Habs Trade Deadline Takeaways
As Kent Hughes’ tenure continues, we learn more about his management style, and the future of our team, with the passing of every critical crossroad. This NHL Trade Deadline, the Montreal Canadiens (and some of our biggest rivals) have revealed more about what we can expect from this team in the future, both near and far.
1. Molson & The Canadiens Will Not Tank
In a sporting era marked by the alleged intention of losing games to secure high draft picks, Montreal will not simply throw players away in the hopes of drafting Matvei Michkov, Adam Fantilli, or Connor Bedard. In a season that many considered over before it began, the Canadiens have been a formidable opponent on most nights, even after the loss of their leading goal-scorer. The integrity of sport and the importance of team and locker room culture has proven far more valuable to ownership and management alike, particularly in the first year under a new captain. This very well could have been a trade deadline that saw a combination of Joel Edmundson, Josh Anderson, Christian Dvorak, etc., head to greener pastures. Still, the role of these veterans to this young team has been deemed more valuable than a handful of mid-round draft picks.
2. Kent Hughes is Inscrutible
Whether it be by setting up smoke screens about Joel Edmundson or announcing the acquisition of a young Russian forward that nobody saw coming, Hughes’ approach to the NHL media jungle is clearly one of avoidance and/or manipulation. No one knew whether Juraj Slafkovsky or Shane Wright was to be a Hab up until the moment he was on stage, and people barely knew that Denis Gurianov was coming to the Canadiens by the time he buried one on the Los Angeles Kings. Although his long-term vision for the team is abundantly clear in his interviews and in the moves he’s made, our GM will never telegraph exactly what is coming next.
At this point guys, just take everything with a massive grain of salt. I don't think the Insiders really no what's happening behind closed doors in Montreal.
— Ryan Praught (@RyanPraught) March 2, 2023
The Habs have made 1 trade this week, and to my knowledge, not 1 insider was on it before the teams themselves broke it. https://t.co/Rbz6Kh6sOB
3. The Atlantic Division is Loading Up
And it looks to stay that way for years. Virtually every single team in the division is making moves in order to stay competitive or get competitive. The usual trio of Boston, Tampa Bay, and Toronto have unsurprisingly all used the trade deadline as an opportunity to gear up for what will be a bloodbath on the Eastern side of the playoff bracket. Even our neighbour over the provincial border, the Ottawa Senators, has demonstrated that they hope to compete in the playoffs, maybe as early as this year, with the massive addition of Jakob Chychrun to their defence.
The Detroit Red Wings, in what has been a very strange week for them, seem to be accepting their fate as an onlooker of this year’s tournament. They instead appear to be shifting their prime window a couple of years into the future (coinciding with Montreal’s) with the acquisition of some high draft picks. Buffalo’s young core seems poised to be competitive for years to come. The Florida Panthers are the only team in the division in an undesirable spot (certainly no thanks to their Ben Chiarot acquisition). However, even they still have some impressive young talent. The Montreal Canadiens’ eventual re-entry into the playoffs will not come easily, let alone some series wins. They appear to be in hockey’s toughest division for the better part of the next decade.
Next. Report: Canadiens to Have A Quiet Deadline. dark
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