Kent Hughes may have hit a real home run that will greatly benefit the team in the long term
On August 18th, the Montreal Canadiens acquired Sean Monahan and a first-round pick in return for future considerations. If this trade was already seen as a masterstroke by Kent Hughes at the time, it could yield much more than thought in the coming months.
Indeed, according to information reported by Frank Seravalli, everything suggests that Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin, and Mikael Backlund will test the free agent market next summer, and they could all be traded in the coming weeks.
This could, without a doubt, have a significant impact on the first pick that the Canadiens will receive as a result of the Sean Monahan trade. However, as you know, there were many conditions involved concerning this infamous first-round pick.
The Canadiens could notably receive the Panthers' choice if it is ranked lower than that of the Flames. However, after a long playoff run and serious injuries to top players such as Matthew Tkachuk, Aaron Ekblad, and Brandon Montour, it would not be surprising if the team struggles next year.
Imagine if both teams miss the playoffs and the Canadiens get a top 15 pick just for having taken on Sean Monahan's salary for a season. That would be a real steal!
Moreover, if the Canadiens' forward stays healthy and manages to contribute offensively as he did last season (17 points in 25 games), he will certainly become a highly sought-after target at the trade deadline.
With a salary of only $1.985 million, he will be a bargain for teams wanting to add offense approaching the playoffs. Kent Hughes could therefore add another first-round pick to have three selections among the first 32 ranks next June.
Wow!
In your opinion, was the Sean Monahan trade the best deal made by Kent Hughes?
| POLL | ||
Was the Sean Monahan trade the best deal made by Kent Hughes? | ||
| Yes | 89 | 74.8 % |
| No | 30 | 25.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
