Five players that Kent Hughes could acquire in 2024, including two stars

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MarcO
August 13, 2023 (0:43)

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For some time now, we have seen Kent Hughes maneuvering, and one thing is certain, he is trying at all costs to comply with the salary cap, using LTIR as little as possible.

As reported by Capfriendly, the CH is currently over the salary cap by about $3.5M, based on 21 players on the active roster (12F-7D-2G) and 5 players on IR/LTIR. This surplus, which does not include Carey Price's $10.5M salary on LTIR, could very well decrease with one or two trades.

If Kent Hughes currently has quite a bit of room, he will have even more next summer.

As of now, the CH has over $15M of cap space for the summer of 2024 with only three restricted free agents to sign in Samuel Montembeault, Arber Xhekaj, and Justin Barron.

Add Price's contract that could still go on LTIR, and the CH will have over $25M. Minus a few performance bonuses (+/- $4M), the CH could have nearly $11M (without Price) of cap space.

Also, don't forget that the cap will increase significantly, if rumors are to be believed, next summer! Solid!

This $11M of cap space (or + $21M with Price on LTIR) would be a significant asset to welcome a brand-name unrestricted free agent next summer.

On this subject, the list of free agents for next year, provided by Capfriendly, is very enticing:

Imagine how the club's progression would take a higher level with William Nylander or Elias Pettersson in its ranks. These two names might very well test the market as their futures with their respective clubs are highly uncertain.

William Nylander

Rumor has it that Auston Matthews' next contract will be one of the biggest ever awarded in the NHL. If the Leafs want to keep the American's services, they will have to let other good players go to free up space.

That's why William Nylander is, according to many, presumed to be the one who will be sacrificed by the Leafs by next summer. Just imagine him landing in Montreal, with the enemy, eager to show his former bosses the mistake they made.

Rumors say he wants a salary close to $10M per season. If he maintains a pace of more than one point per game with the CH, he could, despite his high price, become an important asset to the club.

Elias Pettersson

JP Barry, the young player's agent, recently mentioned on CHEK television that he still hasn't had discussions with the Canucks regarding a contract extension. The one who just had a 102-point season seems to like Vancouver but would like to play for a team that can win quickly.

If the CH progresses as we think, the Montreal organization would have a much better chance of winning in the near future than the Canucks. The one who has averaged $7.35M over the past three campaigns will undoubtedly be very expensive!

Other possibilities

If he doesn't aim for a home run, Hughes could well add one or two reliable and experienced veterans. We could think of a return of Tyler Toffoli or the addition of a Brandon Montour or a Jake Guentzel that could solidify the club's lineup.

The Hughes/Gorton duo seems more inclined to rejuvenate its lineup rather than age it. As we recently mentioned, the CH now has the 6th youngest team in the league after Joel Edmundson's departure. Following this philosophy, club management might be tempted to hire young players who will hit the free-agent market for the first time in their career. In this logic, the names of Martin Necas, or even Brandon Hagel are most interesting if they are still available on July 1st.

No matter the path Hughes follows, it's interesting to see that he has planned ahead and will indeed be ready for next summer. This foretells a most interesting 2023-2024 season!