Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens’ GM Comments on Team’s Trade Deadline Strategy

Kent Hughes says the Canadiens are not holding a fire sale, but what else does he have on the go before the NHL Trade Deadline?

by
NHL Trade Talk
March 17, 2022

New general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes, says, “We’re not looking to make a fire sale.” Just hours after trading defenseman Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers and a few weeks after moving Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames, fans and insiders are wondering what other moves the Canadiens have on the go before the March 21 deadline.

“We’re not looking to make a fire sale…”

While the Montreal Canadiens can be classified as sellers ahead of the trade deadline, GM Kent Hughes made it clear Thursday that not everyone on the team's roster is available: https://t.co/yN6yEY9MNR #TSNHockey pic.twitter.com/jX84Lgmnlx
— TSN Hockey (@TSNHockey) March 17, 2022

Of the names that have surfaced most frequently out of the Canadiens organization, defenseman Jeff Petry is a long shot to be traded, simply because of his contract. A deal to move him could go down during the summer if a team shows interest. Artturi Lehkonen is attracting interest from teams, but any club inquiring will have to overpay to convince the Canadiens to let him go. As a pending UFA, Brett Kulak could be on the move, but the Canadiens have hinted they’ll keep him if the trade offers aren’t strong.

Any suggestion that Josh Anderson or Brendan Gallagher were likely on the trade block wasn’t met with much proof to back up those claims. Anything is possible, but Hughes is still in the process of evaluating his roster and there’s plenty of reason to suggest both of the players could be important pieces for the franchise moving forward.

Canadiens Might Be Done Their Big Moves

As for what moves can be expected, that’s hard to say. But, if Hughe’s plan is to be patient and the return for Chiarot suggests anything — a first, a recent third, and a 4th — then he’s on the right track to getting as much as he can for the players he’s willing to part with.

It’s also clear Hughes plans to retool and not rebuild. There’s already talk he’s going to chase after some high-end free agents during the summer and that lends credence to the thought he’s not selling off much else over the next few days.

Next: 3 Teams Talking to Blackhawks Regarding Dominik Kubalik Trade