Kent Hughes will listen carefully to offers from his NHL counterparts for select Montreal Canadiens players by the league’s March 21 trade deadline. However, he warned that these will only happen if the winning conditions are met.
The Bleu-blanc-rouge general manager met with members of the media on Wednesday, two days after trading forward Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames.
A transaction that has been interpreted by many as the signal for a reconstruction. Hughes, however, did not want to put a label on the plan he is about to start in the coming weeks.
“Everybody wants to use a word to describe what they want to do. Right now, we’re in last place in the NHL. We want to improve the team, we want to build a team capable of winning from one year to the next. Are the transactions that have been made and those that will be made with the objective of participating in the final (of the Stanley Cup) next year? No. We want to build a team capable of winning in the long term,” Hughes first mentioned by videoconference Wednesday morning.
The 52-year-old Montrealer, who took over from Marc Bergevin on Jan. 18, has warned, however, that he won’t make trades just to please the team’s fan base.
“If teams contact us and they present us with offers that we cannot refuse, then we will make five transactions. But right now our plan is not to trade five players,” assured Hughes.
Uncertain future for Petry and Chiarot
It is in this context that Hughes addressed the cases of defenders Ben Chiarot and Jeff Petry, two players who have been the subject of numerous trade rumors for several weeks now. If Chiarot no longer seems to fit into the plans of the Habs, it is much less clear in the case of Petry.
“I don’t know (if Chiarot will be traded in five or seven days). Saturday, I was not planning to trade Tyler (Toffoli) on Monday, and yet it happened. We’ve talked to several teams, and they’ve obviously identified good players whose contracts are coming up soon — whether it’s Chiarot for us, John Klingberg with the Dallas Stars, or another player — but it’s still difficult to predict. »
In Petry’s case, however, it appears his current four-year, US$25 million contract ratified in September 2020 is a barrier to completing a deal.
“In Jeff’s case, if we’re able to work out a deal that will work for us and for the other team, then we’ll get it done, but it has to work. Currently, there are three years left on Jeff’s contract, and we still believe that he can help our team and that we can put him back on the right track. So, if the exchange is there, we will do it, otherwise we will wait, ”summarized the ex-agent of players.
Hughes cared about Heineman and covets Harris
Hughes also spoke about his motives for completing the trade that sent Toffoli to the Flames on Monday, even though many players considered him to be one of the most respected veterans in the locker room.
“We had not necessarily identified him among the players to be exchanged. We’ve had many discussions with teams over the past few weeks, and Tyler was of interest to some of them. The transaction was made because we believe it is a good decision for the future of our team,” he explained.
The general manager of the Canadiens wanted a 1st round pick and he absolutely wanted to acquire Emil Heineman, a 2nd round pick from the Florida Panthers in 2020. According to Hughes, Heineman is a good prospect, even if he has already been traded twice since the beginning of his career and that he still does not have a professional contract.
“First of all, he already has two years of development completed (since he was drafted). We love his speed — we want to improve our team’s speed, although that’s not the only aspect we want to focus on — his aggression and his character,” he said of the elderly Swede. 20 years old.
Among the other players who could eventually join the roster is American defenseman Jordan Harris, a prospect for the organization who could become an unrestricted free agent as early as August. Hughes seems determined to see the Canadiens’ third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, 71st overall, get along with the team.
“Discussions with Jordan, his agents and his family continue. I met him during the all-star game break, and spoke to him again yesterday (Tuesday). Discussions are continuing, and it is clear that I have communicated to him our interest in signing him as soon as the season is over,” admitted Hughes.
He also said he last heard from Carey Price last Sunday and still hopes to see him return to action this season.
The TVA Sport network also reported observing Nick Bobrov around Hughes in recent days.
Bobrov is a former director of European scouting for Rangers who worked under Jeff Gorton in New York but was let go by Chris Drury in May 2021.
“We spoke to him lately,” admitted Hughes, without saying more.