Two offensive forwards have just been linked to Kent Hughes and the Canadiens for a PTO

However, Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens have yet to move in this direction, despite the injury suffered by forward Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.

James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Labanc: two offensive forwards who have just been linked to Kent Hughes and the Canadiens, as possibilities, by analyst Marc-Olivier Beaudoin

Don’t be surprised if the Canadiens announce the signing of a professional tryout contract in the coming days/hours.

This is especially likely because it’s very common and because it’s precisely the kind of move Kent Hughes would make, taking a chance on a talented player, and also because there are always interesting options on the market.

We can all agree that signing a player via a PTO carries absolutely no risk.

With that in mind, who could be the names targeted by Hughes and Gorton?

I think the ones suggested by Beaudoin are very interesting and logical. We’re talking about two purely offensive forwards:

It’s a situation to keep an eye on as the main camp approaches.

James van Riemsdyk, 35 years old, is a 6-foot-3, 208-pound forward. He was the 2nd overall pick in 2007 and collected 38 points in 71 games last season with the Boston Bruins. (629 points and 311 goals in 1,011 career NHL games)

Kevin Labanc, 28 years old, is a 5-foot-11, 185-pound forward. He has collected 42 points in his last 118 games with the San Jose Sharks. (225 points and 82 goals in 478 career NHL games)