Four players have just been targeted at a good price for Kent Hughes, including a second overall pick
Since his arrival as General Manager of the Canadiens, Kent Hughes has had a rather positive record regarding the majority of transactions he has completed.
Among his good moves, we find the acquisitions of Kirby Dach and Sean Monahan last summer, and many Canadiens fans are wondering if the organization will be able to make some personnel moves to improve the team.
This is the question that Marco D'Amico from Montreal Hockey Now delved into in a recent article. He targeted four players that Kent Hughes could very well acquire at a good price during the offseason.
Firstly, there's a certain Kaapo Kakko from the New York Rangers, picked just ahead of Kirby Dach in the 2019 draft.
The Finnish forward had his best season in 2022-2023, but only 11 million dollars remain available in the Rangers' salary cap for next year, and Chris Drury will need to sign new contracts with young K'Andre Miller and Alexis Lafrenière.
Not to mention that another young player of the Blue Shirts, Filip Chytil, just signed a new deal and Kakko could very well be sacrificed by the Rangers' organization.
Also on D'Amico's list is Kings' right winger Viktor Arvidsson, who, similar to Kakko, could find himself on the market because the Kings will need to agree to new contracts with a few young players who will be restricted free agents.
The 30-year-old forward will spend his final contract year in 2023-2024, and with a salary of 4.25 million dollars, he could represent a good catch for the CH.
Another forward could very well interest Kent Hughes as the Colorado Avalanche may sacrifice center player Alex Newhook.
After two seasons in Colorado, he hasn't quite lived up to expectations and, like Kirby Dach, a fresh start could be beneficial for him.
And finally, the Canadiens could also be interested in defender Tyson Barrie of the Nashville Predators, who the Oilers sacrificed to get Mathias Ekholm at the trade deadline.
The veteran had an excellent season with 55 points and will spend his final contract year in 2023-2024. He could greatly help the CH's power play, which struggled a lot last season.
Even though these are just a few suggestions, the arrival of fresh blood in the organization would certainly be beneficial for the development of many young players and, as we've seen with the acquisition of Kirby Dach, a change of scenery can make all the difference.
| POLL | ||
Which of these four players would you like to see arrive in Montreal this summer? | ||
| Kaapo Kakko | 405 | 46.4 % |
| Victor Arvidsson | 112 | 12.8 % |
| Alex Newhook | 214 | 24.5 % |
| Tyson Barrie | 142 | 16.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
