What the CH is missing, according to an opposing GM

Even though the Canadiens are doing well this season and are likely to make the playoffs, the team is still far from perfect.
There's always room for improvement, even among the best teams in the NHL. For now, the Habs are missing one key thing.

An experienced NHL general manager told Kent Hughes that what the Canadiens are missing is experience. This is what the Canadiens' general manager in an interview with Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic.

NEW for @TheAthletic,
Kent Hughes on the Canadiens' ups and downs during this playoff push, a quiet trade deadline, and more. My chat with the Habs GM
https://t.co/KqlZeBJUio via @NYTimes
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 18, 2026
That's something that's hard to acquire through a trade. You can always bring in guys with experience, but that won't solve the problem for your young core.
The best solution is to be patient and let young players like Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and the rest play meaningful games to gain experience.
By making the playoffs last season, the Canadiens raised expectations even though the rebuild wasn't truly complete, but it was also the perfect opportunity for the young players to experience playoff hockey and learn what to expect in the future.
Some might say that Suzuki and Caufield gained plenty of experience in 2021 during their run to the Stanley Cup Final. That's not untrue, but in 2021, those two players didn't have the same roles they have today.

Pierre LeBrun made no secret of this in his article for The Athletic: The Canadiens are not just one player away from becoming a Stanley Cup contender.
However, with the addition of experience as the years go by, the team could become one.

What's interesting about this story is that Kent Hughes is talking to general managers more experienced than him and listening to what they have to say to help his team.We tend to forget, but Hughes is only in his first stint as an NHL general manager. He and his team will need a little more experience before they can one day aspire to the top honors.

In Brief
– Does Hutson deserve to have a letter on his jersey next season?

Listen: McGuire: It will be a problem if Hutson doesn't have a letter on his jersey next year https://t.co/hR9QqGj9hU
— TSN 690 Montreal (@TSN690) March 18, 2026
— It's possible!

Now that he has reached 40 goals for the first time in his career, can Cole Caufield go for 50?

Full episode available here https://t.co/OlJRIalyz0@Molson_Canadian | @Lappy14 | @mdandenault25 | @pascal_leclaire #GoHabsGo #NHL pic.twitter.com/A5HJ2wMUne
— Hockey with an Accent (@hockeyaccent1) March 18, 2026

— A great initiative.

As part of our “Hockey Talks” initiative in support of mental health, the Canadiens have partnered with McGill University and Shoulder Check to present a special screening of Shattered Ice on March 19 at 6:30 p.m. The evening will feature a panel discussion… pic.twitter.com/23PdrwkUWD
— Montreal Canadiens (@CanadiensMTL) March 18, 2026