Former Habs employee reveals Kent Hughes' next targeted trade

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Elias Edmonson
April 23, 2024 (3:02 PM)

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After the rapid emergence of players like Lane Hutson and Logan Mailloux, Stéphane Waite has just predicted Kent Hughes's next likely trade.

Clearly, young defenders like Hutson and Mailloux seem to be ready for the National Hockey League (possibly even David Reinbacher), so this will create an obvious surplus in defense.

Knowing that Kent Hughes hates to lose players (for nothing) on waivers, some experts are worried about the Canadiens keeping players like Justin Barron and Jordan Harris up, to avoid placing them on waivers.

The negative impact of this would be that young players like Mailloux and Hutson would be forced, due to their contract, to start the season in the AHL because they do not have to go through waivers.

That's why analyst and former CH employee Stéphane Waite proposes a solution.

On the airwaves of 98.5 Sports, Waite believes that the next trade by Kent Hughes will indeed involve one of these waiver-eligible defenders.

Justin Barron involved in the next Kent Hughes trade?

That's what Waite seems to believe.

"Lane Hutson has exceptional talent and is going to be a special player.

But our problem at the beginning of the season will be a guy like Justin Barron. He's on the verge of making the team but he has to go through waivers. But if we send him through waivers, he's gone. That's clear and plain! So, I would start him off the year in Montreal to show he's having a good start to the season and then trade him.

Then, you bring Hutson back to Montreal for the rest of the season. I have no problem with Lane Hutson playing a month in Laval. It will just be good for him."

- Stéphane Waite

Do you agree with him? Would you trade Justin Barron quite quickly?

Barron, 22 years old, 25th overall pick in 2020 (1st round) is a right-handed defenseman who has amassed 30 points in 94 career NHL games, including twelve goals.

He has collected 11 points in 32 games this year with the Laval Rocket, in the AHL.

Credit: HABSolumentFan - Stéphane Waite dévoile le joueur du Canadien qu'il échangerait