A Quinton Byfield blockbuster trade proposal to the Canadiens has Montreal fans divided
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Quinton Byfield is suddenly a Canadiens trade name as the winless Kings struggle. Would Montreal pay Zharovsky, Kapanen, Engström and a first?
The Los Angeles Kings are off to a rough start, and it has Montreal fans doing what hockey fans do best, which is dreaming up trades.
A Habs fan account floated a big one on Monday.
The idea sends Alexander Zharovsky, Oliver Kapanen, Adam Engström and a 2027 first-round pick to L.A. for Quinton Byfield.
The poll collected more than 3,000 votes, and the biggest share, 45%, said Montreal should say no.
The poster's case was simple. The Kings need to get younger, their left defense and center depth is thin, and Byfield is losing ground in the lineup.
Why Los Angeles might listen
The Kings are 0-4-2, and Byfield has just one goal and one assist in six games.
He was supposed to be the top center after Anze Kopitar retired, but he has already slid to the second line.
His $6.25M cap hit runs through 2028-29.
Even so, selling now would be a stretch for GM Ken Holland.
Byfield is only 24 and put up 24 goals and 49 points in 79 games last season.
Six games is a tiny sample, and Los Angeles would be selling at the very bottom of his value.
What Montreal would give up
Zharovsky is the headliner. The 19-year-old winger went 34th overall in 2025 and piled up 42 points in 59 KHL games last season.
Kapanen has dressed for one game this year, while Engström made the roster out of camp.
Those two each carry a cap hit under $1M, so Byfield would add real weight to Montreal's books.
The Canadiens are 4-3-1 and in no hurry.
This is fan speculation, not a report, but it shows how quickly the Kings' slow start is changing the conversation.
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