Canadiens’ defenceman Josh Gorges has blocked a trade to the Toronto Maple Leafs, according to TSN hockey reporter Bob McKenzie.
Gorges has a no-trade clause that lists 15 teams that he would permit the Canadiens to trade him to. No Canadian teams are on that list, according to McKenzie.
Gorges, 29, has played parts of eight seasons with the Canadiens and is two seasons into a six year deal which pays him $3.9 million per season, signed under former Habs GM Pierre Gauthier.
The Canadiens are anxious to shed salary and it’s possible that the team could put Gorges on waivers, according to McKenzie. That would force him to play for any team that claims him, although the Habs would get nothing in return, according to that scenario.
Gorges had one goal and 13 assists in 66 games last season.
The Canadiens have several young, lower-paid defencemen believed to be ready for the NHL, including Nathan Beaulieu, Jarred Tinordi, Greg Pateryn and even Magnus Nygren, who fled the AHL Bulldogs last season to return to Sweden.
The move fed speculation that the Canadiens are seeking to free up money in an attempt to sign unrestricted free agent Dan Boyle, a 37-year-old right-shooting defenceman who notched 32 points in 75 games last season for the San Jose Sharks.
Last week in a similar situation the Ottawa Senators told media that Senators' forward Jason Spezza blocked a trade to the Nashville Predators, which some observers felt cast the forward in a bad light and put him in a difficult situation.
