In 2022, Hughes traded Brett Kulak to the Edmonton Oilers for William Lagesson, a 2nd-round pick in 2022, and a 7th-round pick in 2024.
That 2nd-round pick became Lane Hutson, who many consider the most promising defenseman in the organization. He's essentially the next Quinn Hughes.
With the Oilers' financial troubles, needing to match the offer sheets on Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway, Brett Kulak could be the defenseman sacrificed.
In this scenario, Stan Bowman would have to pay an NHL team to take Brett Kulak's contract. If it's Kent Hughes, it becomes even more interesting.
In this case, Hughes would have acquired Lane Hutson, William Lagesson, a 7th-round pick in 2024, compensation from the Oilers for taking Kulak's contract, and potentially more if he trades the defenseman again.
Hughes did it with Jeff Petry last summer, acquiring him against the odds and then trading him to Detroit.
So, with a 3rd-pair defenseman like Brett Kulak, Hughes has already acquired a high-potential defenseman in Lane Hutson and could add even more.
If that's not a home run, I'm not sure what is. It's very likely to happen, as time is running out for the Oilers and the Canadiens are one of the few teams with the salary cap space to pull this off.
Source: Habs et LNH
Transaction de panique impliquant Brett Kulak: ça pourrait devenir un 4 contre 1 pour Kent Hughes et le CH
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Do you think Kent Hughes should acquire Brett Kulak a second time? | ||
Yes | 84 | 30.5 % |
No | 191 | 69.5 % |
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