The Montreal Canadiens are set to make a major front-office move in the coming days. According to insider Elliotte Friedman, the Habs will be extending GM Kent Hughes and President of Hockey Operations Jeff Gorton.
At this point, it’s unclear what the contract terms will look like for both executives. But the expectation is that they will remain in with the Canadiens for the foreseeable future.
Gorton and Hughes took over in late 2021-2022, following the Canadiens’ unexpected playoff run in the 2021 playoffs. The club went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Following that season, then-GM Marc Bergevin left the team, forcing the Canadiens to look for new leadership. The Canadiens’ ownership, instead of finding a single replacement for Bergevin, went with a tandem. That’s where Hughes and Gorton have split much of the managerial duties to run the hockey team.
Under their tutelage, the Canadiens went through an express rebuild. They hired coach Martin St. Louis to guide the teardown and rebuilding of the roster. That move included stockpiling draft picks and prospects.
Additionally, savvy scouting has led to some unbelievable draft picks. For instance, Ivan Demidov and Lane Hutson look like cornerstone players. Similarly, other picks like Cole Caufield and Juraj Slafkovsky have become mainstays on the club.
The trades made during the Gorton-Hughes era have landed highly useful veterans like Noah Dobson and Alexandre Carrier. Perhaps the biggest steal of all could be Zack Bolduc. The Habs got the former first-round pick from the St. Louis Blues this summer and has impacted the club from the get-go.
Canadiens Continue Search for Upgrades
It has been no secret that the Montreal Canadiens are looking to continue upgrading. After shoring up their blueliner with Alexandre Carrier at last year’s trade deadline and Noah Dobson this summer, the attention has turned to adding a top-six center.
While adding Zack Bolduc has looked like a masterful move, the Canadiens seem determined to add more scoring and stability.
One of the biggest question marks heading into this season was Kirby Dach. He projects as the Canadiens’ second-line center. However, his injury history has led to questions surrounding his permanence on the team.
Thus far, Dach has managed to stay healthy. But that hasn’t stopped the Haabs from deploying him as the third-line center. That move has paid off well for Montreal. Dach has looked good. Meanwhile, Oliver Kapanen has emerged as a solid forward and could permanently cement himself as the 2C in Montreal.
Montreal Dovish on Trading Current Roster Assets
Another major talking point has been the Canadiens’ reluctance to trade a current roster piece. While the Habs are flush with prospects, the club is unwilling to part with valuable players.
Instead, the philosophy has been to trade futures such as draft picks and players who are years away from impacting the team.
The philosophy has allowed the Canadiens to build a young core with key veterans sprinkled around. It remains to be seen if the Canadiens are willing to part with a young player, as they did with Logan Mailloux.
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