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Habs Wrap: Kent Hughes Discusses Trade Deadline, Evans, Guhle

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MONTREAL — There’s always Montreal Canadiens news to be absorbed on a daily basis, but there are only so many hours in a day. On Sundays, we recap the most exciting and relevant NHL news stories that you may have missed throughout the week so that you can stay in the Canadiens loop.

Monday

Don’t look now, but the Canadiens have secured four wins in a row thanks to their 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. As per tradition, rookie defenceman Lane Hutson played a key role, while Josh Anderson (10), Alex Newhook (12), Cole Caufield (29), and Jake Evans (12) provided the goals, while netminder Jakub Dobes earned his first win since February 9 by stopping 23 of the 25 shots sent his way.

It should be noted Caufield established a new career high in goals, while blueliner Jayden Struble enjoyed one of his best games of the year. [Habs Highlights: Caufield Sets Career High, Struble Shines]

There was some good news on the farm, as the Laval Rocket beat the Belleville Senators 4-1 on Saturday, with prospect David Reinbacher registering his first point since recovering from an injury to his left knee that required a surgical intervention in October. Reinbacher assisted on Lucas Condotta’s game-winning goal early in the second period.

Truth be told, I’m not worried about Reinbacher’s production. More than anything, I was concerned there would be some significant mobility issues, but the 20-year-old defenceman quickly put those concerns to rest, as it seems his stride is no worse for wear.

Oh, hey, look, Hutson joined another impressive list. It feels like we see 12 of these types of tweets per day.

Tuesday

Nick Suzuki was named the Third Star of the Week in the NHL thanks to a seven-point haul in just three games. As it stands, Suzuki is on pace for a 26-goal, 46-assist season, which would set yet another career high in points (88).


As per tradition, Suzuki led the charge as the Canadiens struggled to beat the Buffalo Sabres. It wasn’t a pretty win by any means, but it did allow the Habs to string together five consecutive wins for the first time in three years. Suzuki enjoyed a four-point night, Mike Matheson sealed the win in overtime, and Lane Hutson had yet another multipoint effort.  [Habs Highlights: Another Lane Hutson Record, Nick Suzuki Shines]

Speaking of Hutson, he set another record, and it’s even more impressive than the record he broke on Saturday, and the record he broke on Thursday, and the record he broke on Tuesday. The rookie defenceman is the fastest player to reach the 50-point mark in team history, doing so in three fewer games than Chris Chelios. He’s also among the fastest players in league history to do so, putting a fine point on his fantastic scoring pace this season.

Injured forward Kirby Dach was spotted at practice on Monday morning. Now more than ever he will require a strong support system from his teammates and coaches.

Congratulations to papa Gallagher!

Wednesday

While most of us expected the Montreal Canadiens to trade Jake Evans by the deadline, the team and the player came to terms on a four-year contract extension. It’s a great value deal at just $2.85 million per season, but more importantly, it shows players believe in what’s being built in Montreal, and are willing to take a discount to play here.  [Canadiens Analysis: Impact Of Jake Evans Contract Extension]

Evans was in a rather good mood after his contract extension was announced.

It was obvious due to the terms of the deal, but Pierre LeBrun confirmed Evans told his agent that he wanted to stay in Montreal.

“This morning, Jake Evans realized he did not want to leave Montreal,” explained LeBrun. “His agent and Kent Hughes had not communicated in about two weeks, but a discussion resumed on Sunday, and this morning Evans decided to stay.”

LeBrun also agrees that Evans’ deal is a good sign when it comes to the Montreal’s appeal, a nice change of pace considering it was essentially a ‘do not sign’ city for over a decade.

Even though Lane Hutson is logging a ridiculous amount of ice time as a rookie, he never misses an opportunity to get his reps in. We’ve sent a lot of praise Hutson’s way, but it must be said that he has the type of work ethic and dedication to his craft that we tend to see in some of the best athletes of all time.

Of course, I’m not saying Hutson will necessarily become one of the best players in the NHL.

Unless…

Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent had nothing but good things to say about David Reinbacher.

“He has good footwork, good hands, and his hockey sense is very, very good,” he analyzed. “There are players who make good reads, but don’t have the hands to complete what their eyes see, or they lack the skating ability. Reinbacher, on the other hand, has the head, the eyes, the feet, and the hands [to make the plays].” [Laval Rocket]

The Montreal Victoire continue to hold the top spot in the PWHL. They beat Minnesota 2-1 in the shootout on Tuesday, and shockingly, it was Marie-Philip Poulin who secured the win.

Thursday

Prospect David Reinbacher continues to enjoy a successful return to play in the AHL. The 20-year-old defenceman’s agility has been impressive, especially when we consider he recovered from a knee injury that could have impacted his mobility. On top of looking good to the eye and earning praise from Laval Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent, Reinbacher scored his first goal of the season on Wednesday, as the Rocket faced the Utica Comets.

Reinbacher picked the perfect time to join the rush, using his wingspan to tip the puck behind Isaac Poulter. It’s great to see him score, but the most encouraging aspect of his play has been his decisiveness and decision-making.

Now that Jake Evans has signed a four-year contract extension, the NHL Trade Deadline discussion has shifted to forward Joel Armia, as well as defenceman David Savard. Darren Dreger suggested there may be a market for both, pointing to Winnipeg as a potential landing spot.

The situation is complicated, and not only because of Evans’ extension. As it stands, the Canadiens have a legitimate chance to qualify for the playoffs. [Trade Deadline: Canadiens Delicate Situation For Armia & Savard]

The Calder Cup playoffs don’t start any time soon, but to qualify for playoff action players must be in the AHL by the 3 pm NHL Trade Deadline on Friday. Owen Beck is likely to be ‘papered’ allowing him to play, but Jakub Dobes, Arber Xhekaj, and Emil Heineman are unlikely to loaned to the Laval Rocket, as they’re now considered full-time members of the NHL team. [AHL Playoffs Eligibility – Canadiens Deadline To ‘Paper’ Prospects]

We weren’t the only ones who expected a trade involving Evans. He admitted he had his boxes packed in anticipation of a deal.

Evans’ decision wasn’t solely dictated by money, but rather a sense of contentment with his current situation in Montreal, not to mention the team’s potential for success in the near future. [Canadiens Analysis: Impact Of Jake Evans Contract Extension]

Top prospect Ivan Demidov has cooled of late, at least relative to his usual torrid scoring pace. He’s leading SKA in scoring with 19 goals and 30 assists, and was recently named to the All-Rookie Team for the month of February.

I forgot to post this yesterday, but here’s Demidov’s 49th point, an assist on Matvei Korotky‘s fifth goal of the year.

Friday

Daily Faceoff and The Athletic released their most recent Trade Deadline bait boards, and both outlets agree that Joel Armia and David Savard were the most likely players to be traded by the Montreal Canadiens. It’s not news by any means, but it does confirm some of the NHL Trade Deadline chatter reported in the last week. [Trade Deadline: Canadiens Facing Delicate Situation For Armia & Savard]

Five players were placed on NHL Waivers prior to the Trade Deadline. To be eligible to participate in the Calder Cup playoffs, players must be on an AHL roster at 3 pm ET.  [Canadiens Roster Talk: Several Players Placed On NHL Waivers]

The good news is that Cole Caufield scored for a fourth game in a row, and the Canadiens secured a point in Edmonton, while almost all their playoff rivals lost in regulation. The bad news is the Oilers were clearly the best team on Thursday, and Montreal’s five-game winning streak came to an end. [Habs Highlights: Cole Caufield Is Red Hot, One Point Secured]

A well-deserved accolade for Cole Caufield! It was a glorious goal, after all.

We’re going to go ahead and assume Ruby is a good girl. Possibly the best girl.

NHL Trade Deadline Deals

There were a slew of trades on Thursday, demonstrating that the NHL’s Trade Market is heating up.

The first trade involved the New Jersey Devils and the Anaheim Ducks, with defenceman Brian Dumoulin joining the Devils in exchange for a conditional second-round pick.

The Florida Panthers followed it up by adding some depth to their forward lineup, acquiring Nico Sturm from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a fourth-round pick.

Rielly Smith is on his way back to Las Vegas. The Golden Knights re-acquired Smith from the New York Rangers in exchange for Brandon Brisson and a third-round pick.

There was also a goalie swap on the docket. The Winnipeg Jets sent Kaapo Kahkonen to the Florida Panthers for Chris Driedger.

Carson Soucy has a new address. The defenceman was traded from the Vancouver Canucks to the Rangers for a third-round pick.

Jake Walman was reportedly traded to the Oilers in exchange for a first-round pick and a prospect. The trade was not confirmed when I scheduled the article, but if it does go through, you have to think the Red Wings will be kicking themselves, as they paid a second-round pick to get rid of Walman earlier this year. As much as I respect Steve Yzerman’s playing career, his choices as a general manager often leave a lot to be desired.

The long-awaited Brock Nelson trade finally went through. The rich get richer, as the Colorado Avalanceh acquired Nelson and William Dufour in exchange for Calum Ritchie, a 2026 or 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2028 third-round pick, and Oliver Kylington. [NHL]

Saturday

First thing’s first, let’s discuss the lack of activity from Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens. The NHL Trade Deadline came and went without the Habs making a single move, but given the team’s current situation, sticking to the plan is probably the right path forward. Hughes told Nick Suzuki that he wouldn’t sell off spare parts if the team was ‘in the mix’ so to speak, and since the captain held up his end of the bargain, it only makes sense not to destroy his trust for a mediocre draft pick.

In other words, they traded uncertainty for confidence. I’d love to take credit for that sentence, because it’s concise and eloquent, but it was written by Twitter user KCCO-VCR, and they definitely deserve credit.  [Canadiens Walk The Trade Dead-Line, Hughes Discusses Strategy]

I don’t mean to rub any salt in the wounds of those who wanted the Canadiens to trade Joel Armia or David Savard, nor those who were hoping Hughes would add a player or two to the mix, but a slow trade deadline is exactly what we expected. [Montreal Canadiens NHL Trade Deadline Primer – What To Expect]

Kaiden Guhle was spotted taking solo reps, which is a fantastic sign. We shouldn’t expect him to return to play in the next game, but he will probably end up playing a few more games this year, and that was far from a guarantee.  [Montreal Canadiens Injuries: Kaiden Guhle Update]

The biggest issue with the lack of activity at the NHL Trade Deadline was the lack of reinforcements for the Laval Rocket. The AHL’s trade deadline is March 14, so there’s still time to swing a deal, but it may not be necessary.

According to Hughes, Oliver Kapanen is free to join the Rocket once his SHL season comes to an end. Honestly, that’s a much better scenario than adding another  mercenary that won’t figure in the team’s long-term plans. It will also give the Habs another opportunity to evaluate Kapanen’s play in a North American setting.


We should also note many of the Laval Rocket’s rivals lost talented players due to NHL trades, which should make life easier on the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate. On that note, the Canadiens ‘papered’ both Owen Beck and Jakub Dobes, which means they’re both eligible to participate in the Calder Cup playoffs.

Oh, and the Rocket ended up beating the (former) top team in the AHL on Friday night, taking over the top spot in the league in the process. The 4-3 win versus the Rochester Americans featured goals from Alex-Barre Boulet (15,16), Lucas Condotta (3), and Joshua Roy (19).

This flew under the radar, but there was a big trade involving a former Canadiens captain! Okay, big trade is an exaggeration, and if I’m being honest, it was only Shea Weber’s contract that was moved, but there was a great opportunity for a little clickbait there, and I had to take it.

Speaking of former Habs, the New Jersey Devils extended Johnathan Kovacevic, offering him a five-year contract that carries a $4 million annual average value (AAV). That may seem like a steep price for the affable defenceman, but he’s versatile, efficient, and has a long history of producing fantastic underlying numbers. Simply put, when Kovacevic is on the ice, the Devils control the play, which explains the pay raise. The same was true when he played for the Canadiens, but it’s a little too late to cry over spilled milk, and I’ve already gone down that road a few times. [New Jersey Devils]

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