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“It’s on your shoulders” : Kent Hughes confirms that Nick Suzuki understood his message
Félix Forget
“It’s on your shoulders” : Kent Hughes confirms that Nick Suzuki understood his message
Credit: Getty Images
Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed, one thing is clear: the Canadiens did not make any moves today. The club did not acquire any reinforcements (they would have probably had to overpay to do so), but more interestingly, they were not sellers.

Jake Evans (who has a new contract), Joel Armia, David Savard, and Christian Dvorak are all still in town.

A month ago, all of this seemed unlikely at best. The team was struggling at the start of the break, but they have responded well since returning to action, earning 11 points out of a possible 12.

We knew that Nick Suzuki had spoken to Kent Hughes, asking him not to sell at the deadline. However, today, the GM discussed that conversation and shared what he told his captain:

It’s on your shoulders. Don’t come here and tell us not to do something if you haven’t done what you’re supposed to do. – Kent Hughes to Nick Suzuki

What we understand, then, is that the GM challenged his captain that day. He was clear with him: if Suzuki wanted the team to not be sellers, he would have to give him a good reason.

And the good reason finally came in the form of 13 points in six games for the captain since the team returned to action. This led the team to victories and put them back in the playoff hunt.

The GM is really happy with how his captain responded to the challenge, and in the end, he rewarded him by not being a seller. And that’s despite the fact that it seemed unrealistic a month ago.

This also means that the captain is satisfied with his GM’s work. He’s happy that his teammates didn’t get traded, a scene he’s seen many times in recent years.

Now that the GM has rewarded the group by acquiring reinforcements by not selling, it’s up to the players to prove to the GM that he made the right decision in believing in them. The contract extension of Jake Evans must have motivated the players earlier in the week, and seeing the group intact today is another good piece of news.

The road to the playoffs won’t be easy, but the players have received a vote of confidence from the GM today. And that’s already a good thing.


In brief

– Martin St-Louis is also happy.

– The Hurricanes’ GM feels that Mikko Rantanen never felt at home in Carolina.

– Here are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup after the trade deadline.

– Can’t wait to see it.

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