Two players from the Canadiens have just been put on the trade market, including one interesting name

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MarcO
July 23, 2023 (9:25 PM)

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We are just under three months away from the start of the 2023-2024 NHL season and despite the summer and the athletic achievements of various athletes, hockey fans are all very eager to see the return of their favorite sport.

That said, even in the summer, NHL news is always present and some experts do not take a vacation from making their predictions for the next season.

As reported by Alexandre Desrosiers, from the site Rumeursdetransactions.com, a reputable informant tried to predict what will happen with the Canadiens before the start of the season.

According to Eric Engels of Sportsnet, Kent Hughes would try to get rid of two players in particular, Mike Hoffman and Joel Armia.

In our final Canadiens mailbag of the season, we address several key questions facing the team.

Let's dive right in. (@EricEngels) https://t.co/E3GxwH5a0k� Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) July 6, 2023

Okay, this is not the first time that these two players have been the subject of trade rumors but it is interesting to report Engels' comments as the Canadiens' GM would have an interesting strategy.

According to the insider, Hughes would wait for the free agent period to settle down in order to better discuss with other general managers.

However, don't expect the Canadiens to get much in return for these two players who have been disappointing for the past two years.

Acquired through the free agent market in the summer of 2021, Mike Hoffman has been unimpressive since his arrival with the Canadiens, with seasons of 15 and 14 goals and as we know, he is not the most valiant on defense.

He has only one season left on his contract and could interest teams looking for depth on offense at the trade deadline.

As for Joel Armia, he is a real mystery. After excellent playoffs in 2021 during the Canadiens' improbable run to the finals, the production of the former first round pick by the Sabres in 2011 is at a standstill and he has visited the Canadiens' infirmary more often than the crease.

In addition, he still has two years left on his contract at an annual salary of $3.4 million, which does not make him very attractive to other NHL teams.

There is still plenty of time before training camp opens in September and knowing Kent Hughes, it wouldn't be surprising if Hoffman and Armia have already packed their bags by then.