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A lot of discontent towards Kent Hughes for sticking to his plan

The fact that he was seen being completely inactive in the trade market has led many people to feel that the GM has abandoned his team in the playoff race.

There is a fear that players will be upset about this.

In fact, people are afraid that players will get discouraged, that the team will barely miss the playoffs (which is bad for the draft), and that the GM didn’t maximize the value of his rental players in a seller’s market.

As if the playoff race wasn’t worth anything in terms of experience for the players…

I was expecting the GM to use his last salary retention right or to be active to help the Rocket – apart from paper transactions. On this, I agree that it’s a missed opportunity, even if it will give some maneuvering room for the draft since the team will have a retention space available.

And this, even if Kent Hughes said that the Rocket, when healthy, had enough elements.

Not selling Joel Armia and David Savard, two guys who wanted to stay in town, despite high prices, is a bit like buying since you’re passing on the opportunity to add elements.

It must count for something, right?

And as for buying, we can see that the prices didn’t make sense. We’ll have to wait until this summer to complete some transactions to help the team.

In my eyes, it’s logical. Renting a player wasn’t worth it, and big trades are often made in the summer.

Hughes, who made a good move this week by signing Jake Evans at a discount, sent the message that he believed in his team and not the other way around. Even when buying, you can hurt your team… #AskBradyTkachuk

He was also aware of the market: many rivals sold, and the Canadiens didn’t. That gives them an advantage.

Hughes accepted to wait until this summer to settle his free agent files, even if the team can’t compete for the Stanley Cup. If I’m a Canadiens player who has lived through the last few years, I like what I see.

The group stayed together… and the team is #IntheMix. All’s well that ends well?

extension

Yes, this data makes the Canadiens look bad… but we can also make a list of teams that didn’t sell and find the Canadiens on it. Even the Hurricanes sold today, to a certain extent. Would you have wanted the Canadiens to trade a star player?

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“It’s on your shoulders” : Kent Hughes confirms that Nick Suzuki understood his message

Now that the NHL trade deadline has passed, one thing is clear: the Canadiens did not make any moves today. The club did not acquire any reinforcements (they would have probably had to overpay to do so), but more interestingly, they were not sellers.

Jake Evans (who has a new contract), Joel Armia, David Savard, and Christian Dvorak are all still in town.

A month ago, all of this seemed unlikely at best. The team was struggling at the start of the break, but they have responded well since returning to action, earning 11 points out of a possible 12.

We knew that Nick Suzuki had spoken to Kent Hughes, asking him not to sell at the deadline. However, today, the GM discussed that conversation and shared what he told his captain:

It’s on your shoulders. Don’t come here and tell us not to do something if you haven’t done what you’re supposed to do. – Kent Hughes to Nick Suzuki

What we understand, then, is that the GM challenged his captain that day. He was clear with him: if Suzuki wanted the team to not be sellers, he would have to give him a good reason.

And the good reason finally came in the form of 13 points in six games for the captain since the team returned to action. This led the team to victories and put them back in the playoff hunt.

The GM is really happy with how his captain responded to the challenge, and in the end, he rewarded him by not being a seller. And that’s despite the fact that it seemed unrealistic a month ago.

This also means that the captain is satisfied with his GM’s work. He’s happy that his teammates didn’t get traded, a scene he’s seen many times in recent years.

Now that the GM has rewarded the group by acquiring reinforcements by not selling, it’s up to the players to prove to the GM that he made the right decision in believing in them. The contract extension of Jake Evans must have motivated the players earlier in the week, and seeing the group intact today is another good piece of news.

The road to the playoffs won’t be easy, but the players have received a vote of confidence from the GM today. And that’s already a good thing.

In brief

– Martin St-Louis is also happy.

– The Hurricanes’ GM feels that Mikko Rantanen never felt at home in Carolina.

– Here are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup after the trade deadline.

– Can’t wait to see it.

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Oliver Kapanen could join the Rocket at the end of his season

After playing 12 games with the Canadiens at the beginning of the season, Oliver Kapanen was sent back to Europe.

The CH thought it was better for his development to go play in a league where he can dominate.

But we could see him again soon, this same Kapanen…

At least, that’s what we can believe when we hear Kent Hughes say that the player could join the Rocket when his season in Europe is over.

This would be a great help to Laval:

Let’s recall that Jakub Dobes and Owen Beck – a paper transaction – will also be eligible to participate in the playoffs in the American League.

Dobes, Beck, Kapanen… Ah, and there’s also Jacob Fowler in all this who should/may join the ranks of the Rocket once his season is over in the NCAA.

It’s going to be interesting: the Rocket will have three young goalkeepers (Dobes, Primeau, and Fowler) at their disposal… And it will be interesting to see what the coaches’ plan will be.

Who will we trust? That’s the question…

That being said, it’s good to see that these guys could experience the excitement of the playoffs because they would have the opportunity to play important games. We know that young players gain a lot of experience in moments like these, and the CH organization is surely aware of this too.

And with the Rocket’s firepower, the team will have a chance to go all the way!

In brief

– Jakub Dobes will face the Flames tomorrow.

– Aubé-Kubel is going to New York.

– Good point.

– Good read.

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Return of Kaiden Guhle: it will depend on the ranking

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes addressed the media in the final minutes to obviously answer several questions about the trade deadline.

The Canadiens were not active in the end on this completely crazy day, despite several rumors.

Journalists therefore ended up leaning some of their questions on other files, including that of the injured players, namely Kirby Dach and Kaiden Guhle.

In Guhle’s case, after seeing him skate this morning, it was clear that Kent Hughes would be questioned about the health of number 21 and his potential return to play before the end of the regular season.

And in response, the Canadiens’ general manager replied that it would likely depend on the position of the Tricolore in the playoff race in the coming weeks.

Of course, if the Canadiens are out of the playoff race, we won’t force a return for Guhle, and we’ll let him take the time to fully rehabilitate for the next campaign.

However, if the Tricolore is heading towards a playoff spot, and Guhle could be ready to return to play, it’s possible that Guhle will take back his place in the lineup to help the Canadiens.

So all of this remains to be decided in Guhle’s case, but we must still face the fact that seeing Guhle return to play this season is more unlikely than not.

Kent Hughes’ reaction to the question says a lot, as he seemed unoptimistic about Guhle returning to play this season.

It’s a shame in Guhle’s case, because let’s say the Canadiens could have really used him right now in this big playoff push.

The Tricolore’s number 21 would have greatly helped the team last night against the Edmonton Oilers.

In a Nutshell

– Obviously.

– The Kraken’s forward will join the Devils.

– Coaches want Laine to improve his defensive game.

– Indeed.

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Kirby Dach as the 2nd center: Even Kent Hughes seems hesitant…

When the Canadian team went to get Kirby Dach from Chicago, expectations were high for the player.

We thought Kirby was going to become the Canadian’s 2nd center of the future… But right now, it’s hard to say that it will certainly happen.

Even Kent Hughes doesn’t seem sure…

The Canadiens’ GM was questioned about his player, and before answering a question that referred to the 2nd center position, Kent Hughes took a long pause.

He thought before giving his answer… And he said this: 

We went to get Kirby to be a good player. – Kent Hughes

Clearly, Hughes didn’t want to speculate on what awaits Dach in the coming years in Montreal… 

Kent Hughes added that for now, the organization doesn’t really know what to expect from him in 25-26.

And that’s normal: the Canadian player has once again seen his season end due to an injury, and he will have to work hard this summer to get back in shape.

Already, it took him time this season to regain confidence… 

Of course, the Canadiens’ GM didn’t talk about his player as a flop.

He didn’t openly say he was disappointed with his player’s performance… But clearly, we can sense that he would like to see more from a guy who has good potential.

The organization hasn’t given up on him, but at some point, there will have to be results too.

Especially with the price the Canadiens paid to acquire him in the 2022 draft…

In a nutshell

– Interesting.

– Yikes…

– Whoa.

– I like the trade for the Senators.

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The contract of Shea Weber traded to the Blackhawks

With the trade deadline today, several teams have decided to go in search of reinforcements for the playoffs. Whether it’s Mikko Rantanen to Dallas, Brad Marchand to Florida or Dylan Cozens to Ottawa, there have been big names on the move.

And that’s without counting the transactions in the previous days.

Now, we’ve had a rather special transaction just before 3 pm: the Utah team has traded… Shea Weber. His contract now belongs to the Blackhawks.

More details to come…

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Paper transaction: Owen Beck and Jakub Dobes are eligible for the series in Laval

The Canadian made a paper transaction by sending Owen Beck and Jakub Dobes to the American League.

This will allow the two youngsters to be eligible to participate in the Laval series.

The two guys had to be on the Rocket’s lineup before the trade deadline to be eligible to play in the series.

That makes sense.

The Rocket – which is ranked 2nd in the American League standings – will likely have a good chance of going far in the series this year, and at this level, the addition of Beck and Dobes should help.

It’s easy experience for two young players who are in their first steps in the NHL… And it’s a good helping hand for Pascal Vincent.

After all, Beck and Dobes have played in the big league this season. They’ve tasted the NHL, which can have a significant impact on their performance in Laval. They will be called upon to play an important role, and that’s perfect too.

Let’s recall that before the end of the season, the Canadian can make a total of four recalls. They have used two to recall Owen Beck and Jakub Dobes…

Also, note that if the Canadian uses its four recalls and a player gets injured, they have the option to turn to an emergency recall.

In short, to make it simple, it’s worth knowing that the CH can also use an emergency recall (injury) even if they haven’t used their four recalls by the end of the campaign.

In a nutshell

— It’s good.

— Good point!

— Hehe.

— Logical.

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Brad Marchand traded to the Florida Panthers

A huge boom has just resonated in the National Hockey League in the last minutes of the trade deadline, as Brad Marchand has just been traded to the Florida Panthers.

While everything seemed to be over, once again this year (like last year with Tomas Hertl in Vegas), a huge trade has fallen in the last minutes and seconds of the trade deadline.

The captain of the Boston Bruins has been traded to a division rival for the last year of his contract.

He joins the Florida Panthers, who are currently ranked first in the Atlantic division.

This is a huge blow for the Panthers, who have just filled the loss of Matthew Tkachuk for the rest of the regular season.

By placing Tkachuk on the long-term injured reserve (LTIR), the Panthers had freed up money, and they have just used it on Brad Marchand, whose contract is worth $6,125,000 per year.

We still don’t know if the Bruins are retaining salary.

In short, the Panthers have just added a very big piece to their lineup, as they risk going very far in the playoffs again.

Imagine a trio composed of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand.

Three pests reunited, it’s likely to hurt their opponents a lot.

On the Bruins’ side, well, we can really say that the rebuilding has officially begun, as several veterans have left today.

Add to that defenseman Brandon Carlo, who was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the last moments.

Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, Justin Brazeau, Max Jones, and Trent Frederic have all left in the last hours and days.

So, it’s officially the end of an era in Boston, and it’s a wonder what will happen with David Pastrnak.

Extension

Let’s see what the returns will be for the two Bruins players.

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David Savard and Joel Armia at the Canadiens’ practice

Want clues about what’s in store for the Canadiens?

David Savard and Joel Armia, two players who were in trade rumors, were seen on the ice with the other CH guys on the sidelines of today’s training.

Just a few minutes from the deadline, there’s only one step to take before deducing that they haven’t been traded.

More details to come…

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Charlie Coyle to Colorado… for Casey Mittelstadt

This move here, nobody had really seen it coming.

The Avalanche has decided to trade Casey Mittelstadt to Boston in exchange for Charlie Coyle.

Coyle is a player built for the series – and we know that Mittelstadt’s experience in Colorado has not been super glorious since his arrival last year.

The Avalanche has been an aggressive team over the past few weeks.

Martin Necas…

The two new goalies in MacKenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood…

Ryan Lindgren…

Brock Nelson…

Charlie Coyle…

That’s a lot of new faces!

More details to come…