The Montreal Canadiens are currently playing their second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. While this is the case, trade speculation over what kind of moves the Habs could make this summer are already starting to come up.
In a recent article for Daily Faceoff, Anthony Di Marco mentioned the Canadiens as a team that could target center Connor Zary this off-season if the Calgary Flames shop him this summer.
"Zary’s disappointing 27-point season could make him a trade candidate for Conroy, and Zary and would surely be an intriguing piece for a team looking to take a flyer on a young talent in need of a change of scenery," Di Marco wrote. "If he’s moved, the Montreal Canadiens seem like the type of team that would explore this option, much like they have done with Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach and Zachary Bolduc in the past."
With the Canadiens needing help at center, it would make a lot of sense if they took a chance on a former first-round pick like Zary. The 24-year-old forward is still young enough that could he hit a new level, and he has already shown promise at the NHL level in the past.
While Zary is coming off a down 2025-26 season with Calgary, he had 13 goals and 14 assists in just 54 games for Calgary in 2024-25. He also had 14 goals and 34 points in 63 games with the Flames as a rookie in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he has already shown that he can be a solid middle-six forward when playing at his best. With this, he could be a good young player for the Canadiens to take a chance on.
It will be interesting to see if the Canadiens end up making a push for Zary during this summer. He could be a nice fit on their second or third line, and this is especially so when noting that he can play down the middle and on the wing.
