The Montreal Canadiens knew after their series with the Carolina Hurricanes that they needed to get bigger and more physical. They certainly did that with their first round selection of Gleb Pugachyov, who is a 6'3" two-way forward.
The question now is when Canadiens fans might expect to see him playing for Montreal? General manager Kent Hughes believes they may not need to wait too long.
Even though he is only 17 years old, it sounds like he could be playing in Montreal in the next season or two. According to Eric Engels with Sportsnet, Hughes told him "he's close to NHL-ready and intimated to reporters thereafter that there could be a mechanism in his current KHL contract that enables him to come to Montreal before it's set to expire in two years."
Gleb Pugachyov could be a great answer for the Canadiens fourth line in the near future
The Montreal Canadiens have plenty of questions on their fourth line, and Pugachyov could be an answer for one of those spots. Right now, Brendan Gallagher is still under contract but is almost guaranteed to be traded or bought out before July 1st.
The Canadiens also have restricted free agents like Kirby Dach, Zach Bolduc, and Joe Veleno who need new contracts in the coming weeks.
A player like Pugachyov doesn't replace any of them, but it might change the calculation for Kent Hughes and the front office. There may not be a need for a longer-term contract, and maybe a one-year deal is enough to bridge that gap until Pugachyov is ready to make the jump to the NHL.
As of late, the Canadiens have done a good job finding NHL players late in the first round and later rounds. It seems Pugachyov addresses a specific need that should help the Canadiens as they continue to rebuild this roster.
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