The Montreal Canadiens were apparently in on the Evander Kane trade negotiations with Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff until the end.
Kane, of course, was shipped to the Sabres Wednesday along with defenseman Zach Bogosian in exchange for an absolute haul of NHL talent, prospects and picks.
While Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin missed out on adding Kane, he's still very interested in acquiring an NHL asset or two to help strengthen his already impressive team for the postseason.
Bergevin, per a report from The Fourth Period, has his sights set on a top-six scoring winger and has a preference for a player with term left on his deal.
To that end, he has recently "had conversations with the Edmonton Oilers about right wingers Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov," per TFP.
After the Kane deal, talks have apparently intensified for Bergevin on other fronts.
"The Canadiens are now shifting their focus elsewhere, and that could mean further conversations with the Oilers, along with exploring additional options with other teams."
One of those other teams is the Arizona Coyotes, where GM Don Maloney has laid out an absolute smorgasbord of potential NHL trade bait.
The Coyotes players Bergevin has focused on to this point are center Antoine Vermette and defensemen Keith Yandle and Zbynek Michalek.
As TFP notes, Vermette and Michalek are pending unrestricted free agents, so they don't fit Bergevin's stated preference for a player with term. Vermette is also a natural center, so his fit on the wing is questionable.
Yandle has another year left on his deal and would be a huge addition for the Habs, though the cost would, in turn, be massive.
The Habs have also shown interest in New Jersey Devils forward Jaromir Jagr and Carolina Hurricanes winger Jiri Tlusty, though, again, both players will become free agents at the end of the season.
