The next move of Kent Hughes would be identified: an important clue surfaces

With four goaltenders having NHL contracts, including Cayden Primeau who will have to go through waivers at the beginning of the year if he were to be sent down to Laval, the Canadiens will surely have to offload one before the opening game of the next campaign.

In connection with Hughes' next move, TVA Sports journalist Anthony Martineau unveiled a new clue about what's coming up for the habs .

Indeed, according to the information he reported in the last few hours, the Canadiens' GM would still be open to trade possibilities, which means there is nothing set in stone about the goaltender who might be packing his bags soon.

Although Casey DeSmith's arrival initially predicted he would be the one changing addresses again, it doesn't seem definitive yet, at least for the moment.

Naturally, Hughes, in his role as general manager, is actively striving to find the best trade opportunity to strengthen his team's roster in the long term. While Samuel Montembeault's future seems clear in Montreal, it's a different story for Jake Allen.

Since DeSmith and Allen are both able to back up Montembeault, it's plausible that Hughes' plan may potentially involve trading the goaltender with the highest market value among the two veterans.

In this perspective, DeSmith appears to be the most likely candidate to leave the team, given that he has a more advantageous contract than Allen and represents a less risky investment. Moreover, the former Penguin has displayed significantly stronger performances in recent seasons.

However, there's still no certainty yet, and it's also possible that Hughes may prefer to get rid of Allen's additional year at $3.85M rather than obtaining the best market value with DeSmith.

The weeks ahead are likely to fuel trade discussions with the Canadiens.