Intriguing player placed on waivers: Should Kent Hughes and the Canadiens make a move?

The Columbus Blue Jackets placed him on waivers to send him to Cleveland. It is a personnel move that comes the day after the signing of Egor Zamula.

In cases like this, the Montreal Canadiens can claim him, but they must make room for him. He had been recalled on an emergency basis on December 27, and then the spot closed back up.

Mayo is a right-shot defenceman standing 6 feet tall and weighing 190 pounds, drafted 133rd overall in 2014. He was selected by the Arizona Coyotes and began to get noticed later on.

In the NHL, he played 82 games with Arizona between 2021 and 2023, recording 4 goals and 12 points. In his rookie season in 2021-22, he posted a 4-8-12 line in 67 games, with 27 penalty minutes.

In the American Hockey League, he has 445 career games, with 31 goals, 73 assists, and 104 points. In 2023-24 with Henderson, he recorded 5 goals and 25 points in 67 games. Last season, he added 8 goals and 19 points in 58 games, with 86 penalty minutes.

This season in Cleveland, he has 2 goals and 7 points in 19 games, along with 16 penalty minutes. Columbus signed him on July 16, 2025, to a one-year, two-way contract.

The key point for Montreal is the real cost of a player claimed on waivers.

Kent Hughes can decide to pass, or to take a quiet gamble on defence. Wednesday is one of those decisions that must be made quickly and judged later by the results.

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