If you listen to Kent Hughes, Habs aren’t ready to trade

Watching the Canadiens struggle on the ice, it’s easy to advise Kent Hughes to get some help.

Because as it stands, the club won’t be in the mix if it continues to lose more often than not.

But the GM isn’t panicking. He’s sticking to his plan…

We know that Kent Hughes is looking at the long term. His goal is to see the Canadiens be competitive for a long time to come… But that doesn’t mean he automatically has to make a move right now to make that happen.

After all, the Canadiens aren’t one player away from being one of the National League’s dominant clubs. Far from it, in fact.

That’s why, for the time being, the idea of a trade is not the priority of the GM, who met with the NHL’s general managers at their meeting.

Instead, Kent Hughes is using his time to evaluate the players he currently has on hand:

We’re not going to do short-term things that are going to interfere with our long-term goals. – Kent Hughes

TVA Sports also published an article on the subject:

Here’s what the Habs GM had to say at the GM meeting https://t.co/gBXtnV2df4

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) November 12, 2024

In recent weeks, there have been rumors that the Canadiens’ GM was looking for a defenseman.

But being interested in a player and paying the big bucks to go get him is different.

Kent Hughes has his eyes set on the future, and that’s why he’s not ready to sacrifice his pieces to help the club right now.

In a way, that would be illogical, because the Canadiens’ season… Well, let’s just say we shouldn’t necessarily expect much glory based on what we’ve been seeing lately.

All of which is to say that we shouldn’t necessarily expect a trade based on the words of Kent Hughes, because the organization’s plan is to learn more about the guys already in place to see if they can help the team in the long term.

And I don’t think that’s a bad thing in the current context.

Overtime

– Of note:

The #Leafs have assigned Matt Benning to the AHL Marlies after he cleared waivers.

– Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 12, 2024

– Jets add depth in front of net.

Winnipeg reclaims Kaapo Kähkönen off waivers from Colorado.

– Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 12, 2024

– At least…

The Habs power of friendship is real pic.twitter.com/tqtzqtD28R

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) November 12, 2024

– Dante Fabbro in his new colors:

Fabbro’s first CBJ skate! @Ticketmaster | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/0loykdJas8

– Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 12, 2024