A massive piece of news involving Dubois, Michkov and Mantha has been brought to the public's attention

If Kent Hughes is unable to close a Pierre-Luc Dubois-involved trade, then a monstrous scenario could occur during the first round of the draft. Timmins believes that if Matvei Michkov is still on the board when Montreal picks at fifth overall, then Hughes could send this pick to Washington in return for their eighth pick as well as an unwanted Anthony Mantha contract for its final year and a first-round pick in 2024.

The Washington Capitals are eager to get rid of the remaining $5.7M contract of Quebec native Anthony Mantha, and they may even be willing to pay some amount in order to alleviate their salary cap.

If traded to the Montreal Canadiens, this could present an exciting opportunity for them to acquire a coveted prospect at the 5th overall pick such as Ryan Leonard, Dalibor Dvorsky, David Reinbacher or even Zach Benson.

Not only would this move free up financial obligations from Mantha's contract but it could also give the Canadiens another first round draft pick next year and provide an interesting asset for possible mid-season trades.

Whether or not the Capitals are interested in acquiring Michkov at this stage remains uncertain however from Montreal's perspective, such an offer makes a lot of sense.