Kent Hughes could make a big splash by acquiring a star player next summer
Since his arrival as general manager of the Montreal Canadiens, Kent Hughes has shown that he already has the stuff of a veteran in his new role. Indeed, unlike a certain Marc Bergevin, he quickly gained a reputation as a shrewd negotiator, having concluded favorable agreements with young players such as Kirby Dach, Cole Caufield, Alex Newhook, and Rafaël Harvey-Pinard.
However, once again this year, the Habs' GM has been very quiet on the free-agent market, but that situation could well change next July 1st. Aside from Samuel Montembeault, Justin Barron, and Arber Xhekaj who may benefit from a salary increase, some players are likely to see their association with the Canadiens end next season.
So much so that, as reported by salary cap expert Hart Levine, the Canadiens could have 26 million dollars available under the salary cap to acquire a top-tier free agent. Even though the general manager has accustomed us to wanting to rebuild his roster through the draft and trade market, he might wish to make a big splash to accelerate the process begun by the organization.
"With the current salary cap set at $83.5 million for next season, the Canadiens would have $12 million to spend in the summer of 2024. If you consider that the cap should increase by 4.5 million, they would end up with $16.5 million, and that's without even having Carey Price's name on the long-term injury list. So we're talking, very hypothetically, about $26 million with five or six positions to fill." - Hart Levine
Wow! That promises to be exciting for next summer!
In addition, excellent players such as Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Mark Scheifele, Jake Guentzel, and Connor Helleybuck could all test the free-agent market in 2024, thus giving Kent Hughes a golden opportunity to add a star player to his lineup. Imagine if the general manager were able to attract one of the attackers mentioned above to complement the trio of Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, the Canadiens would finally have a real first line.
Moreover, it's worth noting that many lucrative contracts will expire the following summer, with Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia, Jake Allen, and David Savard theoretically becoming free as air. It would be surprising if these four players returned to the organization in 2025-2026, thus allowing the Canadiens to recover nearly $15 million to sign new players.
One thing is certain, the next two free-agent periods will be extremely interesting for Canadiens fans, as Kent Hughes might attempt to hit real home runs.
Credit: Habs et LNH
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| POLL | ||
AOUT 14 | 176 ANSWERS Kent Hughes could make a big splash by acquiring a star player next summer Which player would you like to see in Montreal next season? | ||
| Auston Matthews | 31 | 17.6 % |
| Mark Scheifele | 26 | 14.8 % |
| William Nylander | 65 | 36.9 % |
| Connor Helleybuck | 54 | 30.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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