Lack of depth: Kent Hughes should have made a move at the trade deadline

Before the trade deadline, Nick Suzuki had asked Kent Hughes not to trade any players in his group. The Canadiens’ general manager listened and didn’t make any moves.

Montreal was playing well before the trade deadline, but it had no depth. Kent Hughes probably should have gone out and got a support player to give his team a little cushion.

This is the opinion that Bob Hartley expressed during his appearance on BPM Sports on Monday.

 

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Michael Pezzetta is probably an excellent team player and a great guy to be around in the locker room, but on the ice, he’s a real anchor. Right now, he’s the only extra forward on the team and he has to play in the absence of Patrik Laine.

You had to expect to see players missing games in the last few games of the season, especially a player like Laine, who is (once again) out with the “flu”.

To counter this problem, Bob Hartley would have gone out and gotten a support player who can play on a fourth line and wouldn’t have cost the Canadiens much. He just wants to see a player better than Pezzetta jump onto the ice for the Canadiens. That’s not the kind of player who can help you win games.

There’s probably a reason why Kent Hughes didn’t go out and get a new forward. You have to wonder if it’s not a business reason.

Otherwise, as Renaud Lavoie explained earlier on Monday, the players on the market were really expensive. Anthony Beauvillier still cost a second-round pick!

Kent Hughes probably didn’t want to sacrifice his picks for a rental player. We know how much he hates losing players without getting anything back.

The big problem with all this is that Montreal needs to call up players from Laval to replace those who are absent with the big club. Owen Beck has played the last few games and now it’s Joshua Roy’s turn to come in and support.

It’s probably not the best idea to shuffle the Rocket’s lineup like that, especially when the team is fighting for first place in the American League standings.

The Canadiens are more important than the Rocket, but helping the future Canadiens players have a stable lineup by playing meaningful games is just as important.

Now that the trade deadline has passed, Kent Hughes has to roll with what he has, unless he decides to go out and get a player who will end up on waivers.

In brief

– The Canadiens’ management is making Montreal a place where players want to play. [Montreal Gazette]

– Some players in the LPHF are struggling to make ends meet with their salaries. [La Presse]

– Wow!

 

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– Najee Harris is heading to Los Angeles.

 

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