Major transaction involving 12 elements: Kent Hughes nailed it

In fact, there has been only one trade that didn't go in his favor, which was sending Artturi Lehkonen to Colorado in exchange for Justin Barron and a second-round pick.

However, the GM made a strong comeback by using that pick in a trade to move up from 26th to 21st in the recent draft, ultimately selecting Michael Hage. In short, Hughes has never lost a trade.

Looking at another transaction from last year, the Canadiens' GM truly outdid himself. We're talking about the major three-team trade involving Erik Karlsson.

Indeed, 12 elements were exchanged in this mega deal between the Canadiens, the Penguins, and the Sharks.

Kent Hughes offloaded Mike Hoffman and Rem Pitlick to acquire Jeff Petry, Casey DeSmith, Nathan Légaré, and a 2025 second-round pick.

Hughes then traded Petry for Gustav Lindstrom and a 2025 fourth-round pick, while DeSmith went to Vancouver in exchange for Tanner Pearson and a third-round pick.

Today, the net result is quite remarkable. Hughes traded Jeff Petry, Rem Pitlick, and Mike Hoffman for second, third, and fourth-round picks in 2025.

This maneuver saved the GM over $7 million in salary cap space while acquiring valuable picks that could be traded again.

If we were told today that the Canadiens were trading Mike Hoffman, Rem Pitlick, and Jeff Petry—three players not part of the team's future—for these three picks, we would call it a steal.

Credit: Marqueur.com
Échange conclu entre le CH et Pittsburgh: un vrai tour de force de Kent Hughes