Trade: The CH could improve… but only in November

Marc-Olivier Cook
Trade: The CH could improve… but only in November
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

No, the Canadiens haven't managed to improve since the start of the summer.

We were expecting a major trade because Kent Hughes had mentioned that he wouldn't be afraid to overpay to add a talented player to his roster.

In the end, that didn't happen.

It must be said, however, that market prices didn't help. The value of certain players has skyrocketed in recent weeks, which likely left the Canadiens with their hands tied in some situations.

It's all well and good to overpay… but there are limits to that, too. 

That said, Arpon Basu wrote a sentence in a recent article that got me thinking. The Canadiens could improve… but not until next November, which is when teams typically take stock of their situation:

If the right conditions for acquiring a specific player—in the Canadiens' case, a top-6 forward—don't arise in July or August, they might arise when certain teams get off to a rough start and reassess their situation. – Arpon Basu

Does the Habs have the luxury of waiting until then? 

(Credit: Screenshot / X)

There are two sides to the coin.

On one hand, the Habs have the luxury of being able to wait because they already have a fairly solid core. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson… these guys are key players in Montreal and give the Habs a chance to win every night.

But on the other hand, there are other teams that have been able to improve since the start of the summer. And if the Canadiens get off to a rough start while other teams are performing well, it could be difficult to get back on track afterward… especially since the Habs' goal will be to make the playoffs, as has been the case for the past two years.

You can't say the Canadiens are in a super favorable position right now, but you can't say it's catastrophic either.

Because we've seen that the current roster is capable of producing positive results. But it certainly would help to add a talented player to that roster… and that's why we're all waiting to see Kent Hughes make a move.


In a nutshell

– Well done.

– Yeah.

– Worth noting.

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