The Montreal Canadiens could be ready to keep Guillaume Latendresse in the lineup, as the team has traded forward Marcel Hossa to the New York Rangers for forward Garth Murray.
Murray will immediately join the Hamilton Bulldogs, the Canadiens farm team in the American Hockey League.
Hossa, 23, played in 59 games with the Canadiens between 2001 and 2004, scoring 10 goals and nine assists. His best year in Montreal was in 2002-03, when he collected six goals and seven assists in 34 games.
Canadiens general manager Bob Gainey told TSN's sister station in Quebec RDS Thursday that the only options they have for Latendresse is playing the entire season for the Canadiens or spending another year with Drummondville of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
According to Gainey, the team has had sufficient time to evaluate his play without having to offer him a 10-game test and return him to junior afterwards.
The Canadiens are under public pressure from their fans to keep the 2005 second-round pick, who has become an instant favourite in Montreal.
By sending him back to junior, the Canadiens would postpone his free agency by one year. Latendresse also has a shot at playing for Canada at the world junior championships in December.
Making the decision even more difficult was the fact that the Habs already had Hossa, Chris Higgins, Alexander Perezhogin, and Tomas Plekanec ready for NHL duty.
Hossa had to clear waivers if the Canadiens wanted to send them to Hamilton of the American Hockey League.