2024 Draft: Kent Hughes has his hands full

LAS VEGAS | The Canadiens arrived in the vice capital with 12 picks. Kent Hughes has his hands full, so to speak.

The general manager of the Canadiens said at the end of the campaign that he was most likely not going to draft 12 players.

So we should expect some action from him in the coming hours. Like last year, Hughes and the rest of the Habs’ staff will be the fifth group to step on stage. It’s going to take quite the offer to convince the former agent to give up this choice. Unless he himself courts one of the three teams between the Sharks and the Habs (the Blackhawks, Ducks and Blue Jackets).

On the other hand, he could use the 26^e socket. Last year, he used a similar choice (31^e) to get their hands on Alex Newhook. To convince the Avalanche to make the deal, Hughes also included his 2nd overall pick^e tower (the 37^e) as well as defender Gianni Fairbrother.

Assets to offer

Two years ago, Hughes concocted a similar transaction, in two stages, to get his hands on Kirby Dach. He had traded Alexander Romanov and a fourth-round pick (98^e) to the Islanders for a first round pick (13^e). Hughes then turned to the Blackhawks to give them this 13^e choice, as well as the 66^e (3^e tower) in exchange for Dach.

If the Habs GM wants to adopt a similar strategy, he has enough assets on the blue line in his network of affiliates to do so. The left flank is overflowing with the presence of Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Lane Hutson, Arber Xhekaj, Jayden Struble, Adam Engstrom, William Trudeau and Mattias Norlinder.

While we wait for the show to begin, here are the cards Hughes currently owns.

5^e choice

26^e Pick acquired from the Jets on February 2, 2024, in exchange for Sean Monahan.

57^e choice acquired from the Avalanche, March 21, 2022, with Justin Barron, in return for Artturi Lehkonen.

70^e choice

78^e Capitals acquired pick No. 1^is July 2023, with a choice of 7^e round, in return for Joel Edmundson.

102^e choice

130^e Pick acquired from the San Jose Sharks on March 3, 2023, along with Nick Bonino and Tony Sund, in a three-team trade for Arvid Henrikson. The Canadiens traded Bonino to the Penguins.

134^e choice

166^e choice

198^e choice

210^e Capitals acquired pick No. 1^is July 2023, with a choice of 3^e round, in return for Joel Edmundson.

224^e Pick acquired from the Oilers on March 21, 2022, along with William Lagesson and a 2nd overall pick.^e tour in 2022 (Lane Hutson), in return for Brett Kulak.