2024-01-09 03:15:00
For the first time since he was named general manager of the Canadiens in January 2022, Kent Hughes was on the set of The AnteroomMonday evening.
As mid-season approaches in the NHL, the Montreal GM offered a generous interview to Luc Bellemare and his acolytes.
“The last two years have gone by quickly. It’s challengingbut I’m having fun, he mentioned straight away.
When I met Bill Guerin and told him regarding my possible career change, he reminded me that the Canadiens are like the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers. It’s the best possible position you can get into in the world of hockey,” continues the manager who will be 54 years old on January 21.
Some good young veterans have been sacrificed since Hughes’ arrival to meet obvious organizational needs. These needs have been well met, so that in the summer of 2024, it can be expected that Hughes’ approach – with the usual complicity of President Jeff Gorton – will be more inclined towards the need for ‘to be competitive.
“Initially, we aimed to accumulate assets. I don’t like to label a player like that, but draft picks have their value to an organization. It’s certain that when you start trading good NHL players like Tyler Toffoli or Artturi Lehkonen, you’re going to look for young players or picks, you enter another phase.
“When we come out of this year, there will be a new phase [qui va s’entamer]. We will have to see how to use these assets to improve the team. We have 22 picks in total in the next two drafts. Are we going to use the 22? Probably not. »
The Guardians’ Waltz following March 8: not desirable, but possible
Quickly, Hughes was brought in to discuss the goaltending situation at the Habs. As the new year begins, the CH remains one of the few teams in the NHL with three goaltenders at its disposal, in Samuel Montembeault, Jake Allen and Cayden Primeau.
“I think there is a possibility [que les trois gardiens soient toujours là après le 8 mars, date limite des échanges]. But that is not our goal, he said. The first thing for us was the fact that Sam was not signed beyond this season. To make a trade without having him under contract… We might have ended up next year with one goalkeeper instead of three. »
“We started with the idea of having three goalkeepers while we negotiate with Sam,” continued Hughes. Now it’s done, and as many have pointed out, it plays great. We are lucky that all our guys are professionals and part of the family that the team represents. They understand the situation, and I have to give them credit for their approach to this,” praised Hughes.
The fact that Primeau only had eight starts to get his teeth into at a pivotal moment in his career is not ideal. Except that Hughes persists in believing that patience must continue to be required.
“In the media, we often talk regarding teams that are in great need of help at the goalkeeper position. However, there is no one who has made an exchange until now,” he recalled.
One of the panelists present in the studio, former defender Denis Gauthier, praised the brilliance of rookie guard Jayden Struble since his recall last month.
“I must admit that I too am surprised [que Struble se soit imposé si rapidement dans la LNH]. I’ve been watching Jayden play since he was 10 years old. (…) He played at prep school level with my boys and roomed with one of them for four years. We knew the talent, but you never know until they get to the NHL if the young player is ready for the pressure. We started by saying we were going to give him regarding fifteen minutes and see how he reacts. (…) [Son rendement] gives us options, and that’s always positive for an organization. »
Hughes never missed an opportunity to be complimentary of his head coach Martin St-Louis and his way of working. He once once more took the opportunity to praise his merits on Monday.
“I see great progress in the work of Martin and his assistant staff. I had no worries when hiring. I knew that on the hockey side, he always had an analytical head. To coach among the pros, it takes so many qualities. Intelligence, yes, but also social intelligence, confidence – especially in Montreal – and leadership. These are the qualities we were looking for. When you are around such a young team and you are building, the coach must be a leader. »
Bursting regarding hopes :
– About Logan Mailloux: “I think that over the past ten or fifteen matches, we have seen great progress in Logan. It may have been harder than he expected, but that’s natural. He is a 6-foot-4 athlete with talent and good skating. He had a lot of success in London, but he arrives here, and we have to defend too. »
– About Joshua Roy: “We saw his extraordinary sense of the game in the junior ranks. He was able to demonstrate certain aspects of his game at the World Juniors too. Now, can he do it 82 games a year? »
– About Lane Hutson: “In Lane’s case, there was a big goal which was to win gold with the United States; it is now done. He sets out to win a national championship [dans la NCAA] and we let him focus on that. But it’s clear that he’s a very talented player, and we can’t wait for him to be part of the organization. »
– About Filip Mesar: “He had a good tournament too. One of the important aspects since my hiring has been development. Our team, with Rob Ramage, Francis Bouillon, Paul Byron, Adam Nicholas and Scott Pellerin are doing a good job, and Mesar is one of those who benefits. »
– About David Reinbacher: “David had a difficult start. He was injured early in the year. What he’s realizing is that sometimes when you’re picked as high as fifth overall, you want to do everything. We want to be Bobby Orr and the best defensive defender at the same time. It’s just a matter of continuing to figure out what his identity is. We spoke with his coach, and he told us that the last three games were his best of the season. We also can’t wait for David to arrive with us. »
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