Bob Hartley just revealed a trade made by Kent Hughes that would already be a real steal
When Kent Hughes traded Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling to the Pittsburgh Penguins for defenseman Michael Matheson last July, some Canadiens fans were, let's say, rather disappointed with the return.
While it was expected that the American defenseman would bring back some prospects or even draft picks, it must be said that the Canadiens' general manager knew what he was doing and he deserves a lot of credit, as this transaction is turning out to be in his favor.
Although Petry has somewhat regained his offensive touch with the Penguins, the acquisition of Matheson is a real steal according to a former NHL head coach.
As reported by Nicolas Desrosiers of Marquer.com, Bob Hartley was very complimentary of the Quebec defenseman during his appearance on BPM Sports' airwaves, describing this trade as a stroke of genius on Kent Hughes' part.
He also added that having a defenseman of this quality in the defensive corps is a real plus for the many young Canadiens defensemen they can count on as an example to follow.
The same goes for journalist Anthony Martineau of TVA Sports, who used a funny comparison to describe Matheson's excellent play on the ice.
That's really the image that keeps coming back to me."
Since the start of the season, the Canadiens' number 8 has collected 20 points in 33 games, which would give him a production close to 50 points over a full 82-game season.
He still has three more seasons under contract at $4.85 million per year, and it's a safe bet that he will be an important asset for the Canadiens going forward.
| POLL | ||
Do you agree with Bob Hartley and Anthony Martineau's comments about Michael Matheson? | ||
| Yes | 118 | 86.8 % |
| No | 18 | 13.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
