In his former life as an agent, Kent Hughes was a keen negotiator. Qualities that he certainly still possesses in his position as general manager of the Canadian.
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However, contrary to what one might think, a good negotiator does not necessarily imply being a good liar. For the past few days, rumors have been rife that the Canadian would be eyeing Pierre-Luc Dubois.
“I can’t talk about players from other teams. I’ve already been scolded for that, ”said the general manager (GM) of the Canadiens when asked about his interest in the Quebec striker.
When colleague Jean-François Chaumont challenged him on the subject, Hughes smiled broadly. After biting his lip and probably twirling his tongue seven times before speaking, he replied, “If we could afford to get a great established center in the NHL, for sure. we would be interested. »
Photo Martin Chevalier
Pierre-Luc Dubois during a matchup against the Canadiens in June 2021 at the Bell Centre.
However, the Canadian would have tried to get his hands on Pierre-Luc Dubois last week. A source familiar with the matter even claimed that Hughes made a very attractive offer to the Winnipeg Jets during the draft.
Hughes had a plan
In his first full season with the Jets, the 24-year-old center had one of his best seasons with 60 points, including 28 goals.
A restricted free agent since July 13, Dubois has earned an annual salary of $5 million in each of the last two campaigns. We can expect him to pocket roughly the same amount. With perhaps a slight increase.
Consequently, the Habs do not currently have enough room under the salary cap to make their acquisition. But if Hughes made a concrete offer to the Jets, it was because he had a plan in mind and was confident he could meet the $82.5 million limit for next season.
Obviously, the departure of Jeff Petry would make things easier.
Forget the hostile offer
If Hughes resisted the first question, he probably took it as a probing shot about a hostile offer. Although it is possible for the GM of the Canadian to do so, it would not be in the interest of the team to do so.
For an offer of between $4.2 million and $6.3 million, the Canadiens should give the Jets, as compensation, their first and third round picks. For the next level ($6.3M to $8.4M), there must be an additional second-round pick.
Compensatory picks must be returned in the next draft. Since the Canadian is likely to be eligible for the Connor Bedard lottery, it can be assumed that Hughes will not be interested in giving him to the Jets.