NHL Source: ‘Gotta Give It To Kent, He’s Creative And Determined’

Word around the NHL right now is that Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has been burning up the phones as he prepares for the NHL Draft and the expected higher than usual NHL trade market, leading into, at and after the two-day event in Montreal next Thursday and Friday.

“He’s easily I’d say the busiest GM right now,” and NHL executive told Montreal Hockey Now Saturday afternoon. “I know we’ve spoke to him multiple times and we’re not the only ones.”

With Hughes having been an NHL player agent for so long before he was hired by the Montreal Canadiens back on January 18, he and his fellow NHL GM’s are still learning each other but from a much different perspective. It’s clear that there’s been and maybe still is a feeling out process with his contemporaries. So far, Hughes’ approach and creativity seems to be impressing many of the other GM’s he negotiated so many player contracts with in his previous job.

“Gotta give it to Kent, he’s creative and determined,” the same NHL source said. “What I think has helped him as and agent turning into a GM is the amount of kids coming up the ranks he’s been scouting. He’s very connected at the amateur level and that helps in trade talks.”

Kent Hughes has publicly promised that he would be active on the NHL trade market more than once. He’s on a mission to clear cap space and he has some tradable players on his NHL and AHL rosters, to go along with a plethora of NHL draft picks to work with. The Montreal Canadiens have 14 picks going into the 2022 NHL Draft, with all of their rankings now confirmed. The Canadiens have two first round picks (1st, 26nd), two second rounders (33rd, 62nd), and three in the third round (66th, 75th and 92nd. It’s almost all but a certainty that the Canadiens will draft first overall but make no mistake those next six picks are valuable on the NHL trade market. Hughes can use them to move up and down the draft or as NHL trade collateral for future picks and players.

In addition to the executive quoted above, two different NHL sources confirmed that multiple teams are likely in the mix for defenceman Jeff Petry, who to this point has not rescinded his NHL trade request from back in December. As reported, Josh Anderson’s name is out there but it’s still more listening than negotiating being done by Hughes for the rugged winger. One source did say that he’s been hearing more NHL trade chatter on Canadiens forward Christian Dvorak.

At this point, the NHL betting odds that Hughes is active leading into, at and after the NHL Draft are extremely high!