Trade completed between the Canadiens and the Kings: Kent Hughes confirms the information

Kent Hughes, Jeff Gorton, and the scouts were all unanimous in their choice: they wanted Michael Hage, end of story, at the 21st pick.

According to Kent Hughes, the team's general manager, the organization had already arranged a trade with the Los Angeles Kings to acquire the 21st pick.

This strategy was specifically aimed at drafting Michael Hage, who was considered superior to other available players at that time by the Canadiens' scouts.

Nick Bobrov even estimated a 20% chance that Hage would still be available at that pick, justifying the decision to finalize the trade.

In the end, the plan worked, and the Canadiens successfully selected Hage. The documentary also shows that the team was fortunate to get Demidov at the fifth pick and Hage at the 21st.

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Source: Canadiens de Montréal
Inside the Canadiens draft meetings | Behind-the-scenes at the 2024 NHL Draft

Credit: HabsEtLNH
Échange annoncé avec Los Angeles impliquant leur 1er choix: Kent Hughes confirme que c'était pour Michael Hage