After the Montreal Canadiens players met the press for one last time on Friday for locker clear-out day, on Monday morning, GM Kent Hughes and executive VP of hockey operations Jeff Gorton took to the podium at the Bell Centre for one last time this season. Here’s my breakdown of the 40-minute or so press conference highlights.
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Hughes and Gorton were relaxed and transparent with the press, even teasing the journalists. Many of the questions were about Kirby Dach and the second-line center position, and while Hughes refused to say next season would be the often-injured center’s last chance, he did acknowledge the 24-year-old would need a big training camp. The GM also said he knew he had to show up to camp ready to make an impact, and not with deficient skating like he did last season. Gorton summed it up best when he said:
There’s definitely a place in our lineup for him, but it’s going to be up to him where that’s going to be.- Jeff Gorton on Kirby Dach
As for Hughes, he mentioned Dach didn’t have the year he or the club wanted him to have, adding that they immediately saw that his skating wasn’t on point at camp. The GM said he still believes in Dach, and it was driven home to him how important it is to do everything he can to show up to camp in the best possible shape.
Even if they know their team needs to score more goals, Hughes and Gorton mentioned that a new second-line center might not be the only way to fix that line. Gorton added that a talented winger can be the driving force behind a line.
When asked about their pending unrestricted free agent, Hughes mentioned that no decision had been reached yet, and they were all told the organization needed to meet and make some decisions. Many of these decisions will probably come from what is happening with the Laval Rocket these days. The Habs’ brass will watch their prospects play with a keen eye, and the information they’ll gather will allow them to make informed decisions. The GM added that that decision will be dictated by the readiness of the young players rather than by the available cap space.
Regarding free agent hunting, they were clear they wouldn’t go hunting just for the sake of doing it; if they go there, it will be because they have a particular need. Even then, they’ll be mindful not to fill spots that could be filled from developing prospects. For them, seeing their potential chair filled by a new veteran could be disastrous for those players’ motivation. They intend to evaluate both the need and the term of that need.
For those who were hoping that Patrik Laine’s stay in Montreal would be coming to an end soon, it certainly didn’t sound like something the GM is considering:
We’re not in the playoffs without Patrik Laine. He scored critical goals for us at crucial times.- Kent Hughes on Patrik Laine.
Hughes added that Laine is receptive to learning, even though he’s already achieved a lot offensively in this league, and the organization appreciates that. He also mentioned that the big Finn knows he must improve at five-on-five.
Speaking of players being aware, the GM also mentioned Juraj Slafkovsky’s slow starts for the last two seasons; this has been discussed with him, and the team will keep an eye on it.
Asked if it was a priority to offer Lane Hutson a contract as soon as possible, the GM explained:
Yes, we’ll talk with his agent. I’ve seen that Lane mentioned he would like to sign sooner rather than later. We’ll see what his agent says. It’s not like it’s a priority, though; it’s important to communicate, to know what’s important for him, and see if we can reach an agreement. But with Cole, we waited until the end of his contract; with Slaf and Guhle, it happened when there was a year left. So we’ll get the conversation going and see how it goes.- Kent Hughes on negotiations with Lane Hutson.
Given that Hutson still has a year left on his ELC, Hughes is right that it’s not a priority. After all, he’s already proven that he won’t be a cheap signing, so the Canadiens have nothing to lose by observing him for another season. He could have a case of sophomore jinx and keep the cost more manageable. Hughes refused to say whether he’d become their highest-paid player; he never gives specifics on contract negotiations.
Much like Michael Matheson in his end-of-season availability, both Gorton and Hughes mentioned that next season would be hard, and making the playoffs doesn’t mean they’ll automatically make it next season. They were also clear that making the playoffs didn’t speed up the rebuild; they will stick to the plan.
Hughes was asked if he was worried about losing his coach in the AHL, and he acknowledged that there were a lot of vacancies in the NHL. He said that if a team wanted to speak with Pascal Vincent during this ongoing playoff run, he would ask the coach if he wanted to speak to them right away or wait until after the end of the tournament. The GM said he wouldn’t want to make him miss out on an opportunity by standing in the way.
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