Big trade this summer: Kent Hughes might have a rival on his heels

Marc-Olivier Cook
Big trade this summer: Kent Hughes might have a rival on his heels
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Kent Hughes tried to pull off a major move at the NHL trade deadline a few weeks ago.

The Canadiens' GM ultimately didn't make a move, and he has no regrets about it.

That said, we can expect the big move that was planned to materialize this summer instead. At least, that's what Eric Engels thinks. But Hughes might still have a rival hot on his heels…

I say this because, according to Michael Russo, who covers the Wild for The Athletic, Bill Guerin is also planning to make a big move.

The Wild's GM will be a major player in the trade and free-agent markets, and that could impact Hughes' decisions, as he'll essentially be pursuing the same goal as Guerin.

According to Russo, the Wild were really aggressive in the Robert Thomas situation a few weeks ago… and it's the same story with Vincent Trocheck. Neither player was traded, but it could happen in the coming months:

Obviously, that's part of the game.

There will be teams looking to improve this summer, and the Canadiens won't be the only ones on the market looking to make a big move.

But that's where things can get complicated for Kent Hughes.

At the same time, the Canadiens' GM has been clear: he is (and will be) willing to overpay if necessary to get the player he really wants.

If there's a bidding war, Hughes won't be afraid to make a big offer to land a talented player… and when you consider that he has almost all the assets needed to win over another GM, I like the odds of seeing him do what he's wanted to do for several months now: bring in a quality forward who can help the Canadiens right away.

It's going to be exciting to watch, all of this.


In a nutshell

– Okay. Again…

– What do you think?

– Still.

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