Montreal Canadiens General Manager Kent Hughes faces some difficult decisions regarding how he will structure the team’s defence for the upcoming season. Fans on social media are clamouring for the immediate insertion of Lane Hutson into the lineup but even without including him, the Canadiens have more bodies than spots available. The left side includes Mike Matheson, Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble. Of the five, only Xhekaj and Struble are not waiver-eligible. The candidates for the right side are David Savard, Justin Barron and Jonathan Kovacevic, all of whom would have to clear waivers. It seems highly unlikely that Xhekaj would be relegated to the minors again, regardless of his waiver status and Struble also looks like a player who has earned an NHL spot. If Hutson is added into the mix, there would be nine defencemen fighting for seven spots on the team. And that is without considering AHL all-star Logan Mailloux. Each of these players brings something different to the team from offence, to shutdown skills, power play skills, penalty killing skills, the ability to transition, and/or a physical element. Contract values may also be a factor in any decision that Hughes makes. One thing seems certain, however, and that is that at least one defenceman will be moved before the start of the next season. The questions are who will it be and what will any transaction look like? – Trask

The Montreal Canadiens brain trust has quietly been filling in spots to ensure their minor league affiliates in Laval and Trois Rivieres will be as competitive as possible. While some big-name, graduating draftees like Owen Beck and Filip Mesar will join the pro ranks, these unheralded signings add to the organizational depth. Connor Hughes, a young veteran with plenty of experience in Europe, looks to share goaltending duties in Laval with Jakub Dobes. The Rocket should benefit from a far more experienced tandem in net than they had to start last season. Jared Davidson signed an NHL contract that confirms he will remain in the Montreal organization for a couple of years – unless he is traded. While the Canadiens failed to offer 20-year-old Cedrick Guindon an NHL contract they did ink 21-year-old Israel Mianscum to an AHL deal.  Guindon put up 57 points in the AHL while Mianscum tallied 87 points in the QMJHL. Deals like the one Mianscum signed help keep the prospect pipeline stocked without counting against the 50-man roster limit. It is an approach they took with Jared Davidson and Michel Tourigny in the past. Another prospect could also join the organization as Joshua Nadeau has been invited to the team’s development camp. He picked up 45 points in 37 NCAA with Maine last season after scoring 110 points in 54 games with the Penticton Vees of the BCHL in the 2022-23 season. The 5-8 winger is small by pro standards but has shown an ability to put points on the board. These moves are an indication that the Canadiens’ management team is looking after details at all levels of the organization and fans can expect more announcements to come over the next four months. It bodes well for the future. -Trask

There is a lot of excitement and debate among Canadiens’ fans concerning which player Kent Hughes will choose at fifth overall in the upcoming entry draft. But all of that hoopla should be put into perspective when it comes to the upcoming season. In the long run, this yet unknown player should become a key contributor but let’s tap the brakes a little when it comes to next season. History tells us that it is highly unlikely that the Habs’ first choice in the draft will make the team for the 2024-25 season and even if he does, he would probably be eased into the lineup in the same way the Slafkovsky was or even like the situation with Quinton Byfield of the LA Kings. If fans are looking at next season two burning questions would be, who plays RW on Kirby Dach’s line and who among defencemen stays and who goes. The current roster has a plethora of players well suited to third and fourth line roles but desperately lacks a sniper… not another playmaker or role player but someone with a knack for putting the puck into the net. On defence, almost every fan recognizes there are more players than positions available even if Lane Hutson fails to make the team. And if Hutson wins a spot, the picture becomes even more clouded. Yes, the draft will be important and exciting but the payoff will likely be down the road a bit. In the meantime, Kent Hughes will be continuing to build the Canadiens into a competitive team and to do so, these two questions will have to be answered.

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