New trade announced by the Montreal Canadiens: Kent Hughes is a genius and he gets an incredible return for Hoffman and Pitlick

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Dan
September 20, 2023 (9:10)

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Since the beginning of his tenure as general manager, Kent Hughes has shown he has a knack for contract signings. He has successfully negotiated with several key players on his roster for salaries almost always below what was expected. Players like Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, Kirby Dach, and Jordan Harris come to mind.

However, Hughes doesn't only excel in contract negotiations but also in trades with his counterparts. He knows how to spot golden opportunities to capitalize on an asset, and so far, his trade record is flawless.

With some magical moves, Hughes transformed an undesirable contract and a tradable surplus in Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick into a massive return that seems almost unbelievable.

Here's what the initial trade looks like, with the addition of other moves:

MTL lost:

Mike Hoffman ($4.5M) and Rem Pitlick ($1.1M)

MTL gained:

Pearson ($3.25M), Lindström ($0.95M), Nathan Légaré (prospect), 2nd round pick 2025, 3rd round pick 2025, and 4th round pick 2025.

Note that at the salary level, Hoffman-Pitlick and Pearson-Petry are equivalent for the upcoming season.

It seems surreal that Kent Hughes managed to get so many draft picks for Hoffman and Pitlick, in addition to a 22-year-old Quebecois prospect. He could even add more if he found a mid-season trade partner for Lindström and Pearson.

Here's a visual summary for those who'd like to see the trade tree for Pitlick and Hoffman:

Thanks to these profitable small moves that increasingly benefit the Canadiens, Hughes is building a very interesting reserve of draft picks in the coming years. All these accumulated picks could become very useful ammunition for the GM to attempt to add major elements to his roster.