Trades confirmed for the Canadiens: things will be shaken up

Now that the Montreal Canadiens' season is over, attention has turned to the draft and the summer season, which promises to be very busy this year, more so than ever for Kent Hughes.

The General Manager even admitted that this summer will be his most important since he took office with the Tricolore.

Regarding the upcoming plans for the organization, Hughes and Jeff Gorton stated in their end-of-season review that they aim to see the team take a big step next year, particularly by getting into the mix for the playoffs.

Hughes and Gorton are aware that they will need to add tools to Martin St-Louis's lineup to achieve their goal of being in the playoff race.

Trades are expected, and as former Canadiens scout Grant McCagg announced, things are likely to get quite shaken up in Montreal over the coming months.

"Gorton and Hughes have stated that they will not deviate from the 'plan' to add a top-6 forward. That said... I don't see the plan of having ten or eleven NHL defensemen and making 23 additional picks over the next two drafts. They will offer picks and defensemen for forward help this summer." - Grant McCagg

McCagg's comments are extremely interesting. With a significant number of defensemen who could legitimately vie for a spot on the CH's blue line next year, it's clear that the GM will need to use this surplus to make a significant acquisition for the team's attack.

We hope to see the addition of a top-6 talent that fits with the young core, and the surplus in defense is one of the elements that could facilitate this addition.

Moreover, as McCagg points out, the Canadiens hold 23 picks for the next two draft classes. Hughes will certainly use this abundance of selections to enhance his trade negotiations.

With four first-round picks and three second-round picks for this year and next, the Canadiens have the necessary ammunition to make one or several significant moves.

Previously on habslatest

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Martin St-Louis' future in Montreal: he has surprised many

Experienced former NHL head coach to join the Canadiens bench?

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19 AVRIL \| 181 ANSWERS Trades confirmed for the Canadiens: things will be shaken up Do you think the addition of a top-six forward will make the Canadiens a playoff team?
Yes	155	85.6 %
No	26	14.4 %
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