Kirby Dach's injury is certainly unfortunate, but it does provide Kent Hughes with more flexibility for a potential trade. The GM now has more salary cap room to work with since number 77's contract is on LTIR.
Even when healthy, nobody saw the Canadiens in the playoff picture. Without saying the season is over, it's fair to say the team is already facing an uphill battle.
With the cap space he has, Kent Hughes has many possibilities and is very active at the moment. He can acquire a player to help in the short term or take on a bad contract in exchange for draft picks or high-quality prospects.
Of course, Dach's injury and the salary cap space it creates are quite inviting for other general managers. Hughes needs to think about the future, but let's not forget that his goal is to progress and fight for a spot in the playoffs, as he mentioned this summer.
