3 players are now on the Montreal Canadiens radar and the front office is working the phones

The Canadiens are reportedly linked to three notable names, Mason McTavish, Jordan Kyrou and Elias Pettersson, and Montreal's summer could get loud fast.

The list came from a post by Jordan Decker, pulling the names an article had the Habs "reportedly linked to."

A caveat first. "Reportedly linked to" is loose language, closer to speculation than confirmed pursuit. But being attached to three names at once signals an aggressive posture.

And that tracks for where Montreal sits. The Canadiens are rising, finishing 106 points and sixth overall, with a young core and the cap and assets to add.

Kent Hughes has been building toward a window, and these links fit a team ready to push.

The three names, though, could hardly be more different.

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Three names that point in three different directions

Start with the best long-term fit. Mason McTavish is a 23-year-old center on a $7 million deal, a young, controllable pivot who slots perfectly alongside Montreal's ascending core.

Jordan Kyrou is a different bet entirely. The 28-year-old scorer carries an $8.125 million hit and is coming off a dip, with 18 goals and 46 points. That's a pricier, more win-now swing.

Then there's the gamble. Elias Pettersson, 27, put up 51 points but a brutal minus-30 on an $11.6 million contract, and Carolina is already circling him. High risk, high reward.

So the three represent three directions. Young upside, proven scoring, and a reclamation project. Which one Montreal chases reveals what Hughes actually wants.

A rising team being linked to all three shows ambition. But they aren't equal bets, and they'd take the franchise down different paths.

McTavish fits the youth movement best. Kyrou is the costly bet on scoring now. Pettersson is the boldest roll of the dice.

Here's my read: with cap space and a deep prospect pool, Hughes can pick his swing. The smart money says a young center like McTavish fits the build best, but a bold reclamation has its appeal too.

The point is Montreal has options, and a rising team with assets tends to make noise. That's a good problem to have.

So which of the three, if any, lands tells you where Hughes thinks this team is headed. The next few days in Montreal could get very interesting.

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