Major Development on the Trade Market: Good News for Kent Hughes

It all starts from a specific point, namely whether this market favors one side or the other.

Last year, due to several teams already being out of the playoff picture by mid-season, the market favored the buyers, so the selling prices were lower.

This season, as the excellent commentator Marc-Olivier Beaudoin points out, it looks to be the complete opposite, with many teams likely to battle for a playoff spot until the last games of the regular season.

Technically, in the East, only Ottawa, Columbus, Buffalo, and Montreal seem to have no chance at the playoffs. This means that 12 out of the 16 conference teams are in the heart of the race.

The situation is quite similar in the West, with still 10 or 11 teams pushing hard for a postseason spot.

In the scenario where the Canadiens act as sellers in a few weeks, if the trend continues, the market will be advantageous for teams wanting to trade veterans.

This situation would be extremely beneficial for Kent Hughes and the Canadiens who will certainly receive a lot of interest for some players in the lineup, including Sean Monahan, Tanner Pearson, Jake Allen, and quite possibly David Savard.