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Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens Walk The Trade Dead-Line, Hughes Discusses Strategy

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7 months ago

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montreal canadiens kent hughes

The Montreal Canadiens deadline day ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.

And while there was some frustration as to the lack of activity from general manager Kent Hughes, I genuinely believe he took the right path forward by sticking to the plan.

Adding players would have cost an arm and a leg, and if we’re being perfectly honest, the Habs are not ready to compete, especially since most Eastern Conference teams are engaged in an arms race. In that vein, watching teams spend precious assets in anticipation of a royal rumble in the playoffs is far from the worst outcome for the Canadiens.

Moving players such as David Savard and Joel Armia was unlikely to garner a healthy return, even if it was clearly a seller’s market. Statistically speaking, they’re not on the same level as Luke Schenn or Anthony Beauvillier, connoting the idea that Montreal passed up an opportunity to add a half-decent pick in exchange for one of their veterans is closer to wishful thinking than a realistic scenario.

Hughes gave the impression he was making most of the calls, rather than receiving offers from various NHL clubs, leading me to believe the market for Armia and Savard was limited, at best.

It would also send the wrong message to the team, even if their odds of qualifying for the playoffs are rather low.

Players such as Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield are clearly hungry for more success, as evidenced by Suzuki’s comments on Friday afternoon.

There’s a point of diminishing returns when it comes to asset management. That’s not to say draft picks are useless, even for a team such as the Canadiens. But the demoralizing impact of moving veterans for mediocre picks outweighs the reward at this point of the rebuild.

You may scoff at the idea that players would react poorly to trades, but they’re not hockey robots. They’re proud athletes that thrive on success.

“This group of players have gotten the team to this point,” explained Kent Hughes. “I had a discussion with Nick Suzuki. I told him not to ask me to stay pat if the team doesn’t deliver results. I told him it was on his shoulders, and he delivered.”

AHL Reinforcements

The most surprising aspect of the trade deadline was the lack of activity regarding the Laval Rocket. I was expecting one, if not two trades to add a little firepower to the team’s AHL affiliate, seeing as they currently have the best points percentage in the league (.689).

However, Hughes explained that prospect Oliver Kapanen, who is enjoying a great year in the SHL, will be available to the Rocket once the SHL season comes to a close. Adding a legitimate prospect to the mix rather than a hired mercenary is a much better solution.

The Canadiens also papered Owen Beck and Jakub Dobes, ensuring they are eligible to play for the Rocket in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Montreal Canadiens Roster Problems

The one major issue I had with his press conference was his vague answers regarding Kirby Dach, and the lack of a player capable of developing into a No.2 centre.

Hughes explained Dach has dealt with bad luck when it comes to injuries, and he’s not wrong, but Dach’s injury history was established well before the Montreal Canadiens acquired him.

The deal itself was a gamble, and it backfired. But that’s also par for the course when it comes to reclamation projects. There’s a reason why Dach was available.

It was always a risk.

That being said, Hughes’ lack of an answer does give us a hint as to management’s position on the topic. They may seem calm on the surface, but they’re paddling like hell to come up with a contingency plan.

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