In the latest edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman gives thoughts related to the trade deadline for each team. For the Montreal Canadiens, the Sportsnet insider says: “Kent Hughes sets a price and sticks to the price”.  He then explains the GM does this because he doesn’t want other GMs to think they can outwait him, which makes sense. Hughes is still relatively new in a GM role and is forging his reputation. He wants his counterparts to know that even if they wait and they wait, he won’t sell low.

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TSN Insider Pierre LeBrun also tweeted on Sunday that Hughes was getting plenty of calls about Jake Evans but is okay with keeping the center if his asking price isn’t met.

At the trade deadline last season, the GM acknowledged that he had received calls on veteran defenseman David Savard. However, what was on the table wasn’t worth more than another season of Savard being the big brother of the blueline brigade.

Friedman also mentions the Habs are a hockey deal team right now and not solely a deadline team. It makes sense. At the start of the season, Hughes and Jeff Gorton explained that they wanted to be in the mix this season, to fight for a playoff spot, and that’s exactly where they are.

The objective wasn’t to show that the young players had improved. The Habs’ brass wanted their players to be in the mix so that they could learn to play meaningful hockey games. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield played meaningful hockey all the way to the Stanley Cup final back in 2021, but since then, the Canadiens have been eliminated from playoffs contention early on every year.

What’s more valuable at this stage of the rebuild? Trading for future assets or allowing your core players to learn to play under pressure? Hughes has already said he’s got more than enough draft picks; I firmly believe that he sees a push for the playoffs as more worthy for his team than late “roll of the dice” draft picks. The odds of playing meaningful hockey are much better for Montreal if they keep hold of Evans and Joel Armia than if they strip their penalty kill of the two players, unless the offer on the table is too good to say no.

Of course, a rebuilding team needs to acquire assets, but once you’ve identified your core, you need a supporting cast about the same age. Nick Suzuki is 25 years old. What the Canadiens need right now is not 18-year-old kids who may or may not make it; they need a true second-line center. In other words, they need a hockey deal, which is why I completely agree with Friedman’s assessment.

The fire stage is over in Montreal, and fans shouldn’t expect Hughes to move assets just to move them. The GM wants his players to learn to win when it matters, and that’s worth a lot.

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