Montreal Canadiens
Canadiens Walk The Trade Dead-Line, Hughes Discusses Strategy
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.
#Habs captian Nick Suzuki says it’s “nice and refreshing” to not see any team-mates traded at the deadline this year
— Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) March 7, 2025
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.
Kent Hughes’ non answer on whether Kirby Dach can still be the 2C on this team tells you everything you need to know
Habs management is going to be all over addressing that spot this summer
May I suggest for the umpteenth time… pic.twitter.com/JyXkcISXw6
— Jon Still (@Imstilljon) March 7, 2025
Although I was expecting a quiet day, it’s still somewhat disappointing when your team does nothing. The biggest takeaway from the day is how much more difficult our pathway to the playoffs has become for next season. Our division rivals all improved, except Boston, however I expect they’ll have a very active off season. Plus, many of the improvements our competitors made extend beyond this season since many of the players they acquired have term. My prediction for next season were already that we would take a step backwards as we replaced outgoing experienced vets with upcoming inexperienced rookies. With the changes we witnessed in the Atlantic Division today, I feel our challenges have increased.
Also, the moves by the true contenders reinforce my belief that we need to focus on adding players with size and snarl to the lineup. I believe we’re pretty good from a skill level with what we have on the team and in the system, but like I have said from the beginning of the rebuild, we can’t build a defence group based solely on being puck movers. We have to have some big beasts to clear the front of the crease in the future. Xhekaj can’t be the only one.
Of course you’re entitled to your opinion but you can’t build a successful team trying to react what every other team is doing!
Remember, Bergevin tried to build the “gritty” playoff teams you’re talking about and how’d that work out?
Besides, with Tuch, Florian Xhekaj and Davidson maybe we already have those guys.
And perhaps more importantly, it seems you’re too caught up in this year and next, like most of the teams making moves today were.
I obviously don’t know anymore than anyone that doesn’t work for the Habs does but I like the direction Hughes is taking with the rebuild and that he’s not panicking and deviating from the plan.
I’m obviously not saying this team is the next reincarnation of the Gretzky, Messier Oilers but I like how there’s a young, hungry core growing together, just like those Oilers.
Besides, we’ll see what happens this summer but there were no moves by eastern teams that scared me.
Sure, the Panthers got Marchand and I’m guessing he’ll be super motivated when he gets back but beyond this year and maybe next (assuming he re-signs there), so what?
Again, can’t worry about what everyone else is doing!
Nuff said!
I think HuGo are doing a great job too. Don’t get me wrong. I agree, we may have some of the players I hope for already in the pipeline. My idea of how to build a successful team in the playoffs is not influenced one bit by what other GMs did today, or the Bergevin era. My opinions on what it takes to be successful in the playoffs comes from watching hockey for almost 50 years. Of course skill is imperative, but for a team to make it through 4 rounds of war, they have to have the horses to get through. We don’t want to be like the Leafs have been until recently. All skill and no grit. Even the ultra talented Oilers of the 80s didn’t get over the hump until they looked into the dressing room of the Islanders and saw how beat up and bruised they were at the end of the Cup final in ‘83. Even though we have some very talented players, none are going to be the best in the league, so we need to win by having better depth than our competitors (which I believe we’re on the way to accomplishing). In order to make the playoffs firstly, and then battle our way through, we’re going to need players that can deal with the heart and fight found in guys like the Tkachuks, particularly on the back end. Keep in mind that the only time we made it to the finals in the past 30+ years was when we assembled the “4horsemen” D core of Weber, Chiarot, Edmundson and Petry. That wasn’t an accident.
Stupid day.
If you want to show the team you believe in them, then add something, anything. Teams like Florida, Dallas and Colorado got better.
Even before the deadline we were not beating these teams in a 7 game series. Should have sold what we had if we weren’t going to add anything.
Did you think we had a shot at the Cup this year? Geez, relax!
If you make the playoffs you will always have a shot, Montreal went to the finals in 2021 with the 16th rated team in the playoffs. I am not saying they would be favourites but more impossible things have happened.
all the more reason to get something for the players not coming back.
Bingo..
I’m kind of agreeing with the thread here…
We have no real 2nd line centre any more. At least who actually fits that position and can stay relatively healthy.
A bunch of 2nd line centres were snatched up today. Why didn’t the Habs go for any of them? Are we just waiting for the summer to magically get some else’s “no longer interested” (like Newhook)? Where is the real centre who will be available this summer? Or are we just going into next season with Owen Beck as the #2? No disrespect, be he is NOT ready for that spot yet.
And other than Tavaras, who’s the real centre available as a UFA?
Oh well, same as always I suppose.
I THINK HUGHES explained why he did what he did the team has a plan, and the asking price was apparently too high to get the players he was interested in.
Donato went unacquired, couldnt even get a 5th
What he’d offer was at least worth a 5th to MTL
There’s others that were left on non playoff teams as pending UFA’s
But Donato sticks out the most.
Who would Donato replace in the lineup?
Agreed !
I have a feeling the off season will be all about acquiring that 2C. The deadline is usually not the time to do that.
Till Hage is ready or Beck the number 2 center can be Alex Newhook as he played center on a Stanley Cup winning team!
Right. With about 20 something points in a season and third worst +/- on the team, and a whopping 43% face-off win percentage, that’s a wonderful idea!!!!!
Did you see what the 2Cs went for? Roster players. Cozens got Norris, and Coyle got Middlestadt. Tell me, which roster players do we have that are equivalent to Norris and Middlestadt that you’d be willing to part with to get those players, because I don’t think we have one. The top line was never being traded. Dach and Newhook have not shown that level of value so I highly doubt Boston or Buffalo would’ve taken them, and same goes for Colorado and Ottawa. Laine does nothing 5v5, and everyone is a bonafide bottom 6 player. Not to mention the fact people seem super concerned with playoffs this year (which would be cool but long term is clearly the priority) and even if we managed one of these trades swapping roster players, it’s more of a sideways move.
People are bringing up donato, but Bedard seems pretty unhappy with the state of the team so subtracting even more may have been bad for his morale. Plus when you have people as terrible as Luke kunin going for 4th round picks when you should probably be PAYING to move his contract, prices are clearly insane. There’s no guarantee anyone is even available. I don’t know why so many fans are like “should’ve done this and that”… you have no idea who is really there and what they cost.
Right, and that’s the way it is. Most of the time (but not always), you get what you pay for. Wyatt Johnson on Dallas? $8.5M x 5 years. Big contract, but look at him now and his age.
We are going to have to overpay to get quality…or at least a true #2 C. Let me repeat this for all those in la-la land…Beck and Newhook will NOT cut it as the #2 C on this team – for the rest of this season and next season; Newhook because he simply isn’t good enough and Beck because he’s too young and not ready yet.
That whole line suffers without a playmaking center who can get points, win face-offs and play decent 2-way hockey. Perfect example…how many even-strength goals does Laine have? ONE.
So, until this issue is solved, and the sooner the better, there won’t be much if any improvement next season. The first chance to solve it was ignored.
There is only one last chance this offseason. Its either sign a UFA like Tavaras or Nelson to a 3 year deal to bridge the gap for when hopefully Beck or Hage or X can legitimately take that spot…or somehow make that “goldilocks” trade to get a guy like Wyatt Johnson. In either case, the chance for an overpay is there…it is what it is.
But if Hugo makes yet another Dach or Newhook or Gurianov move (all trades that we lost), a band-aid or “project” move, then I’m going to puke.
The goal of the team for this season was to develop the young talent and be in the playoff mix late in the season. They have clearly met those expectations. Many thought that was far too ambitious
Personally, I’m glad they weren’t buyers and mildly disappointed they weren’t sellers at the TDL but Hughes did right by his captain and the core by not selling after the team ( and Nick especially) responded and met the challenge put on him by the GM. That is character in action. Character is a trait for all people, many assign it to athletes only as it is often spoken of in those terms, but here Hughes, as he has done repeatedly, shows that he is a man of his word. Now I’m not naive enough to think that if the oilers offered mcdavid for armia that Hughes would have turned it down, but neither would Suzuki or Armia, lol. Having leadership like that is attractive for players.
So we play out our season and the playoffs would be a tremendous bonus, but I’ll refer to the goal of development as the priority. I would like to see some of our best prospects get a handful of games as a reward and a measuring stick. That helps them prepare for next season and focus on what they need to do to make the big club. The team will add Demidov next year, who will be the heavy favourite to win ROY- maybe our second in a row!! . Second line gets a huge upgrade with him. Hage isn’t ready for 2C yet so maybe someone like Bennett can be brought in but he won’t age well based on his size/playing style so I doubt Hughes goes all in on him. Foresight says he is a stronger than average candidate to have Dach like injury potential in the years ahead.
Winnipeg is tge top team today and even they don’t have a strong 2C, so at this stage in a rebuild, you don’t expect to have all the solutions before you’re ready to compete at the highest level. We have lots of draft capital, and cap space. We will improve next year- I expect we will see appreciable growth in Guhle, Slafkovsky, Laine, Beck, and minor progress in Cole, Lane and Nick and about the same from most others. Dobes for a full season is an asset and I think that brings out Montembaults best, plus we will likely have another rookie or two on the roster that will contribute like Emil did this year. So I see minor progress next season where we make the playoffs.
Plus the wildcards remain unaccounted for in my model- trades and free agents. I don’t believe regression has to be measured in seasons- who made that rule? We can see it within a season in players, lines, d pairings and teams. Look at our team season as proof of concept. Lousy to start, then mediocre to great to what the?? to very competitive where we currently reside. We are inconsistent, but trending the right way- playoff bound either this season or next or hopefully both
We shoulda got Donato from CHI
We dont have the Center Depth even if Beck dominates as a 2C
We alright upset Laval’s depth enough that Dauphin is 1C
Dauphin was KK,Poehling and Evans 4th line Center in Laval just a few years back
Dude’s old as heck and barely good enough for bottom 6 in the AHL
Luckily we got Florian Xhekaj and Lucas Condotta helping shoulder the burden.
So given how tough their bottom 9 is they can afford to use 1st line for pure offense capable of nothing else but offense without becoming a burden.
That said you pluck even 1 more Center out of there or even a guy like Davidson who’s taken on the role of Florian’s Secondary Faceoff guy helping lead to Florian mid season increase in play overall, Then Laval becomes a house of cards offensively. They’d have to rely on their back end to win game cause they wont be scoring more then 2 a night
Isn’t Dauphin close to a point a game? I don’t watch Laval much or pay that much attention to how the non prospects are doing but I thought he was a top flite AHLer.
You really think Donato would put the Habs into the playoffs, or make them Cup Champions?!? Who would you’ve given to the Hawks they’d accept?
You’re grasping at straws man!
THESE are the types of moves that have doomed the Sens and Sabres because their GMs PANICKED!
Dach is ONLY 23 YEARS OLD! And we don’t know yet what might happen over the summer.
SO MUCH PANIC on this thread!
Let’s enjoy the run and growth this season for both the Habs and Rocket and see what happens!
If the Habs are not ready to compete, why keep players who won’t be returning? Another huge fail by Hughes, which is becoming the norm. Habs will be rebuilding for another 5 years..
Waaaaaaa…..!!!!! Waaaaaaaaa……..! Waaaaaaaaaa……… ad naseum