Kent Hughes Could Trade one of the Habs' Best Player in 2024-2025

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Julien Trekker
August 1, 2023 (11:07)

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There is no doubt that the Montreal Canadiens have a very talented pool of prospects, possibly the best in several years. This is even more evident when we look at the depth of the organization on the defensive side.

David Reinbacher, Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, and Adam Engstrom all seem destined for a promising future in the NHL, even though they haven't played a single game in the Habs' uniform yet.

Adding to that, the young defensemen who played a significant role this season, like Kaiden Guhle (21 years old), Arber Xhekaj (22 years old), and Jordan Harris (23 years old), it's easy to see why the Canadiens have the potential to have an extremely strong defense for many years.

However, except for David Reinbacher and Logan Mailloux, who might play a few games with the main team this season, we shouldn't expect to see Lane Hutson or Adam Engstrom wearing the Canadiens' jersey, as they will respectively return to Boston University and Rögle BK.

Nevertheless, the situation could be quite different in 2024-2025. Reinbacher and Mailloux are expected to be integral parts of the CH defense, right from the beginning of the season. As for Hutson and Engstrom, it wouldn't be surprising if both defensemen make their professional debuts by joining the Laval Rocket.

In fact, in his latest column on The Athletic, Arpon Basu mentioned the possibility that the Canadiens' General Manager, Kent Hughes, might trade David Savard and Mike Matheson at the trade deadline in 2024-2025 to make room for the young defensemen in the organization.

"The 2024-25 trade deadline looks very interesting. If David Savard is still around, he will likely be available as a rental player, and Mike Matheson will still have a year left on his contract, making him an interesting trade asset with a very affordable contract."

Wow! If Mike Matheson continues his impressive performance, being undoubtedly the best defenseman in the lineup and making a significant offensive contribution last year (34 points in 48 games), the Canadiens could get an excellent return.

Furthermore, David Savard is the type of defenseman highly sought after by General Managers approaching the playoffs, and Kent Hughes could benefit from this situation to obtain an additional draft pick.

Do you believe we will witness a significant change on the Canadiens' blue line in 2024-2025?