Kent Hughes insisted on dismantling the perception that NHL players don’t want to play in Montreal, noting that Cole Caufield was happy to have a long-term partnership with the Canadiens.
Caufield signed an eight-year, $62.8 million contract extension with the Habs earlier this week.
“I often hear that guys don’t want to play in Montreal, I don’t agree with that,” said the general manager of the Canadian, Thursday, on the sidelines of the evaluation camp for NHL hopefuls in Buffalo. . The guys are happy to be in a good context when they play good hockey.
“It’s important to note that Cole wanted to be there. It sends a message to others that good players want to play in Montreal,” added Hughes.
Caufield will earn an average annual salary just below that of Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki. Hughes noted that it was important to the team that Suzuki remain the highest-paid forward in the organization. However, he recalled that the value of Caufield’s contract also respects the current market for talented players who have just finished their rookie contract and who opt for a long-term contract.
Reservations towards Michkov
Separately, Hughes also answered questions about available prospects in the NHL Draft, which takes place June 28-29 in Nashville. In the first round, the Canadiens have the fifth choice and that of the Florida Panthers, who will be the 31st or 32nd choice depending on the result of the Stanley Cup final.
Hughes obviously expects to be able to select a particularly promising prospect in fifth place. However, he admitted to having some reservations about the Russian Matvei Michkov.
“With the Russians, there is a geopolitical aspect and also questions with their contract, noted Hughes, while Michkov is still under contract with SKA Saint Petersburg for the next three seasons. We will see. We first need to rate him as a player and compare him to other available players. Then we have to do our homework on the other aspects. These are all factors that go into the equation. »
Hughes and the members of the Canadiens have been in Buffalo for several days already. They took the opportunity to conduct interviews with several hopefuls. The event will end on Saturday, with the physical tests.