Acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in August along with a second-round pick in the 2025 draft in exchange for Jordan Harris, the Finnish forward will be sidelined for 2 to 3 months due to a sprained right knee.
Some Habs fans would like Kent Hughes to find reinforcement to fill the loss of number 92, at least until the holidays.
As reported by DansLesCoulisses, the Canadiens' GM is not currently on the phone with his counterparts across the NHL.
At least, that's the opinion of Pierre LeBrun, who spoke with Hughes to find out if he was trying to acquire another forward while waiting for the return of his new addition.
However, if the right opportunity comes along, he won't say no. If a player like Jakob Pelletier were to be placed on NHL waivers, I don't see how Kent Hughes wouldn't at least give him a chance.
Otherwise, a forward like Trevor Zegras, who is still available on the trade market, could be an option, even if Kent Hughes is not at all pressured to make a «move.»
The renowned insider shared this information during an episode of the Radar podcast, which you can watch below.
It's safe to say that if Laine had been lost for the season, the organization would have reacted differently to the situation.
But this also shows that the Canadiens have confidence in their current forwards to fill the gap, at least in the short term, in Laine's absence and that there is now a depth that didn't exist in the past.
It remains to be seen which forward Martin St. Louis will use to fill the void left by the loss of the Finnish forward.
POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 3 | 806 ANSWERS Kent Hughes responds to Pierre LeBrun regarding the possible acquisition of another top-6 forward in Montreal Should Kent Hughes seek reinforcement to replace Patrik Laine until the holidays? | ||
Yes | 370 | 45.9 % |
No | 436 | 54.1 % |
List of polls |