The Montreal Canadiens have one of the youngest rosters in the NHL, but they are in the thick of the playoff race. For the Canadiens, their path to a playoff berth isn't easy, since they are in the tough Atlantic Division with the likes of the Buffalo Sabres, Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins. There was a chance for the Canadiens to bolster their roster at the March 6 trade deadline. But, the team ultimately stood pat.
There were reports that the Canadiens were exploring making a major splash trade to really put them over the top. But nothing came to fruition. Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes revealed that during a press conference immediately after the deadline.
In an interview with The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, Hughes said he wanted to share that information because he was laTe to the press conference and that he wanted to let them know even if they didn't make a trade, it doesn't mean they didn't try.
“It’s two-fold,” Hughes told LeBrun. “One, I think I was an hour and a half late (to the media availability), and I didn’t want them to think my time was so important that I could just leave everyone waiting around. And additionally, it was to communicate to our fan base: ‘Don’t misinterpret the lack of results as a lack of interest in doing anything and just being completely focused on the future and not the present.’ It’s on me for not being able to get something done.
“At the end of the day, it’s a results-oriented business. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying. And that was really the message.”
Kent Hughes felt he owed it to fans to reveal Canadiens were attemping major trade at deadline
At the trade deadline, the Canadiens were linked to a variety of top players. One of the more consistent names being associated with Montreal included Nazem Kadri of the Calgary Flames and Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. Kadri was dealt to the Colorado Avalanche while Binnington wasn't traded. LeBrun brings up that they were also linked to Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Rasmus Ristolainen of the Philadelphia Flyers, but mentions, the player they were trying to acquire hasn't been named in reports just yet.
For the Canadiens, they are still in their rebuilding phase, even with the likes of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, Ivan Demidov, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Lane Hutson all coming into their own. But given the slew of young talent on the roster, it was likely that other teams selling their veteran players would opt to search for some of their pro-ready players or top prospects. Hughes decided that there was no move worth making.
The Canadiens have 84 points through 67 games played this season, good enough for third place in the Atlantic Division. The thing is, the Red Wings and Bruins are both two points behind them, and they both occupy the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference. Then, there are the Columbus Blue Jackets, who have 81 points through 67 games, and they are just outside of a Wild Card spot.
The Canadiens rank fourth in goals scored per game (3.49), so that is their main strength. Their defense is a bit questionable, while goaltending is a major weakness, as they give up 3.24 goals per game (ninth-worst average in the NHL). So this is a team with flaws entering the final stretch of the season. But, they have done more than well enough to be in the playoff picture.
We'll see how the rest of this season goes. Regardless, it will be interesting to see if Hughes does re-explore that major splash trade in the offseason.