Important statement from a Montreal Canadiens executive and it's causing a huge reaction

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MarcO
November 25, 2022 (1:38 PM)

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As you know, the Montreal Canadiens are off to a surprisingly good start this season, beyond expectations, and that puts the team's management in a special position.

On the one hand, they don't want to deviate from the initial plan and (rightly) they don't want to start trading away picks and youngsters to try to make the playoffs, but on the other hand, it becomes harder to be a "seller" when the team performs like this.

There are also the names of Connor Bedard and Adam Fantilli that continue to move away from Montreal.

With a record of 10-9-1 in 20 games, the Habs are closer to the playoff race than the race for the first overall pick.

We're in a pretty tough "in-between" situation, and the worst-case scenario would be for the Habs to finish 18th or 19th overall in the NHL, so out of the playoffs and well outside of a top-5 overall pick in the next draft (of an extraordinary class).

A complex situation

So much so, that management thinks the team is playing a little too well, according to what Jean-Francois Chaumont of the Journal de Montreal reports.

"I remember riding the elevator with a Canadiens executive after a road win. I said "it's going well for the CH!". This person started laughing. He told me "a little too much!"

It's still major, but we absolutely understand what he means here, and there's obviously some truth to this statement.

One thing is certain, no matter how well the club does, Hughes' plan doesn't change.

"I don't think we're going to change the plan completely. We're going to keep the same direction. The Habs won't give away their first-round pick for short-term backup," Chaumont hints.

And that's just fine. To listen to the full segment, it's here:

Credit: Alex Desrosiers, Rumeursdetransaction.com