For Kent Hughes, expanding the habs is not a priority

DansLesCoulisses.com
For Kent Hughes, expanding the habs is not a priority
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The Florida Panthers' success in the playoffs has been built on physical play, or “sandpaper” as many people like to call it.

So people are thinking that, to be successful in the playoffs, Kent Hughes is going to have to make his team bigger. But that's not necessarily what the Canadiens' general manager thinks.

Speaking on The Basu & Godin Notebook podcast, Kent Hughes explained that expanding the team is not his priority.

The Habs GM believes that every Stanley Cup-winning team has been able to do so because of a specific identity.

The Penguins and Avalanche won because of their exceptional talent. The Panthers, Blues, and Golden Knights won because of their physical play and talent. The Lightning and Capitals won thanks to a mix of talented and physical players positioned in specific roles.

It's possible to win the Stanley Cup any way you want. Kent Hughes wants to avoid the trap of trying to recreate another team's success.

The Habs GM is trying to build an identity for the Habs with players who are capable of playing competitively.

During his interview with Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin, Hughes explained that he believes his team is capable of playoff success.

We're not talking about the current Canadiens team here, but about the club's identity. It's this identity that Hughes is trying to implant and grow.

The best thing right now for the Canadiens would be to qualify for the playoffs again. Montreal won't win the Stanley Cup, but the young players will get the playoff experience they need to grow.

As for the size of the players, the Canadiens' GM is aware that he must have some toughness in his lineup, but he believes that Montreal already has several, like Juraj Slafkovsky and Josh Anderson, for example.

So don't expect Kent Hughes to draft or trade players based solely on their size and toughness. What matters most to the Canadiens' GM is whether the player fits in well with the team's identity and whether his competitive spirit is sufficient.


Overtime

– Montreal would have been willing to pay Kiefer Sherwood over $5 million.

– A problem on the Canadiens' first line.

– Jonathan Aspirot is impressing with the Bruins this season.

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