Almost a year ago to the day, Kent Hughes was asked as he left the general managers’ meeting whether it was possible his team would be buyers at the trade deadline. Things were going so well that he was even asked if his team was winning too much. It has to be said that the race for the first pick in the draft was already underway and Connor Bedard was a dream.
Today the situation is similar. The team is off to a good start to the season, probably above many observers’ expectations, but it is still far too early to say what direction the Canadian’s season will take. Will the team experience a brutal fall from grace like last year, or will the game’s increasingly noticeable maturity allow the Habs to stay in the race for a playoff spot?
“We have to wait,” said Kent Hughes when asked about his intentions in the transaction market. Look at the Oilers, most pundits said they were probably the team in Canada with the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup this season and they’re not off to an easy start. So there are still 35-40 games until the trade deadline, we’ll see where we are in the table.
THREE GUARDIANS
The fact remains that there is still one hot issue that has not yet been resolved, and that is its Guardians. The decision to keep Cayden Primeau to avoid losing him to waivers has caused a lot of debate, but at the same time, the three-way relationship seems to be working for now. “It is not an emergency to resolve this matter, although we do not want it to remain this way throughout the season. There are things we need to continue to evaluate. But I look at the performance of our goalkeepers and they are one of the best in the league so far, so it holds up. And why fix something that isn’t broken?” emphasizes the general manager of the Canadiens.
The Canadiens’ general manager declined to comment on Samuel Montembeault’s contract negotiations, but apparently the team would like to reach an agreement with him, which could lead to a future transaction.
SEAN MONAHAN
Another file that will evolve over the course of the season is that of Sean Monahan. When Kent Hughes was asked about his center’s performance, he responded with a big “WOW!” “It’s not just what he does on the ice, but his leadership,” he continued. He talks a lot on the bench to help his teammates, he is a very useful player. He’s even better this year than last year and his loss a year ago hurt us a lot. We quickly saw what happened to the team afterwards.
But will he be tempted to trade him before the end of the season? “It’s not a decision we have to make at the moment, but we are aware that he is a very important player for us.”
One thing is clear, however: If the Canadian is fighting for a playoff spot, it is very likely that Sean Monahan will finish the season with the team. If not, it is likely that he will be replaced with the hope that he returns to the team next season, but of course that is still a risk.
More importantly, Sean Monahan stays healthy for his personal well-being and the well-being of the Canadian. If that is the case, it will be interesting to see what kind of contract he can sign, be it in Montreal or elsewhere.
