Since taking the position, Kent Hughes has done an excellent job as the architect of the Montreal Canadiens. Assisted by Jeff Gorton and a strong team of scouts, not only are the trades advantageous, but the players selected in the draft as well.
Among Hughes' particularly tasty transactions is the one that brought Sean Monahan to the Canadiens. While the Flames were desperately looking to free up salary cap space, they gave up a first-round pick in 2025. And that's where it gets interesting.
In addition to losing the heart and soul of their attack in Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk, they could also lose the services of Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm as early as the summer of 2024.
Tyler Toffoli is also among the players who could be free agents in about 14 months. Since the first-round pick acquired by Kent Hughes is in 2025, the result could be very favorable for the Canadiens if the Flames continue to struggle like this.
