The verdict is in for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens, and it's big
On June 28th, it was Kent Hughes' third draft as General Manager of the Canadiens, and over these three years, he has selected five first-round picks.
Indeed, Hughes has managed to make trades to improve his draft position. In 2022, he selected Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar. In 2023, he had David Reinbacher and traded the Panthers' pick acquired in exchange for Ben Chiarot. In 2024, he selected Ivan Demidov and Michael Hage.
This means the GM has secured three first-round picks but traded one. The 13th pick acquired in the Alexander Romanov trade, which was immediately dealt for Kirby Dach, could theoretically be added.
In short, the GM has a fairly clear plan, and it will continue next year when he will have a second first-round pick, acquired by taking on Sean Monahan's contract.
The Calgary Flames and the Canadiens made a very complex transaction, which will result in the lesser of the Calgary and Florida picks.
Since the Flames are not as strong as the defending champions, the verdict is practically official, and the Canadiens will likely receive the Panthers' pick.
If the answer is yes, the Canadiens will receive the Panthers' first-round pick, and unless there's a major surprise, that's what will happen." - Samuel Doiron
It's hard to contradict this statement, given that the Flames have traded Jakob Markstrom and Elias Lindholm, and Nazem Kadri is on the market. Even with this, the Panthers were far superior.
Therefore, the verdict is likely known for Kent Hughes, who should, barring a major turnaround, receive the Panthers' first-round pick for the 2025 draft, which will be a late pick.
Source: Habsolumentfan.com
Voici ce qui en est du choix de 1ère ronde obtenu dans la transaction de Sean Monahan il y a deux ans
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