Canadiens: Kent Hughes Is Thinking Long Term
Jacob Fowler has Montreal Canadiens fans worried - Photo credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesWhile some Montreal Canadiens fans are getting worried that blue-chip goaltending prospect Jacob Fowler hasn’t signed his entry-level contract yet, I think it’s perfect sense that there’s a bit of a chess match going on.
Kent Hughes is at the helm of a rebuilding team. Its competitive window hasn’t opened yet, so it’s simply his job to try and get his players for less money for as long as possible. This is the GM who managed to convince Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky to sign for less money than Nick Suzuki, even though the captain had signed a year and two years before them.
Hughes said he wanted to build a perennial contender when he was hired. That’s the mindset you need to transition from a rebuilding team to a contending team. Drafting great assets is part of it, but getting them to stick around for a long time and being able to afford them is also essential.
On the other hand, Fowler's desire to burn a year of his ELC is also perfectly normal. Since most kids out of the NCAA want that, who can blame them? More money, sooner—it’s just human nature.
I wouldn’t put it past Hughes to talk him into signing an ELC starting next year, though. I mean, he did manage to talk Jake Evans out of testing the market when all signs pointed to more money elsewhere.
As long as the GM doesn’t push too hard and damage the relationship with the Fowler clan, there’s no harm done, and negotiating is how Hughes made his living and became one of the most respected agents in the business. I don’t think the Canadiens fans have anything to worry about.
It’s unsurprising that Ryan Leonard signed immediately with the Washington Capitals. They are at the exact opposite end of the spectrum right now. They’re contending right now and want to win while they still have Alexander Ovechkin. Nobody can blame them. Learning from the Great Eight will undoubtedly be beneficial for the youngster.
It’s a long off-season; there’s no need to panic yet. Even if Fowler decided to head back to Boston College and try to win them a championship, the Canadiens would still have his rights until August 15, 2027. Of course, jumping to the professionals would probably be more beneficial for his development, but it wouldn’t be an unmitigated disaster.
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