More indications Kent Hughes is cooking up a trade as NHL scouts keep a close eye on the Canadiens

On Tuesday night at the Bell Centre, fans watched Jakub Dobes and Samuel Montembeault allow three goals each, before the Canadiens confirmed the call-up of three Laval Rocket players: Jacob Fowler, Adam Engstrom, and Owen Beck.

At this point, it's no longer a simple line adjustment; it's a real shake-up in goal. Fowler arrives in Montreal with a record of 10 wins and 5 losses with the Rocket, along with a goals-against average of roughly 2.09 and a .919 save percentage this season. At just 21 years old and already signed to the Canadiens on a three-year entry-level deal, he clearly represents the organization's next major goaltending project. When you call up a goalie with numbers like that, you're sending a message to everyone.

As for the other two call-ups, Adam Engstrom, 22, is a left-shot defenseman standing 6-foot-2 who has been on a strong stretch in Laval. He already posted a 27-point season in 66 games in the AHL. Owen Beck, 21, a right-shot center at 6 feet and 199 pounds, has already shown he can produce around a point every two games in the AHL and that he can hold his own in the NHL.

Since the start of the season, the Canadiens' goaltending numbers speak for themselves: save percentage hovering around .875 and goals-against average over three per game. It's said often, but it's almost impossible to stay in the playoff race with that kind of performance, especially when losses by three goals or more keep piling up at the Bell Centre.

On Tuesday again, the press gallery was full of pro scouts, and according to what's circulating, eyes from the Nashville Predators, New York Rangers, and Seattle Kraken were closely following what was happening in the Montreal crease.

It's no secret: Nashville has already been linked to the Canadiens in rumors involving multiple players, and all three teams have the perfect profile for discussions involving goaltenders and draft picks.

It could be about Montembeault, it could be about Dobes, but it's clear something is in the works. We know the Seattle Kraken were interested in Samuel Montembeault last season, and another intriguing detail emerged last night concerning the Kraken. Not only was their goaltending specialist present, but their head amateur scout was there as well!

Engstrom and Beck, for their part, have come up often in trade discussions over the past few months. The Swedish defenseman is starting to be viewed as a young blueliner who could interest several teams, while Beck has already been identified as a possible trade chip to improve Montreal's offense. In other words, either the message gets through in the locker room with this shock call-up, or a goaltender or young prospect eventually ends up changing addresses.

With this new hint, it's hard to believe Kent Hughes will stay idle for much longer.