Two Major Acquisitions for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens Have Just Been Suggested by an Analyst
We had an interesting segment from the excellent Jean-Charles Lajoie of TVA Sports regarding the Montreal Canadiens. We were eager to hear his take on potential acquisitions by Kent Hughes, now that the team is competitive and truly in the playoff race.
He has never been afraid to share his thoughts and propose ideas.
In his most recent piece, the TVA Sports host indeed suggested two possible offensive acquisitions for the Canadiens.
Ryan O'Reilly or Sidney Crosby with the Montreal Canadiens?
See the excerpt in question.
The same phenomenon would occur if a Ryan O'Reilly or, better yet, a Sidney Crosby were to join Patrik Laine and.. Kirby Dach at center. I think Dach would benefit from temporarily returning to the wing on the second line, as much as from having a veteran center by his side. [...]
The on-ice impact would be immediate in terms of results. And the psychological effect on the group of players would be just as significant.»
Jean-Charles Lajoie
Do you like the idea?
Personally, while I'd really like to believe it, I don't think Sidney Crosby is a realistic option.
However, Ryan O'Reilly could be very interesting, especially if the price is reasonable.
That aligns exactly with what I would do if I were the general manager of the Montreal Canadiens in Kent Hughes' place.
I'd be a "cautious buyer."
Trading a 3rd-round pick or even a 2nd-round pick to acquire an impact player? No problem.
The team deserves reinforcements.
However, I wouldn't touch my 1st-round picks or my top prospects.
O'Reilly, aged 33, is a very complete center, excellent defensively, and has 26 points in 41 games this season (69 points in 82 games last season).
He earns $4.5 million per year through 2027.
Jean-Charles Lajoie isn't the first to suggest this possibility.
And what do you think about it?
