It will be three years on Saturday since Kent Hughes was named GM of the Montreal Canadiens. The one who will celebrate his 55th birthday next week had the time to do things, during his first years within the management of Habs.
He completed some good transactions (Patrik Laine, Alexandre Carrier, Sean Monahan, Mike Matheson and even Kirby Dach in particular), but he also made some less good ones.
Johnathan Kovacevic – who is stealing Simon Nemec’s spot – in return for a mere fourth-round pick…
Ben Chiarot in return for a sacrificed first round pick, Ty Smilanic and a fourth round pick…
But I was analyzing this this morning, and then something jumped out at me: Kent Hughes should no longer answer the phone when Chris MacFarland (GM) or Joe Sakic (President of Operations hockey) calls him.
For what ?
Kent Hughes has completed two transactions with the Avalanche since taking the helm of the CH. And things didn’t go very well during these two pacts…
1. He sent Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado in exchange for Justin Barron and a second-round pick that was used to move up in the draft last year.
Lehkonen became an impact player in Colorado and was touted by just about everyone in the Avalanche organization.
Justin Barron didn’t break anything in Montreal, so much so that he was traded a few weeks ago.
(Credit: X/Twitter)
As for the second round pick, he has not become an important player for the Montreal organization.
Yes, Kent Hughes managed to work some magic by turning Barron into Alexandre Carrier, but that doesn’t add anything to the bad starting deal involving Lehkonen. And I don’t think Barron will hatch in Nashville either…
-2. Kent Hughes sacrificed a first-round pick and a second-round pick in order to get Alex Newhook, who was going nowhere in Denver. Newhook was a former Quartexx client…
Newhook earns an average annual salary of nearly $3 million and we do not yet know what his real seat is with the CH. It is not physical, it is not categorized as a defensive player, he plays on the second line, but he does not produce points (only 10 in 43 games)…
When Ivan Demidov arrives next year, Newhook will be relegated to third ligne. But is he really a guy bottom six ? Will he be able to develop in numerical inferiority, among other things? We’ll see.
Anyway, all that to say that Kent Hughes would be better off not responding to his cell if the Avalanche call him up by the trade deadline.
It’s best to take calls from the Jets, Penguins, Predators, Blue Jackets and Blackhawks as a priority.
Sometimes there are relationships that fittent less than others. Or through which you never come out a winner.
The one with the Avalanche is part of that category for Kent Hughes…
In burst
– No surprises here.
– Lane Hutson among the best players 23 or younger who are not first picks. [NYT]
– When will you retire?
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