Author: Dose

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Once again, Kent Hughes has won his prize

I don’t think I need to tell you what the hot news is in Montreal. What I’m going to talk about in this piece is the fact that Kent Hughes seems to be a genius. Okay, there have been a few minor missteps since he took over as general manager of the organization, but that’s almost nothing compared to the excellent moves he’s made. In his column of bad moves, we’re obviously thinking of the acquisition of Kirby Dach. Frank Nazar really does seem to have a promising future in the NHL, and there was also the trade of Arturri Lehkonen, who was sent to Colorado for Justin Barron and a second-round pick. But Hughes recovered nicely by using that second-round pick to acquire Michael Hage. And he also traded Barron, one for one, for Alexandre Carrier, who played an important role in getting the team into the playoffs last spring. But when you look at the GM’s moves, one thing becomes clear: once again, Kent Hughes has had his price, and that’s of course Carey Price. Many people see the Carey Price contract trade as a stroke of genius:

[content-ads]Trading a staggering contract like Price’s often comes with a pretty hefty price tag. Consider the Flames’ gift of Sean Monahan in addition to a first-round pick, and based on this tweet, we understand that trading Price’s contract would have technically required a second-round pick…

Another stroke of genius from KH.

Continuing to talk about Hughes’ patience and the acquisitions/signings he’s made at a good price since arriving in Montreal, we can of course think of Jake Evans. The rumours went on for quite some time in his case, and the GM was very patient and managed to get a good price for his centreman.The text below talks about some of the good moves made by the Habs GM, and one wonders whether Hughes could be one of the organization’s best GMs in a long time.

In this text, we also talk about Noah Dobson. Although his contract extension didn’t call for patience, he was able to negotiate a lower salary for his new defenseman. We’re reminded that Dobson was asking no less than $11M per season from the Islanders and would accept $10M per year if he became a member of the Habs. In the end, it turned out to be $9.5 M per season. This may seem high, but the most important aspect to remember is the increase in the salary cap. Considering that the 2026-27 season could see a payroll of over $104 M, the percentage of his salary will obviously be much smaller. Compared to Suzuki’s, and at the time of his signing, the percentage of the payroll he’ll occupy will be quite low.

We can also mention the acquisition of Patrik Laine, who arrived in Montreal, along with a second-round pick for Jordan Harris, who no longer belonged in Montreal. Obviously, his high salary is quite important in the equation, but he was able to propel the powerplay to its best and clearly helped the club make the playoffs. The same cannot be said for Jordan Harris and what he could have done in Montreal last year. What’s more, the Habs could afford to take on Laine’s salary ($8.7 million per season) for two campaigns. In short, I think we can come to a consensus: Kent Hughes is certainly one of the best Habs GMs in a long time, probably since Serge Savard. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – A big thank you to this Habs (and Rocket) legend.

– Don’t expect it to settle in the time it takes to say it.

– Incredible.

– Indeed.

– Good contract-bridge on both sides.

– All’s well that ends well.

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Carey Price is gone: time to bring in a second center

For the first time since 2005, Carey Price is no longer a member of the Canadiens organization, having been traded to the Sharks. And even if it was just a formality, it’s now official:a new page has been turned in the city.Of course, the reason it was done was to give the club a boost in terms under the cap. And what about Gannon Laroque? If he’s injured and doesn’t play, his salary doesn’t really hurt. And if he does play, his cap hit of $836,667 is well hidden in the minors. So, in my eyes, everyone wins. After all, as we speak, theCanadiens find themselves with $4.56 million under the salary cap.

[content-ads]As our colleague Maxime Truman said in a piece where he talked about the Price deal in relation to another potential acquisition, the Habs can go out and get even more. How? By starting the season with 22 guys instead of 23 on the roster. Let’s go a step further: if the Habs are going to get one more player, they can also give up a guy to Laval and free up even more salary. And that brings us to our next point: the Habs are now in a position to make a move.

🤞

Many people have linked Price’s departure to a potential arrival. I’m not saying that Kent Hughes is going to go and get “little McTavish in Anaheim” and give him a bridge contract… but he can now do it.The first domino has fallen, in any case. [spacer title=’prolongation’]- Now that Price is no longer a member of the organization, he shouldn’t be present at the Bell Centre for the opening game, as was the case before. Right?if he’s inducted into the Hall of Fame in June 2026, when his contract hasn’t expired yet… it’ll be funny.

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Carey Price is traded to San Jose

We knew there was a good chance Carey Price would be traded, and guess what? It’s done. The Habs have traded the goaltender to the San Jose Sharks – along with a fifth-round pick – in return for defenseman Gannon Laroque.

More details to come…

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David Reinbacher: Rocket wishes he could have used him every night after injury

When David Reinbacher returned from his serious injury last season, he didn’t play every night. And the reason was simple: the Canadiens wanted to take their time with him, so that he could get back into the swing of things. But that’s not because Laval didn’t want him to play. Far from it… Daniel Jacob, on Patrik Bexell’s podcast (Habsent Minded), said it out loud: the Rocket would have liked to have him in the line-up every night.The Rocket would have liked to be able to count on him every game.And hearing that, it’s easy to understand: the CH had a clear, precise plan for his rehabilitation. And in a way, that’s normal… because we know that the organization cares (a lot) about him.Montreal management didn’t want to risk anything, which isn’t surprising.

[content-ads] Daniel Jacob touched on another interesting topic in the podcast and I think it’s relevant to talk about. This summer… the Habs wanted to see Reinbacher improve in one specific area (as is the case with many other youngsters): they wanted him to work on his physical strength in the gym. The Canadiens liked the idea of seeing the defenseman get bigger, stronger, faster… and maybe that’s what it takes for him to one day be a talented NHL defenseman who can keep up and hold his own against the league’s players. Remember that Reinbacher says he’s 100% ready for next season, and that’s good news too.

The defender hasn’t had it easy in the last two years… but if he can start the campaign strong, if he can play to develop – whether in Montreal or Laval – it will help him in his progression. And that’s what’s important right now. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – Price for me. You?

– No surprise there.

– Will they be able to punch their ticket to the playoffs?

– Bravo!

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Lane Hutson: “we’re not going to start giving $80m to someone who’s only played one year”

This summer, when it came to Lane Hutson, two things got the most attention: his contract and the lack of an invitation to the U.S. team’s summer camp. And thanks to Rob Hutson, both topics came back to the forefront. We understand that Lane Hutson’s father talked mostly about the U.S. team… but the whining in question made it all about him.

This morning on BPM Sports, Renaud Lavoie addressed the subject at length.I wonder what Rob Hutson thinks of the negotiations… but wait a week and we might find out. What exactly are the elements that make a contract signing not imminent? That’s the question on everyone’s mind at the moment, and it’s clear from the journalist’s comments on the morning show that if Hutson wants $10m right now, it’s not going to happen [content-ads] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCNCKGv0MVk Why?

Because Renaud Lavoie mentioned that the Canadiens don’t want to give $80 million (eight years at $10 million a year) to a youngster who’s only played one year in the show.So if he wants it now, it won’t happen. Renaud’s official prediction, should a contract be signed soon, is $8.5 million a year. That’s more than Nick Suzuki, but less than Patrik Laine, Carey Price… and Noah Dobson.[content-ads]And on that subject, we need to talk about Noah Dobson. Renaud Lavoie mentioned that he was the Canadiens’ #1 defenseman, and reminded us that Lane Hutson was going to have to fight to stay on the first powerplay.

And if Hutson plays on the second power play, he’ll logically score fewer points… which will affect salary negotiations, should a contract not yet be signed.It’s important to remember that Noah Dobson earns $9.5 million a year. But he was a year away from complete autonomy when he signed his contract with the Canadiens.Lane Hutson, if he signs soon, would get quite a few years of autonomy WITH restrictions. And since he won’t have arbitration rights in 2026 and won’t be eligible for offer sheets in a year’s time either, that complicates his negotiating power. It’s a complex file, then. [spacer title=’en rafale’]- Wow.– NCAA: not too many losses in Quebec?[98.5 FM] – To read.

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Lane Hutson: his father opens the door to seeing him play for Canada one day

Lane Hutson has not been invited to the U.S. Olympic orientation camp. As you already know, there’s been a lot of talk about this in recent weeks,but what we’ve learned since then is that the news hasn’t exactly made those around him very happy. And that makes sense: even if Quinn Hughes does exist, not inviting Hutson is… peculiar. and tonight, on an episode of his Recrutes HabsCast, Grant McCagg shared an interview with Lane’s father, Rob Hutson. Andin the following excerpt, which lasts a few minutes, you can feel Rob’s heart sinking… and he even goes so far as to mention something very interesting:

Yes, Lane could decide to represent Canada one day.

–

Rob Hutson

https://youtu.be/TQyFUjIhHd0?si=wRT1-F5rjUy94I-t&t=628 [content-ads]In fact, what you need to know is that although all four Hutson brothers were born in the USA, they are also Canadian citizens. This is something that the boys’ father explains during the podcast… and it’s interesting in the current context.Because we sense that the father feels he hasn’t been treated with dignity by USA Hockey, an organization in which he and his family have been involved for a long, long time.And of course, you might think that the Habs defenseman would have a better chance of playing for Canada than for the United States. After all, there’s a feeling south of the border that Quinn Hughes and Lane Hutson aren’t wanted on the same squad… infact, Cale Makar is already the offensive superstar at the blue line… but he’s bigger than Hughes is. There‘s more of a way for Makar and Hutson to coexist, let’s say.So we’ll be keeping a close eye on all this over the next few years, but we agree it would be quite a turnaround. Spacer title=’Prolongation’] During the podcast, Lane’s father stated that his son is now 5’10” tall,and according to him, he’s starting to catch up with Nick Suzuki in terms of height.

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26-27: A salary cap of $104 million (minimum) is planned

Last season in the NHL (24-25), the salary cap was $88 M. For the 25-26 campaign… the salary cap will be $95.5 M in the National League. We know that the league is healthy and that the cap will go up in the next few years, but how high? But how high? According to David Pagnotta(Winnipeg Sports Talk), in 26-27… the cap could go as high as $104 M. In fact, the tipster told the podcast that it’s supposed to be “at least” $104 M for the 26-27 season, which is pretty notable.There are GMs in the NHL who are going to have a field day….

[content-ads] For a club like the Canadiens, for example, it’s really interesting.

Price’s contract, which is worth $10.5 million on the Habs’ payroll (and could be traded by then), is about to expire… and that’s going to leave Kent Hughes some room to maneuver. Especially in a context where the Habs GM will have three relatively important files – two in particular, in fact – on the table: that of Arber Xhekaj, that of Mike Matheson and that of Lane Hutson.

We know that Lane Hutson is likely to be on the chopping block after all, but knowing that the cap will rise considerably will also allow Kent Hughes to be more aggressive in his approaches.

The ultimate goal is well known: the GM of the Canadiens wants to improve his club’s ability to succeed on the ice, and when you look on PuckPedia and see that the Habs have a projected cap space of $37,696,667… it’s easy to see that things could get pretty shaky in Montreal.

[spacer title=’Overtime’] – Hehe.

– Hum.

– To be continued.

– Oh yeah?

– Interesting.

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Carey Price traded: Frank Seravalli thinks it’s a “long shot”

Today is September 4, and… Carey Price is still with the Montreal Canadiens, and his final signing bonus was paid earlier this week (Monday), making it “easier” to trade him elsewhere. But will it absolutely happen? In the eyes of Frank Seravalli(Bleacher Report), the answer to that question is no. The tipster thinks it’s more of a “long shot”… and the reason is simple: for Kent Hughes to dance, he needs to find a partner. The Habs are interested in the idea, that said.

But if the other NHL clubs don’t think it would be better to welcome Price to their books, it’ll be hard for Hughes to budge.

[content-ads] The situation, we know.

Certain clubs – who must respect the salary floor – have been targeted in recent days: the Sharks, the Blackhawks, the Penguins… On paper, it might make sense to see one of these teams acquire Price.It would help with the payroll and the fact that there’s only $2 million left to pay him (in salary) between now and the end of the year.

But then again, these clubs won’t automatically move to please Kent Hughes and the Habs organization. We know, after all: by trading Price, the Canadiens can give themselves more options to make a deal. And right now, the club is in dire need of a 2nd center: we know that too. Things could go fast, if Price is traded in the next few days or hours. But it’s got to be done… and that’s kind of the rub right now. [spacer title=’Overtime’] – The trade we’ve been waiting for all summer! #Not

– It’s been a long time.

– I like the mentality.

– Good question.

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Mike Matheson’s next contract: “$6.5M is the base”

In a year’s time, next July, three Canadiens defensemen will need new contracts: Mike Matheson, Lane Hutson and Arber Xhekaj. Xhekaj, who will be a restricted free agent, shouldn’t be too hard to deal with in terms of salary. Hutson, of course, is getting a lot more attention. He’ll be an unrestricted free agent and won’t be eligible for hostile offers, but he’ll still be able to ask for the moon. And finally, there’s the case of Matheson. The Québécois will be an unrestricted free agent in a year’s time (if nothing changes between now and then)… but given his importance to the club and the youngsters on the rise, we wonder what’s in store for the veteran. We know that Matheson loves playing in his hometown. But what we don’t know is whether Matheson and his former agent (Kent Hughes) are able to find the right contract (at the right price and for the right number of years) to keep the Québécois in town. And on this subject, Renaud Lavoie, in his column of the day on BPM Sports with Anthony Desaulniers, Anthony Marcotte and Gilbert Delorme, gave some clues. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMvFLvoECUc [content-ads]What Renaud mentions is that in real dollars (i.e. not the impact on the mass, which is 4.875M), Mike Matheson will earn $6.5M in 2025-2026.We’re talking $2M in signing bonuses and $4.5M in base salary over the course of the year.

(Credit: PuckPedia)

So, according to the informant, this is the basis of what Matheson, who is 31 and will be 32 this season, can ask for in his next contract, which would begin next summer. We don’t know how many years he’ll ask for, of course. Can such a contract be signed with the Canadiens? Will he do as others have done and leave money on the table to stay? Does Kent Hughes, despite a rising ceiling, think he can afford to sign such a contract? These are good questions, but we don’t have the answers. Above all, it will depend on how much Lane Hutson will take on his next contract… #StructureSalariale

(Credit: CapWages)

[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Speaking of Kent Hughes,

– Interesting.

– Good question.

– Marc-Édouard Vlasic wants to continue his career. [98.5 FM] – Blue Jays win

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David Reinbacher: “it’s up to him” if he starts the year in Montreal, says Kent Hughes

David Reinbacher is a great project in the organization, and the Canadiens believe in him to the point where he was drafted ahead of Matvei Michkov and many other top players. Why? Because the Habs believe in him, and because he’s a right-handed defenseman who would, in the best of all possible worlds, line up on the blue line with Lane Hutson for years to come. Obviously, it’s been tough in recent years. We didn’t hear much about him following his “lost” season in Kloten at 18, and the one he lost in Laval due to a serious injury at 19. But now Reinbacher is ready to play to the best of his ability, and he’s going to be hungry at the Habs camp.

In an interview with Pierre LeBrun (The Athletic), the Habs GM said:

“We’re hoping David will have a full season behind the tie, and it’s up to him whether he starts in Laval or Montreal. But we took him fifth overall because we believe in what he can offer and we can’t wait to see him be an important part of the club.

–

Kent Hughes

[content-ads]Obviously, when we say “Reinbacher decides” where he starts the year, we mean that it’s his on-ice performance at camp that will dictate everything. To me, that’s stronger than simply saying he’s likely to steal a chair.

In fact, in my eyes, if Reinbacher deserves to start the season in the NHL following his camp, the Canadiens MUST make room for him, on the heels of the boss‘s comments .Otherwise, it wouldn’t be consistent with the GM’s statements.

Remember that, at the moment, seven defensemen (Lane Hutson, Noah Dobson, Kaiden Guhle, Mike Matheson, Alexandre Carrier, Jayden Struble and Arber Xhekaj) are lining up to start the NHL season – if all goes well.So if everyone is healthy, making room for the Austrian won’t be easy. But if he deserves it and plays in camp the way he played in the playoffs in Laval, we’ll have to make room for him.[spacer title=’Overtime’]- Raising $25,000 is excellent.

– Normal.

– Enjoy.

– Taylor Swift in the next Super Bowl?[RDS] – Wow.