Kent Hughes has quite a headache ahead of him between now and the end of training camp

DansLesCoulisses.com
Kent Hughes has quite a headache ahead of him between now and the end of training camp
Credit: Capture d'écran/Twitter

The further along training camp goes, the more it becomes clear that the young players are performing well, while some veterans are struggling a bit. Kirby Dach is the best example of this.

This creates quite a headache for Kent Hughes, who will have some big decisions to make between now and the end of training camp. It's impossible for him to keep 15 forwards on the big team at the same time.

During a visit to “L'Antichambre” on Thursday, the Canadiens' general manager hinted that he'll have tough decisions to make, but that this is a good problem to have.

“When you have 14–15 players who can play on offense or 8–9 players on defense, there are going to be players who are disappointed from one game to the next. I'd rather have that than the opposite.” – Kent Hughes

What could influence Kent Hughes' decision is whether or not the players have to go through waivers. As we all know, the Habs' GM hates losing players without getting anything in return.

Hughes spoke highly of the training camp performances of Florian Xhekaj, David Reinbacher, Adam Engstrom, and Owen Beck, but these four players could join the Rocket without even going through waivers.

Things might not be going well for Kirby Dach, but it would be surprising to see Kent Hughes risk losing him for nothing in waivers.

That's where it becomes a real problem. As Hughes mentioned, there will be disappointed players. The best example is Samuel Blais, who recently hinted at his thoughts regarding how the Habs manage their players.

Based on Kent Hughes' approach, the Canadiens' roster to start the season could look very similar to last year's.

The general manager, however, was quick to clarify that this isn't a minor-league hockey team and that changes to the roster are to be expected as the season progresses.

These remarks are particularly encouraging for the young players who worked tirelessly during training camp.

Hughes also discussed the goaltending situation. According to him, there won't be a three-way rotation in front of the Habs' net this season. He expects only two goaltenders to start the season with the big club, though there could be a rotation down the road.


In Brief

– It makes sense that contracts are getting more astronomical.

– That could create a great rivalry with the Alouettes.

– New contract for Eliakim Awonongbadje.

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