Kent Hughes contacts the Ducks for the 2nd overall pick

Arpon Basu revealed a rather interesting piece of information in his most recent article.

Basically, he reminded us that the Habs are doing everything they can to move up in the draft by saying that the club has been in discussions with the Sharks for the 4th overall pick…

And just after that, The Athletic reporter says that Kent Hughes has contacted the Ducks to find out what it would take to get the 2nd overall pick in the next NHL draft.

Clearly, Kent Hughes has his phone going quite a bit these days.

A little Canadiens offseason primer with some information gathered at the combine and elsewhere. His name is sadly missing here, but @MAGodin was a huge part of the reporting process: https://t.co/vEDYbl7dPf

– Arpon Basu (@ArponBasu) June 14, 2023

I love to see a GM being so aggressive in his efforts to improve his line-up in one way or another.

Did last week’s NHL combine change things for Kent Hughes? If he’s contacted the Ducks AND the Sharks, it simply means he has a specific target in mind…

And I really wonder if that target could be the same. In fact, I wonder if that target’s name is Will Smith.

We all know the relationship between the player and the GM. By trading for the second pick, Hughes would be sure to get his hands on someone he’s coached in the past…

Because there’s a real world where the Blue Jackets, looking to draft a center, select the American with the third overall pick.

Or maybe Kent Hughes loved what he saw in Adam Fantilli, so much so that he wanted to climb up the draft to make him his selection. The Habs want to add size to their roster, and that’s where Fantilli’s name comes into the equation…

But I remain firm. I truly believe that the player we’re looking to draft is Will Smith, for reasons we already know.

Yes, Hughes would have a better chance of getting him if he traded with the Sharks for the fourth overall pick. But the Blue Jackets don’t have to take Leo Carlsson to please the CH… And Jarmo Kekäläinen has no interest in revealing his plans to help Kent Hughes in his business.

Oh, how interesting!

Extension

But there’s a very specific question to ask.

What is the second overall pick worth? It’s agreed that Kent Hughes will insert the fifth pick of the draft into the basis of the transaction. But then…

I guess it depends on what the Ducks are looking for. Do they want to add more prospects to their bank, given that the club is still rebuilding? Or, might they want one (or more) established players, precisely to put the brakes on that rebuild?