Elliotte Friedman Confirms Kent Hughes is Actively Seeking Trades for Two Veterans

The Montreal Canadiens, who are 4-6-1 this season and would be in a worse position if it weren't for Cole Caufield's heroics, have been the subject of headline after headline for the past few weeks regarding the possibility of their head coach leaving and trading half of their roster. This has created a lot of buzz but also a lot of distractions.

General manager Kent Hughes is aware that Montreal needs a change, and rumors that he is trying to find a "rugged forward" have raised concerns about who he would leave with to achieve his goals. According to NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman, Hughes' long-term plans did not include two of the players he was looking to trade:

In terms of possible names that could be sent to teams, that leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Some names that might be involved are Brendan Gallagher, Jake Evans, David Savard, Joel Armia, and Christian Dvorak. According to NHL Insider Chris Johnston, who ranked sixth on his list of the Top 10 Potential Trade Candidates, Dvorak has a high chance of being traded.

Kent Hughes has a lot of work ahead of him, but his refusal to forgo future prospects in favor of short-term success is a huge plus for the Canadiens' prospects. He could certainly add by subtraction with the appropriate pieces, and adding a rugged forward does not always require paying out the nose. Hughes and Caufield could cause some major harm once Patrik Laine returns and regains his ruggedness.

It will be an intriguing story to follow in Montreal, where the ardent and devoted fan base will undoubtedly be closely observing to determine whether Kent Hughes made the right decision in terms of the Canadiens' future.