Mason Marchment's name is suddenly attached to the Montreal Canadiens, and the timing lines up with where this team sits heading into the summer.
Pierre LeBrun reported Monday that Marchment could fit in Montreal if he reaches the open market, with the Toronto Maple Leafs also described as lurking. Columbus, his current club, reportedly hasn't given up on a re-signing.
That's a three-team tug-of-war over a left winger, and Montreal wants in.
Pierre LeBrun: I like Montreal as a fit for Mason Marchment if he hits the market; The Maple Leafs are lurking, too; Columbus hasn't given up on re-signing him.
Why would Kent Hughes circle this name? The Canadiens just finished the regular season at 48-24-10, good for 106 points and a plus-27 goal differential, sitting sixth overall in the league.
They closed strong too, going 7-3-0 over their last 10 games before dropping their finale 2-4 on the road against Philadelphia.
That's a team built to add pieces, not rebuild from scratch.
Martin St-Louis has had this group trending in the right direction all year, and a coach with momentum behind him usually gets listened to in July.
Why Montreal's winger need makes this rumor stick
Adding a physical, left-shot forward who can play up and down a lineup is the kind of move that fits a team trying to push deeper into the postseason picture, not one searching for an identity.
Montreal finished with 283 goals scored against 256 allowed, the kind of split that suggests scoring depth still has room to grow if the front office wants to push.
Toronto being in on the same name only raises the stakes. The Maple Leafs don't chase complementary pieces for fun, and if they're circling Marchment too, that tells you the market views him as more than a depth signing.
Columbus still wants to keep him, according to the report, which means Marchment may not even reach July 1 a free man.
If he does hit the market, expect Montreal and Toronto to be the two loudest voices in the room, with Kent Hughes likely willing to move fast given where his roster sits.
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Nothing here is signed, sealed, or official. It's a name in play, a coach with leverage, and two Atlantic Division front offices suddenly paying close attention to the same winger.
Should the Canadiens go all in to sign Mason Marchment over the Maple Leafs?
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