A Sean Monahan-like trade is in the air for Kent Hughes

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Carl Vaillancourt
August 5, 2024 (8:40 PM)

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After a slower start following the early elimination of the Canadiens in April, Kent Hughes's summer has taken a very different turn in recent days. He has reached agreements with his two defensemen Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron, and extended Kaiden Guhle's contract for another six years.

According to Puckpedia, which has taken over from CapFriendly, the Canadiens now have around $5.45M in cap space heading into the next season. If he can use this cap space to acquire a star player, Kent Hughes can also utilize this flexibility for other purposes.

A new Sean Monahan-like rrade for Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens? Edmonton Oilers and New York Islanders targeted

On this subject, the highly reliable Marco D'Amico wrote in a recent article on the Responsible Gambling site that Kent Hughes might use his leverage to make another trade similar to Sean Monahan. What does this mean?

According to his sources, the $5.45M cap space combined with Carey Price's $10.5M salary, which can go on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR), gives General Manager Kent Hughes a huge advantage.

"The Canadiens have finished signing their free agents, but according to sources, they are still looking to maximize their cap space.

Montreal is in an enviable position, with an owner willing not only to spend up to the salary cap but to exceed it if necessary," a well-informed source told RG.org. "They might have $5.5M in cap space or another amount, but being able to use Price's contract to get an additional $10.5M opens up a world of possibilities."

� Marco D'Amico

Another NHL source also confirmed to the site that Kent Hughes is very active on the phone. He is making numerous calls to his counterparts across the league. He wants to take advantage of this cap space but does not want to create problems for the summer of 2025 or beyond. There are always contracts to renegotiate after all!

"Montreal is calling us to see if they can capitalize on certain clubs, but placing Carey Price on the long-term injured reserve list comes with its own challenges," another NHL source said. "Hughes is looking to do something, but not at the expense of next summer or the years to come."

� Marco D'Amico

While Kent Hughes can place Carey Price's salary on the LTIR, he also has the option not to. The LTIR has its limitations, such as not being able to accumulate cap space during the regular season.

Additionally, some contractual provisions affecting players on their first professional contract like Juraj Slafkovsky in 2023-2024 can lead to penalties for the following season (teams that exceed the cap due to performance bonuses see their cap lowered the following season by the amount they exceeded).

Given the current situation, avoiding using Price's salary to acquire a player would be a priority for Kent Hughes.

The best approach, as stated by Charles-Alexis Brisebois from DLC, would be to acquire a one-year contract around $5M. However, interesting players available, like Trevor Zegras, Nikolaj Ehlers, or Patrik Laine, are a bit out of this range.

According to D'Amico, attention should be focused on the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Islanders, both of which are looking to reduce their payroll. Kent Hughes is reportedly analyzing options on this front. Which players could help the Canadiens in the short term for the 2024-2025 season? Time will tell...