Hughes is getting calls for a trade involving a CH veteran in high demand and that surprises many

PUBLICATION

Jeff Drouin
July 19, 2022 (10:29)

SHARE THIS STORY

Now that Jeff Petry has been traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins, there is only one Habs defenseman left who was on the roster when they reached the Stanley Cup Final last year, and that is Joel Edmundson.

No. 44 is now considered the veteran of the defensive brigade, along with David Savard, and some pundits see him as the team's next captain, but as Fanadiens.com's Patrick Beausejour reports, the veteran defenseman may be changing his address as well.

Informant Frank Seravalli mentioned that Kent Hughes has reportedly received calls from some NHL general managers regarding Edmundson (for a trade).

However, Seravalli mentioned that for now, Hughes has no intention of moving his defenseman, who will enter the third year of a four-year contract signed in the fall of 2020.

While the Habs could potentially trade Edmundson to save money on payroll, his presence in the team's dressing room could be essential considering the number of young defensemen in the organization.

And with the team rebuilding, the likes of Kaiden Guhle, Justin Barron, Jordan Harris and Logan Mailloux will need a veteran presence to one day become established NHL defensemen.

So, the chances of Kent Hughes trading him seem very slim, but there is a lot of interest in the NHL right now for Edmundson's services.