Now that the season is over for the Canadiens, the stage is set for the draft lottery on May 7th, followed by the draft at the end of June.
Kent Hughes has accustomed us, over the past two seasons, to making significant trades at the draft. In 2022, he acquired Kirby Dach, and then Alex Newhook last year.
He could well repeat this year, but that's not the most important topic. There have been numerous rumors that David Reinbacher, or rather the 5th overall pick from last year, could have been traded.
Indeed, the Canadiens' general manager confirmed, in an interview on TSN, that he had indeed come close to trading his first pick from last year, and that even Juraj Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in 2022, was available.
Hughes goes further, confirming that this year's pick is also available, and that an advantageous offer could certainly interest him.
Don't expect an absolute trade involving the top 7 pick in 2024, however. According to rumors, which were confirmed by Pierre LeBrun, the Predators offered Yaroslav Askarov, the 15th overall pick, and another player for Reinbacher.
The fact that Kent Hughes refused such a transaction clearly demonstrates that he is tough in negotiations and that acquiring his first-round pick will cost other teams dearly.
We'll see what happens this year, but Hughes is open to offers.