Hughes is still waiting for the right offer for Petry

(Montreal) Kent Hughes has lowered expectations after having been very inactive since the opening of the free agent market in the NHL.

The general manager of the Montreal Canadiens said by videoconference Thursday that his priority file was still to exchange defender Jeff Petry in order to obtain a little more long-term flexibility in terms of his payroll.

But while most NHL trades over the past few days have been one-sided due to salary cap constraints, Hughes said he’s also not keen on parting with the 34-year-old American defenseman. year.

“Jeff Petry is an important defender for our team. He is not a player we are looking to trade because of his game, but rather because of family circumstances, recalled Hughes. If we trade him, we have to gain flexibility under the salary cap or get a player or a prospect who can help us become better in the future. »

There is therefore no question for Hughes to withhold part of Petry’s average annual salary of 6.25 million US dollars in order to promote his chances of trading him. No question either of improving its offer by sacrificing a hope or a choice in the draft.

Petry, who is originally from the Detroit area, expressed interest in being traded to an American team in order to be closer to his family. His wife, who is expecting their fourth child, and their three sons stayed in the United States last winter. The reasons would relate to Canadian and/or Quebec restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is possible to trade him, we had offers yesterday, but we want to find a trade that will make sense for the Canadian, said Hughes. Otherwise, Jeff will have to return to Montreal. We love him as a player. He loves everything about Montreal, except the complications at the level of his family.

“We’ll continue to accommodate it, but it doesn’t have to happen today or tomorrow. It can happen in a week or in a month,” he continued.

Asked if he had considered other avenues to obtain flexibility in terms of his salary mass, in particular by exchanging a winger, Hughes simply replied that he kept the door open to all options.

Several rumors have circulated in recent weeks regarding the Canadiens’ interest in Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois. He is currently a restricted free agent. He has already publicly stated that he does not want to sign a long-term contract with the Jets.

Hughes played it safe when asked about his interest in Dubois, saying he’s been slapped since his appointment last January for talking about non-Canadian players.

“I can say that if we had the means to get a great center player established in the NHL, we would definitely be interested,” he replied with a broad smile.

Hughes also admitted that if Petry is traded before the start of the season, then he will need to get defensive reinforcements to not put the team’s prospects in a tight spot.

Awaiting responses for Price

Hughes had a less easy smile discussing the future of Carey Price.

The goalkeeper who has won the most games in the history of the Canadiens received an injection in the knee which he underwent surgery last summer. The same one that bothered him with inflammation when he returned to action in April.

Hughes said Price was scheduled to meet with his doctors in Montreal in July. However, it is too early to know if he will be able to resume the collar at the start of the camp in September.

“Ultimately, whether he’s ready in September, October or November, what we want is a final resolution that will allow him to be a full-time goalie in the NHL,” Hughes said.

It would therefore be surprising for the Canadian to compromise auxiliary goalkeeper Jake Allen, or even for him to seek reinforcements in this position before the end of this saga.

Separately, Hughes said forward Paul Byron underwent a minor procedure and received an injection. It may not be available when the camp opens.

mesar sign

Less than 24 hours after fellow Slovak Juraj Slafkovsky, forward Filip Mesar signed a three-year rookie contract with the Canadiens on Thursday.

Mesar was selected at the 26^e rank in the NHL Draft last week. His childhood friend Slafkovsky was the elected Canadian in the first row.

Both players participated in the Canadiens’ development camp earlier this week at the Bell Sports Complex.

While it’s clear that Slafkovsky will get a real chance to carve out a spot with the Canadiens during camp, Hughes will be watching Mesar’s development closely. The latter could end up with the Laval Rocket, in the American Hockey League. Otherwise, his Canadian Hockey League rights belong to the Kitchener Rangers.

“We want him to have a chance to be successful offensively, playing on the power play and in all phases,” Hughes said. If we are not in a position to offer him that in Laval, yes, there is Kitchener. We will evaluate this from week to week during the camp. »

Hughes also commented on the hirings of defender Madison Bowey and forwards Anthony Richard and Mitchell Stephens.

“These are players who bring depth to the organization, not just to Laval. We saw the importance of depth last year with injuries and COVID-19,” recalled Hughes.

He did not close the door to other deep hires over the next few days, “but not a Nazem Kadri”, he insisted.

No deputy CEO yet

The Canadiens also announced on Thursday the appointment of Philippe Desaulniers as chief technology officer, hockey analytics, and Miranda McMillan as hockey data analyst.

They will work under the supervision of the director of the advanced statistics analysis department, Christopher Boucher.

Hughes said he will now focus on hiring an assistant coach to replace the Chicago Blackhawks’ newly appointed head coach, Luke Richardson. He also noted the need to hire two professional recruiters.

However, Hughes said he has no plans to land himself an assistant general manager as he continues to adjust to his new responsibilities.