Trade market: Hughes announces upcoming move and reveals what he aims to acquire

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Jeff Drouin
October 13, 2022 (10:36 PM)

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Since his arrival with the Canadiens in the role of general manager, we can say that Kent Hughes has done an excellent job.

Not only has he been able to make significant changes to the team, but he has also managed to get draft picks that could prove to be real steals. Just think of Filip Mesar, who Hughes selected with the Flames' first pick in the trade that sent Tyler Toffoli to Calgary.

But now the former player's agent is reportedly intent on adding more draft picks to his team's already healthy bank.

As reported by Samuel Doiron of Habsolumentfan.com, tipster Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now, the Habs' GM is reportedly on a mission this year to pick up a third first-round pick in the 2023 draft, something that hasn't been seen in Montreal since 1981.

At least that's what he mentioned in an interview for The Athletic.

"We're going to make some moves, some trades. We might do it in October, we might do it in January, we'll do it at the trade deadline, but we'll make moves, generally speaking, and those moves are going to be to acquire either prospects or picks again.

We have two first round picks. In a perfect world, we end up with three first round picks. Then we'll use those assets to see what we can do in terms of acquiring higher picks or whatever, depending on what we see in the draft."

As we know, the Habs have, in addition to their first-round pick, the Florida Panthers' pick, obtained in the Ben Chiarot trade, and of course, this pick is expected to come late in the first round.

As for where the Habs should be talking, the odds of them being in the top five are very good and let's just say that with Connor Berdard, Matvei Mitchkov and Adam Fantilli expected to be the top prospects in the 2023 draft, Habs fans will certainly be paying close attention in the coming weeks.