Turnaround for a veteran defenseman, he could be traded today by Kent Hughes

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Jeff Drouin
March 18, 2022 (12:59)

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There is a lot going on in the NHL and with the Montreal Canadiens.

With the trade deadline being Monday, it's not surprising. It's getting tougher.

We told you a few minutes ago about a possible Habs trade that could be announced today, according to the renowned Darren Dreger.

There's more. Clearly, the NHL GMs responded to Kent Hughes' comments yesterday at a press conference. In the wake of the trade that sent Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers, the Habs GM revealed his plan for defenseman Brett Kulak.

Barring a great trade offer, Kulak is expected to stay with the team. Hughes even 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 we're not making calls to ask other teams if they have interest in Brett Kulak."

Well, lo and behold, there seems to be a turnaround in this matter. According to several sources cited by Panagiotis Mavridis of The Hockey Writers, several teams called the Habs again yesterday and made serious inquiries about Kulak.

From what we've learned, the price tag would be nothing less than a second round pick. If the CH is offered a second round pick, Kulak will most likely be traded. Now, will any team offer him? To be continued, but interest has increased after yesterday's press conference and several competitive teams are really interested in 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 leaving for Florida, it is clear that Martin St-Louis and Luke Richardson will have more confidence in him by the end of the season.

For a 2nd round pick, would you trade him?