“The Canadiens are going to get a top-6 forward—maybe even two.”

Marc-Olivier Cook
“The Canadiens are going to get a top-6 forward—maybe even two.”
Credit: David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

All right.

We're just a few hours away from the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft… and in Montreal, we're all hoping for the same thing.

We're all waiting to see what Kent Hughes does, because the Eastern Conference teams have gotten stronger in recent days. We know the Canadiens' GM had big ambitions, and it makes you wonder if he'll be able to achieve his goals.

Reminder: The Canadiens would like to acquire a winger AND a center who can play in the team's top six.

And in Nick Kypreos's view, it's achievable. The insider said this during a recent segment on Sportsnet:

They (the Canadiens) are going to go after a top-6 forward—maybe even two—and they have the assets to do it; they want to be aggressive in this area. Nick Kypreos

Hmm… 

It seems like I have my doubts about that. Why?

Because we've been seeing it for the past few days: prices across the NHL are really, really high. Top-six players on the market are worth their weight in gold, and it takes a lot of assets to land one.

That said, I'm having a hard time believing the Canadiens will make two major trades to improve their offense. One, OK… but two?

Still, it's true that Kent Hughes is fully equipped to be very aggressive in his pursuit of talent.

Draft picks, prospects, talented young players who are already established… There aren't many teams that have resources like the Habs' right now. And perhaps that's exactly what will help the Canadiens' GM pull off something huge (Kirill Marchenko?) in the coming hours or days.

At this point, we can only wonder what the Canadiens' GM is cooking up…


In a nutshell

– Another good move in Buffalo.

– I think he'll probably be drafted tomorrow, though.

– Okay.

– Will the Habs make a move tonight? That's the real question…

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