Kent Hughes responded to comments from Jonathan Marchessault, who described the pressure of playing in Montreal as the “plague” he avoids.
Marchessault had also mentioned that the Canadiens’ offer was close to what he was looking for, but Hughes clarified the situation, saying he never intended to offer Marchessault a long-term contract and wasn’t particularly interested in adding an offensive forward at any cost.
A response that could be seen as a scathing return to Marchessault. Although the Canadiens finished 26th in the NHL last season in goals scored, strengthening the top two lines is not a priority for Kent Hughes.
“If we could have matched the length of the contracts, some players would have come to Montreal”
It is clear that he was talking about Marchessault. However, the Quebecer spoke highly of Quebec and CH fans earlier on TVA Sports.
“I came once a year and I thought it was okay.”
This sentence was full of contempt. Marchessault spoke as if he were the one who had said no to the CH, whereas if Hughes had offered him the same 5-year contract and $5.5 million per year, he would have come to Montreal. In short, it was the CH who said no to Marchessault.
“There’s so much media and pressure. When an offensive player has a bad patch in Montreal, he quickly finds himself in trade rumors.”
“I also wondered if it was worth it for my name to be in the newspaper every day or every other day,” Marchessault continued. “Either you’re a king or you’re a zero.”
The only valid excuse is his children.
“They’re old enough to understand all that. At school, are they getting disgusted? Those are things to consider, not just as a hockey player, but as a father.”
Marchessault doesn’t want Montreal? Perfect. Kent Hughes doesn’t need Marchessault.
“We started the day by saying that if we were able to find reinforcements on the attacking trios, so much the better.”
“But it is not essential for our long-term goals.”
Despite his efforts to find help on the free agent market and through trades, he has not found a satisfactory agreement.
Hughes was very active in the recent draft in Las Vegas, but he didn’t find a trade that would have suited his team.
“We’re adding blocks, it’s continuity. That’s how we take additional steps. We didn’t start the off-season believing we were one player away from the Stanley Cup.”
Hughes is cautious about making deals that could slow his team’s progress, especially sacrificing one young talent to acquire another.
He said the team wants to move forward using its surplus to improve, but only if it is truly beneficial.
Regarding free agents, Hughes tried his luck with a few, including Jonathan Marchessault, who revealed he received a tempting offer from the Canadiens.
Marchessault ultimately signed a five-year contract with the Nashville Predators. Hughes said the length of the contract was the main obstacle to a deal with Marchessault, with the Canadiens unwilling to commit to four or five years.
Since the end of the campaign, Hughes has maintained his message of not compromising the development of the organization’s young players for short-term improvement.
The team could therefore start next season with an essentially unchanged lineup, relying on the natural progression of its current players.
Kent Hughes remains committed to his plan to build a competitive team for the long term, even if it means missing out on some short-term opportunities.
For Hughes, the goal is to grow this organization in the long term, rather than looking for quick fixes that could jeopardize the team’s future.
Marchessault is not the almighty God. Kent Hughes also has the right to look down on him.
AMEN…
