Without another move, Kent Hughes offseason has been brilliant

Heading into the offseason, the Montreal Canadiens had a few important things that needed to be done.

Thankfully for them, general manager Kent Hughes is a deft worker. With an offseason plan in hand, Hughes ensured to extend important players for the long hail. First, Juraj Slafkovsky for eight years, and most recently Kaiden Guhle for six years. 

There are also Arber Xhekaj and Justin Barron who were both re-signed for two more seasons respectively. So, with the core locked in and the future of the blueline settled, Hughes can shift his focus elsewhere. It wouldn’t be the offseason without rumours swirling, but Kent has kept his hand close to his chest. 

So long as the development staff continues working their magic with current players and future roster hopefuls, Hughes can be confident with the state of the rebuild. He added two promising prospects from his wishlist, with high hopes for their future with the club. And there are a few guys who are on the cusp of cracking the roster, whether it be this season or next. 

But what about a trade?

It can be argued that the importance of adding a top-six talent would be the cherry on top for the 2024 offseason. But we have learned that Hughes isn’t interested in dealing away the future for a potential short term fix. Obviously Montreal needs goals to improve their positioning in the standings, but with some young forwards hoping to establish themselves, he could wait and see how they perform.

But as we have come to know, if Hughes does plan to do something it’s often unexpected. The Kirby Dach trade is a great example of that, and Alex Newhook is another. Bringing in one final piece would be huge for the Habs, but waiting for playoff time to see how the team fares could be a smart plan. 

Regardless, even if Hughes stands pat with the current version of the team, his offseason should be viewed as a very good one. If there isn't a trade that makes sense, then being patient instead of making a deal for the sake of making one is a smart decision. He has a plan and to this point, there is no reason to doubt him, so a quiet offseason in terms of new acquisitions isn't a bad thing.