The hockey world was abuzz with speculation as rumors swirled about Nikolaj Ehlers potentially joining the Montreal Canadiens. Fans imagined the dynamic winger lighting up the Bell Centre alongside his close friend Patrik Laine, but in a surprising turn, Ehlers chose to sign a lucrative six-year deal with the Carolina Hurricanes instead.

This decision left many in Montreal questioning what went wrong and why such a promising acquisition slipped through their fingers.

Now, new insights from respected insider Elliotte Friedman shed light on the real factors behind Ehlers’ choice. While the Canadiens checked some of his boxes, it turns out there were crucial elements missing from their pitch.

As Ehlers prepares to embark on a new chapter in Carolina, the story behind his decision offers a fascinating glimpse into the priorities and ambitions that drive top NHL talent.

Photo credit: James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images

As part of his latest podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman shared some interesting information about the Montreal Canadiens and Nikolaj Ehlers.

During the season, there were several rumors linking Ehlers to the Habs, largely due to his close friendship with forward Patrik Laine, but Ehlers genuinely seemed interested in signing in Montreal overall.

In the end, he recently accepted a six-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, a deal that will pay him $8.5 million per year and keep him signed through age 35.

It could have been a major acquisition for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton, especially since the price didn’t end up being all that unreasonable.

Today, we have more information explaining why things didn’t work out for Ehlers in Montreal.

The Montreal Canadiens had two things to do to convince Nikolaj Ehlers to sign here

This comes directly from the well-known Elliotte Friedman.

Elliotte Friedman: “I heard one of the things Nikolaj Ehlers was really interested in was just less travel, the East is less travel; he wanted a chance to play on the top line; to play with Jarvis and Aho”

– 32 Thoughts Podcast.

So it appears Ehlers had three main criteria:

1- Sign with a team in the East.

2- Obviously, sign a contract that was attractive to him.

3- Join a team that could give him a spot on the first line.

It’s likely the third point that was the sticking point.

First, the Montreal Canadiens are clearly in the Eastern Conference, so that checks out.

Second, I believe the Canadiens had the means to offer him a strong contract, but they simply didn’t have a first-line spot available.

Was Ehlers willing to play on a line with his good friend Patrik Laine? It seems that wasn’t necessarily the case – or at least, it was less appealing to him than playing with Sebastian Aho (and who can blame him).

We’re excited to see what he’ll bring to the Hurricanes.