesting...