Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine have stayed friends since their days playing together with the Winnipeg Jets. Ehlers has been at the forefront of trade talks since last season, as he hasn’t been able to nail down a role in Winnipeg. The coaching staff have taken him on and off the powerplay and have him playing with different linemates from the first to the fourth line.

It’s starting to seem like the Jets aren’t going to trade Ehlers before his contract runs out at season’s end. However, it also seems like the two parties are far apart in contract talks. There’s a significantly good chance that the Jets will finally bail and trade him close to the deadline, or let him walk in free agency. This gives the Canadiens two chances to reunite Ehlers and Laine in Montreal.

Ehlers seems to love Montreal as a hockey city. One of his best friends in hockey is hoping to lay roots in Montreal and sign long-term after this contract ends in 2026. Ehlers wants to join a team where he will be comfortable and have an opportunity to be an elite offensive contributor. The Canadiens are still in the market to improve, and Ehlers would be a perfect fit.

With the acquisition of Ehlers, the Canadiens will have gone from a future lineup with holes up front to a lineup that is three lines deep. Laine, Ehlers, Ivan Demidov, Michael Hage, Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Kirby Dach, Joshua Roy, and many others could fill a hole. If the Canadiens want to go all-in and solidify their bid as a Stanley Cup contender, Ehlers could be the perfect fit and may have subtly dropped his interest in his media availability on Monday afternoon.