After acquiring Patrik Laine, Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is continuing his efforts to strengthen the team for the coming seasons. <a href='https://www.habslatest.com/nhl-team/montreal-canadiens/elliotte-friedman-confirms-that-the-montreal-canadiens-were-close-to-acquiring-a-star-goaltender' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>According to Elliotte Friedman, the Canadiens have also shown interest in young goaltender Yaroslav Askarov</a>, which demonstrates Hughes' intent to remain active in the trade market. To that end, Dave Jenkins of NHL Trade Rumors has proposed a hypothetical trade with the New Jersey Devils for forward Dawson Mercer, involving Owen Beck, Filip Mesar, and two draft picks in 2025. <q>To Montreal: - Dawson Mercer To New Jersey: - Owen Beck - Filip Mesar - 2025 second-round pick - 2025 third-round pick</q> <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/nhltraderumours/status/1823777755592274142'> </a></blockquote></div> Although Mercer had a less productive season with 33 points, his potential still attracts interest from teams. Source: Marqueur <a href='https://www.marqueur.com/news/index.php?no=417248' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Proposition d'échange impliquant un attaquant top 6 entre le CH et les Devils</a> Source: NHL Trade Rumors <a href='https://www.nhltraderumor.com/dawson-mercer-trade-rumors-montreal-canadiens/' class='lien_marqueur' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>Dawson Mercer Trade Rumors: Is Montreal the Landing Spot?</a>