The Canadiens have very little depth at center, which was not expected at the beginning of the season. It took significant injuries to Kirby Dach, Christian Dvorak, and Alex Newhook to realize how quickly the situation can change.
Now that Newhook is back, and Colin White has been claimed off waivers, the situation has somewhat improved. However, it is still acknowledged that the center position remains extremely weak in terms of NHL standards.
In my opinion, this is a wise decision by Kent Hughes. Claiming Kuznetsov would have gone against the team's plan, given that he is still under contract for next year. Therefore, Kuznetsov will continue his professional journey in the American Hockey League for the time being.