Kent Hughes weighs in on the future of another Hab veteran as the trade deadline approaches

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Jeff Drouin
March 17, 2022 (8:51 PM)

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In the wake of the deal that sent Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers, Habs general manager Kent Hughes revealed his playbook regarding the team's strategy heading into the trade deadline and he was pretty clear about what's next.

« If we get calls for a deal that makes sense for us, we will consider it. But I've already warned the players, I have no intention of making a fire sale. »

While some CH players are still in waiting mode regarding their future in Montreal, we have learned a little more about defenseman Brett Kulak.

Jean-Francois Chaumont of the Journal de Montreal said that unless a miraculous offer is made, Kulak should stay with the team.

Kent Hughes mentioned that he would rather negotiate a new contract for the defenseman than try to trade him by March 21.

« We like Brett Kulak as a player, we have no interest in trading him. I can never say we won't trade a player. If there's an offer we can't refuse, we'll certainly consider it. I can tell you that we are not making calls to ask other teams if they have any interest in Brett Kulak. »

The 28-year-old defenseman is in the same situation as Chiarot as he will become a free agent this summer but with his teammate's departure for Florida, it is clear that Martin St-Louis and Luke Richardson will have more confidence in him by the end of the season.

Kulak also reacted to his teammate's departure and had nothing but good things to say about him.

« Ben was always talking about his teammates, young and old. He had a long playoff run in Winnipeg and with us last year. You could tell he was a good pro, he's been in the NHL a long time. He played jokes, he liked to play tricks. He was a guy who always had a smile on his face, a good teammate. He played big minutes for us. »

As for Kulak's future in Montreal, Chiarot's departure means that Kent Hughes would be sure to keep a good veteran with the team if he were to come to an agreement with his defenseman. Kulak may not be Ben Chiarot, but he is still a reliable back and could eventually serve as a mentor to Jordan Harris and Kaiden Guhle when these two young prospects arrive in Montreal.