Trade between the Montreal Canadiens and the Nashville Predators involving several elements: the rumor is confirmed, but Kent Hughes has declined

Against all expectations, considering that the latest draft showed great promise among forwards, the Canadiens and Carey Price selected a defenseman with the 5th overall pick.

This pick did not receive unanimous approval, but it is understood that several teams might have made the same choice at that spot, which somewhat eases the disappointment for fans.

Indeed, the Flyers and Daniel Brière offered Cutter Gauthier in exchange for the 5th pick to select Reinbacher, an offer that was rejected by Hughes. According to a rumor, the Predators also made a significant proposal to choose Reinbacher, an offer that the Canadiens' GM also turned down.

Now confirmed, the Predators' offer included goaltender Yaroslav Askarov and the 15th overall pick in exchange for the 5th pick. If Kent Hughes had accepted, it would have been his biggest transaction to date.


Askarov is an elite goaltender in the American Hockey League and is destined for a bright future in the NHL. With the 15th pick, there were still very promising forwards available, such as Gabriel Perreault.

Personally, I would have accepted this trade. While I haven't followed Austrian Reinbacher like the Canadiens' scouts and those of other teams, Askarov alone is more valuable in my eyes.

The good news in this story is that the Canadiens have one of the top 5 goalie prospects with Jacob Fowler, who was selected in the 3rd round in the last draft.