Kent Hughes confirms the rumor, and it's significant

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David St-Jean
May 6, 2024 (7:16 PM)

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The Canadiens are nearing the end of their rebuild. It might not be apparent yet because not all the young players are ready, but there isn't much missing in terms of talent.

Indeed, with two more top-six forwards, the Canadiens will start to seriously contend. It's fortunate that the upcoming draft offers excellent possibilities to select a future top-six forward.

Regarding the other aspect, Kent Hughes has agreed to confirm the rumor.

"If we have an opportunity to accelerate the rebuild, we will definitely explore that option, but we will not make a move at the expense of what we want to achieve in the long term," Kent Hughes stated.

In other words, the GM admits that he will try to make a trade like the ones for Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook, but without sacrificing the young players who he sees as part of the core in the future years.

Thus, we can almost forget about names like Trevor Zegras and Martin Necas. They would cost more than just draft picks or average players.

However, as seen with Kirby Dach, for example, Hughes could target a young player who has not yet reached his potential. If the opportunity arises, a trade will be made.

"For two consecutive years, we found this opportunity where we were open to trading draft picks or players, like Romanov for Dach. If there is still such a player available to us who we think could help us next year and in the future, we will consider this option," Kent Hughes added.

In the meantime, the draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night, and the Canadiens' general manager will hold a press conference afterward via Zoom. He will undoubtedly be questioned about his plans for the draft.