Ryan O’Reilly: Here’s one factor that could make him available by the trade deadline

As of today, the Canadiens have still not been able to resolve the situation at the second-center position. The team did not acquire a center over the summer, so Oliver Kapanen is still the second-center—somewhat by default.
In reality, Alex Newhook is currently filling that role since Kapanen is injured. We'll see if that changes when the Finnish player returns.
Michael Hage could become an option as the season winds down. But perhaps the Canadiens, who have high hopes for this season, wi