Kent Hughes has just broken the silence regarding his targets with his first round picks
After spending a few weeks being discreet and preparing for the 2023 NHL Draft, the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, has just broken the silence.
He agreed to give an interview to Bryan Mudryk of TSN Hockey, and he broke the silence about the famous draft.
Of course, it's a complex process, focusing not only on the players' talent but also on their psychological aspect.
Some teams prioritize qualities such as work ethic, raw talent, and leadership.
In Montreal, a market considered one of the most demanding in the league, Kent Hughes and his team place great importance on character, resilience, and the ability to handle pressure, in addition to talent.
This was highlighted when they chose Juraj Slafkovsky over Shane Wright last summer, as Hughes' team was impressed by the character and pressure management ability of the young Slovak on the international stage despite his young age.
As for the 2023 Draft, Hughes mentioned that with his two first-round picks (which he currently has), he will target players with the following skills:
Character, resilience, and the ability to handle pressure. So it seems similar to last year, and know that this could really tip the balance for a player like Dalibor Dvorsky, who performs admirably under pressure and on the big stage. The same goes for Will Smith and his exploits with Team USA.
So when evaluating players who may interest the Canadiens, keep that in mind.
They will target mentally strong players.
See the details here and his full interview:
| POLL | ||
Which one would you take advantage of? | ||
| Will Smith | 601 | 70.5 % |
| Zach Benson | 83 | 9.7 % |
| Dalibor Dvorsky | 139 | 16.3 % |
| Andrew Cristall | 29 | 3.4 % |
| List of polls | ||
