Kent Hughes would trade his first-round pick, according to Friedman
The NHL Draft lottery will take place on Tuesday night, and the Canadiens have a good chance of selecting in the top 5 for the third consecutive year.
Kent Hughes will have the opportunity to add a talented young player to his arsenal, whether through the draft or via a trade.
Indeed, we shouldn't rule out the possibility of Hughes trading his first-round pick to move up, move back, or simply acquire a young established player.
The 2024 NHL Draft is deeper in defensemen than forwards, and when Kent Hughes was asked about the possibility of selecting a defenseman with his first pick, here's what he had to say:
"Having Friedman, a guy with his feelers in the NHL, tie the lottery pick to the club's offseason, that fascinates me. ...
Recall that at the end of the season, when Kent Hughes was asked about drafting a defenseman with his first pick, the GM instead said he would evaluate his options to move his pick if the best available player on his list was a defenseman." - Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Indeed, Elliotte Friedman believes that the most fascinating team heading into the draft is the Canadiens. We can agree that in terms of insiders, he's a top authority.
Friedman has eyes everywhere and has access to very privileged information, which he can't always disclose. According to him, the chances of the Canadiens making moves are very good, even the best of the 32 teams.
«One of the teams that interests me about where they end up in this lottery is Montreal. I think they can be a really fascinating team this off-seasonI look at them & a 1st round pick & I wonder what they can cook up.» - Elliotte Friedman today on Sportsnet
The possibilities are numerous for Kent Hughes. He can find a partner to move up, move back, or even acquire a player like Trevor Zegras, for example.
If the Ducks are adamant about wanting a player still available at the Canadiens' position, in addition to already having a top 5 pick themselves, it becomes very interesting for them.
Otherwise, Kent Hughes has enough picks and prospects to move up, and he can ask for a lot to move back and select, let's say, Tij Iginla around the 10th pick.
It all starts with the outcome of tonight's lottery. We can agree that if the Canadiens win the lottery, there will be no more questions to ask. The Habs will select Macklin Celebrini.
| POLL |
7 MAI | 348 ANSWERS Kent Hughes would trade his first-round pick, according to Friedman Would you like the Canadiens to trade their first-round pick and another prospect for Trevor Zegras? |
| Yes | 77 | 22.1 % |
| No | 271 | 77.9 % |
| LIST OF POLLS |
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