#Kent Hughes

The Montreal Canadiens have hit the halfway point of the 2022-23 season and while their overall record is better than last year at this time, it's clear the team is still suffering through rebuilding pains and the roster remains a work in progress with significant holes to fill. The arrival of 2023 means that the fun is about to begin for the front…

This season was supposed to be one development for the Montreal Canadiens, and, for the most part, it has been, but not for everyone. The Canadiens have done a great job in bringing along their trio of rookie defencemen in Kaiden Guhle, Arber Xhekaj and Jordan Harris; whom were a big part of the Canadiens' strong start this season. Further to…

With the new year upon us, one can expect a bold year from Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes, so here are some hot-take predictions that could be on the way in 2023. The Montreal Canadiens currently have some of the best odds to win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery as we speak, and it might even get better as they continue into the dog days…

Just like that, Montreal Canadiens forward Michael Pezzetta went from hero to goat (in the derogatory sense). Scoring against the hosting Dallas Stars on Dec. 23, Pezzetta put the the Habs up 2-0 in the second period with a shot that had the Reseau des sports telecast comparing him to Cole Caufield. However, Pezzetta was also in the box for an…

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has let it be known that he's looking to deal prior to the start of the season, and it seems he's there's been an uptick of activity over the last few days. According to a well-placed NHL executive, Hughes has left no stone unturned in his quest to make a deal. The Canadiens' general manager is focused…

The Montreal Canadiens traded for Kirby Dach this offseason before draft night. They gave him a four-year contract extension before training camp and helped cement him as a part of the team's future. With the Montreal Canadiens working to build around a young nucleus, Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes opted to bet on Dach's performance. Frankly, it looks…

When the Montreal Canadiens acquired an unprotected 1st-round pick from the Florida Panthers, GM Kent Hughes had a plan in place; and it just might work. According to the ever-popular Tankathon website, the Canadiens currently have the 10th and 13th best odds to win the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery at the moment. Owning both their own and the Florida…

Steve Yzerman: Why Detroit Red Wings need a new coach - and moreDetroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman, May 2, 2022. The Detroit Red Wings stayed steady, getting the eighth pick in the 2022 NHL draft lottery. The Wings had 6% odds of getting the first pick, but they could also have been pushed back to ninth or 10th. The Montreal Canadiens,…

For the vast majority of the season, the Montreal Canadiens had too many healthy players on the roster, which led to frustration for veteran players and rookies alike. But now that Brendan Gallagher, Jonathan Drouin, and Mike Hoffman have been sidelined (in addition to Sean Monahan's questionable health status), reinforcements may be in order. The…

The Montreal Canadiens trail the Florida Panthers by just one point in the Atlantic standings, but they also have the benefit of having a game in hand, not to mention being amid a rebuild. There is still a lot of hockey left to play in the season, but with over a quarter of the schedule in the books, pressure is mounting quickly. And that should be…

The San Jose Sharks (7-13-4, seventh Pacific) kick off a road trip with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens (11-9-1, sixth Atlantic). The Canadiens will be well rested after coming off a 3-2 shoot out victory over the Chicago Blackhawks, where Kirby Dach made an impression on his old team. The Sharks are coming off another loss - despite the team…

The Montreal Canadiens continue to surprise this season, winning eight of their first 15 matches, which is as many wins as they had through the first 45 games under former head coach Dominique Ducharme last season. Granted, this edition of the Habs isn't dealing with as many long-term injuries to key players as they did in 2021-22. That being said,…

It'll be American Thanksgiving in a little over two weeks, and it's a key date in hockey because if you're in playoff position by that time, your odds of making the cut are roughly 75 percent. Last season, only three teams - Ducks, Jets and Golden Knights - in the top 16 of the American Thanksgiving edition of the Power Rankings missed the…

With Joel Edmundson returning to the lineup, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves in a challenging situation roster-wise. Fortunately for them, Evgenii Dadonov was put on injured reserve (IR) with a virus on the day Edmundson was activated for play, temporarily giving the Habs some space. However, Dadonov is due back next week, and to keep the…

Kent Hughes cleared the air on the status of Montreal Canadiens forward Evgenii Dadonov Which Canadiens player fits best alongside Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield? Lane Hutson making history with his start in the NCAA That, more Montreal Canadiens, NHL news, and NHL trade rumours in the latest MHN Canadiens Daily: Montreal Canadiens The status of…

MONTREAL - All eyes will be on Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes on July 7. The GM will walk to the draft podium for the first time and will get to make the first-overall selection. The Canadiens won the 2022 NHL draft lottery on Tuesday night and have the first pick for the upcoming draft which will be held on July 7-8 at Montreal's…

We have hit two weeks into the NHL season for the Canadian teams. Time is always undefeated and just steadily speeds along. The Calgary Flames, by far, have gotten off to the best start at 6-1. Sadly, there is still the Vancouver Canucks. At 0-5-2, the Canucks and Bruce Boudreau still cannot escape their issues. Then, there are Winnipeg, Montreal,…

MONTREAL- With the roster shaping up and puck drop in the regular season right around the corner, it's time to take a look at some of the pressing questions facing the Montreal Canadiens this upcoming season. One of the most exciting stories that emerged from training camp was the ascension of several highly-touted defensive prospects. It resulted…

The NHL might not be wide open this season. But it feels uncertain. The league's flat salary cap the past three years is causing issues for many of the top teams. Out of the five best clubs recordwise last season, three - Colorado, Toronto and Minnesota - will have a new primary goaltender. Another, Pacific Division winner Calgary, lost two-thirds…

The Montreal Canadiens are in an enviable position, with priority selecting players off waivers until Nov. 1. However, to benefit, they have to use it just right, targeting players at specific positions, players with specific profiles to boot. To do otherwise would be to arguably squander the advantage altogether. As teams finalize their rosters to…

The Pittsburgh Penguins management has one very difficult choice though it seemingly is already made. The more pertinent question might be how costly that decision will be. As the NHL season nears its start, a few teams are racing to the bottom, and they could be epically bad. The Vancouver Canucks spurred the NHL trade market and gained cap space…

Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan's in the news again, having been healthy enough to play in the preseason. For the Habs' purposes, i.e., rebuilding, the hope is he stays that way, not just healthy… but in the news as even a relatively productive member of the forward group. If so, the Canadiens stand to gain quite a haul at the next trade…

With the top-5 defensive prospects already ranked, it's time to take a look at the young forwards that stood out since the start of the Montreal Canadiens rookie camp in mid-September. Like the defencemen, all forwards 25 and under, currently signed to an NHL team that actively participated in training camp scrimmages and preseason games, shall be…

The Montreal Canadiens' preseason is officially underway, but that doesn't mean Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton are done tinkering with their roster. Since the Habs are still over the cap even with Carey Price's $10.5-million contract on LTIR, some of the team's forwards will have to get moved soon to create more breathing room. But once that's taken…

Montreal Canadiens training camp has been very fast paced and competitive thus far. Having finished dead last in the standings last season, they find themselves in a situation where changes are to be expected. After all, it is said that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results,…

MONTREAL - It's Day 1 of a new Montreal Canadiens season with nowhere for the team to go but up. They finished in 32 place last year - in the unenviable position of having to stare up at every other team in the NHL - and though the brass wouldn't mind if they repeated the feat for the best odds at landing generational talent Connor Bedard to add to…

STATEN ISLAND, NY - "Hockey trades." That's what New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello said he was going to have to do to bolster his roster. Well, after months of speculation caused by Lamoriello's notorious silence, the Islanders are returning to the 2022-23 season looking mostly the same. The Islanders were derailed by a plethora of obstacles…

With training camp just weeks away, the Montreal Canadiens have many unanswered questions regarding players and their lineup. These questions range from who will make the team out of camp, and who will be on the team by Christmas to who will have success, and who will flounder. Here is a look at the five most pressing questions going into the start…

Finishing last in the NHL in 2022-23 would guarantee the Blackhawks a top-three draft pick. Even if neither their 25.5% chance of winning the lottery for the first overall pick nor their 18.8% chance of gaining the second pick hit, they couldn't fall further than third. General manager Kyle Davidson likely won't outright declare that his goal for…

Nick Suzuki learned some French growing up in southwestern Ontario. Knowing a big responsibility was right around the corner, he went to work both dusting off and trying to improve those skills this summer. The 23-year-old is keenly aware there's a long road ahead. Suzuki also takes no issue with Quebec politicians weighing in on his proficiency in…

This year represents a fresh start for the Montreal Canadiens organization following a tumultuous 2021-22 campaign which resulted in a lot of turnover and change. The arrival of a new management group and an esteemed voice behind the bench have given several players a new lease on life heading into the new season. Brendan Gallagher is someone who…

Managing trade assets efficiently is important in any rebuild, so getting the best return from Montreal's forward group requires some careful planning. The idea is to maximize the return for each traded asset, while at the same time keeping the rebuild rolling in the right direction in a 2022-23 NHL season where the Habs are more likely to compete…