Former coach reveals players he would trade to acquire a star forward

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MarcO
April 8, 2024 (11:53 PM)

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The Habs' blue line is deep, and many believe that Kent Hughes should start trading names like Logan Mailloux or Lane Hutson.

The names that most often come up regarding a next trade are those of Jordan Harris and Justin Barron. However, the return wouldn't be very large, although Barron could have some value as we mentioned recently.

Major trade involving a young CH defenseman this summer to acquire a forward (another trade like the Alex Romanov one): here are the two untouchables of the Canadiens

On his part, former NHL player Éric Bélanger analyzed the situation. According to him, there would only be two untouchables: Lane Hutson and Kaiden Guhle

He would thus be open to trading David Reinbacher, Logan Mailloux, or Arber Xhekaj if the offer was good.

«Having said that, I'm not saying I don't like Reinbacher, Mailloux, Xhekaj, far from it! I'm just saying that if the phone rings for these guys, I answer.

You know, when you manage a hockey team and you have a specific plan, you sometimes have to make heartbreaking and painful decisions for the good of the team. If there's one thing we've noticed since Kent Hughes arrived, it's that he respects his plan.

I'm very eager to see Reinbacher develop in North America, I think Mailloux will be quite the force in the NHL, Xhekaj is a rare commodity, and Struble is a good young defenseman with great potential, but at the risk of repeating myself, I would be ready to listen to offers for them.» - Éric Bélanger

Returning to the two untouchables, here's what the former coach of the Trois-Rivières Lions had to say:

«Guhle has the makings of a captain. He's already a leader and the way he behaves on the ice (except for stick infractions when he's on the bench) fascinates me. It's great to see him in action, and he's only 22 years old.» - Éric Bélanger

on Hutson: «It's VERY ambitious to label him as such before he's played a single game in the NHL, but seriously, what talent!

I don't think I've seen a defenseman as offensively gifted with the Canadiens since Andrei Markov, and I can already imagine Hutson leading the power play for many years.» - Éric Bélanger

These revelations will raise eyebrows, especially regarding Hutson, as many people think that due to his size, he may not perform well in the NHL. As for Guhle, others fear his fragility and would like to take advantage of his current value to acquire a big forward. His name has even been linked to someone like Trevor Zegras

Trading such a defenseman could also allow acquiring a Martin Necas or a Kent Johnson.

Via La Poche Bleue: Deux intouchables, that's it!