In recent hours, the Calgary Flames' Quebec-born forward Jakob Pelletier was passed over by the Montreal Canadiens on waivers.
Many believed that Kent Hughes would want to acquire him for free, but that wasn't the case. He chose to stick with the young players already in place, such as Emil Heineman, Alex Barre-Boulet, and Oliver Kapanen, which is perfectly fine.
However, we've just learned that the rumors linking Pelletier to the Habs were not entirely far-fetched, as the Canadiens were previously involved in trade discussions to try to acquire him.
According to information revealed by the renowned Pierre LeBrun in the latest episode of his podcast:
There were indeed negotiations in the past for a trade involving Jakob Pelletier between the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames.
Interesting!
However, at the time of these talks, the Flames were very hesitant to trade the Quebec-born forward, and nothing ever materialized.
Clearly, Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton's interest in Pelletier has since faded, as they didn't even claim him on waivers.
Yet, another question remains.
If Jakob Pelletier were eligible to play for the Laval Rocket, would Hughes/Gorton's interest be renewed?
I get the sense that it would, and I think Pelletier is a name we should keep an eye on, especially knowing that the Habs had relatively recently tried to acquire him in a trade.
Pelletier, 5'9' and 170 pounds, has recorded 50 points in his last 52 games in the AHL and has 10 points in 37 NHL career games.
He was a first-round pick by the Calgary Flames in 2019 (26th overall).
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