Another trade between the Canadiens and the Blue Jackets involving a forward?
Kent Hughes is a master at managing the salary cap, and his sound management has allowed him to complete incredible trades since taking over.
Indeed, without his efforts, Sean Monahan and Patrik Laine, among others, would never have been able to come to Montreal, along with the two first-round picks acquired from Monahan and the second-round pick acquired for Laine.
Another team would have benefited from all of this, but Kent Hughes has played his cards very well and took advantage of the generosity of his counterparts to improve the Canadiens.
On the Columbus side, Don Waddell has maneuvered well, especially since he just arrived in the position. He has been very unfortunate due to the death of Johnny Gaudreau, which places the team below the salary floor.
To date, they are still $1.7 million under and need to find solutions. Karine Haine, a journalist from The Hockey News, recently suggested four Canadiens forwards who could help the Jackets.
Given the history between the two teams and the recent trade, Kent Hughes would probably not be too demanding, especially since she talks about Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, or Joel Armia.
Obviously, the player with the most value is Joel Armia, and we know that Martin St-Louis is a fan of his play. Christian Dvorak is second since his contract ends on July 1 and he plays center.
As for Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson, I think it would be too good to be true, but we must admit that number 17 has previously worn the Blue Jackets' colors and is well-liked there.
We will see in the coming days if the two teams can reach an agreement. It would certainly help Kent Hughes give a young player like Oliver Kapanen a chance to stay with the Canadiens.
| POLL | ||
Which of these players would you like Kent Hughes to trade the most? | ||
| Brendan Gallagher | 66 | 23.3 % |
| Josh Anderson | 45 | 15.9 % |
| Christian Dvorak | 152 | 53.7 % |
| Joel Armia | 20 | 7.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
