Montreal Deadline: No Reason to Chase Jesper Wallstedt

That matters because Montreal doesn’t have a clean, obvious “play-now” center chip it can send out without creating its own hole. Montreal would likely need to get creative with a three-team construction. That can work in theory but in practice, the more complicated the structure, the more expensive it usually becomes in premium futures. And Montreal is also trying to address its own long-term second-line center stability.

Fowler Changes the Urgency to Pay a Goalie Premium

The best argument against chasing Wallstedt isn’t philosophical. It’s practical: Jacob Fowler is producing like a legitimate internal solution path.

According to the AHL’s official stats page for Fowler, he sits at 26 games played with 18 wins and a .915 save percentage.

That doesn’t solve Montreal’s NHL crease tomorrow, but it does change the cost-benefit math. When you have a prospect trending like this, the smarter use of deadline capital might be to strengthen the roster in front of the net rather than paying a premium to “solve” the same position twice.

Yes, Montreal Still Has Goaltending Issues Right Now

The counterpoint is obvious: the Canadiens’ NHL goaltending has been inconsistent, which is why there is strong discussion around Wallstedt. Samuel Montembeault currently sits at .874 SV% with 3.37 GAA, while Jakub Dobes has an .892 SV% and 2.96 GAA.

Elite, cost-controlled goalies also don’t hit the market often, which is exactly why the asking price tends to be very high. The question isn’t whether Wallstedt would help. It’s whether Montreal should spend as many assets to acquire him.

What Montreal Actually Needs: Cap Flexibility and a Top-Six Fit

The biggest practical lever is Patrik Laine. As a Habs fan, it could be easy to forget Laine is even a member of the roster. Not because he doesn’t matter, but because he’s only played 57 games since they traded for him.

Daily Faceoff reported Montreal is expected to shop Laine and use the cap space to upgrade the top six. If you’re re-allocating top-six money, you want a real fit. The Hockey Writers made the case that Montreal’s top priority should be finding a winger who can work with Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield.

The center rumor mill: interesting names, messy fits. As for Montreal’s needs down the middle, the rumor mill has floated a few directions, including a piece tied to Casey Mittelstadt and the idea that Montreal isn’t focused on a Nazem Kadri deal in another Heavy.com report. None of that guarantees anything, but it captures the reality: a true number 2C is hard to acquire. The ask for Robert Thomas is a reminder that elite centers don’t come cheap, and if you’re spending that big, you’d better be sure you’re buying at the right moment in your cycle.

The X-Factor: Montreal Could Still Surprise

If there’s one thing deadline history teaches, it’s that there are moves that happen that nobody saw coming. Sportsnet has quoted Jeff Gorton describing how the Canadiens explore options while still looking for the right fit rather than forcing a move.

If that swing happens, the most evidence-based bet is that it’s aimed at a forward who changes the top-six mix, a center solution (now or on a controllable timeline), or a defense add that makes the team harder to play against not an expensive goalie acquisition when the organization already has a hot hand developing in Laval who’s eager to make it back to the NHL.

Bottom Line

Wallstedt is a fun rumor because it’s clean: swap futures for a goalie, feel better immediately. But the smarter deadline move usually isn’t the loud one — it’s the one that fits your roster puzzle without creating new holes.

If Minnesota’s public need truly centers on a top-two center, Montreal is a difficult match unless it overcomplicates the deal or overpays. Meanwhile, Fowler’s AHL performance provides a real internal runway that lets Montreal spend its biggest assets where they’re most likely to raise the ceiling: the skaters. If the Canadiens are going to jump a tier, it probably happens by fixing the lineup in front of the crease — not by paying the goalie premium twice.