Trade: 3 interesting players finally targeted in a deal for Hughes and the Canadiens

Since he was named general manager of the Habs last January, it's safe to say that Kent Hughes is building a team in his image.

He got rid of some disgruntled veterans, like Jeff Petry, but more importantly, he was able to maximize the value of some players like Ben Chiarot, Tyler Toffoli and Artturi Lehkonen by getting several prospects and draft picks in return.

Another aspect of Hughes' strategy has been to acquire established NHL players at a lower price, leading some experts to say that he sells high and buys low.

The example of Sean Monahan is striking by only giving up future considerations to the Flames to make his acquisition and let's say that the investment is paying off and we can say a bit the same thing about Kirby Dach, even if it cost a youngster of the caliber of Alexander Romanov.


And with that in mind, tipster Marco D'Amico of Montreal Hockey Now went ahead and offered up a few players that the Habs might be interested in and that, under the circumstances, wouldn't cost too much.

D'Amico suggested the names of Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers, Connor McMichael of the Washington Capitals and also Quebec forward Maxime Comtois of the Anaheim Ducks.

We're talking about three young players who haven't really reached their full potential in the NHL and who could be of interest to the Habs.

We know that there were all kinds of rumors during the summer concerning Puljujarvi and even some sources have suggested that there were talks on draft night at the Bell Centre last July for a possible trade between the Habs and the Oilers.

But the fact remains that the Oilers forward is off to an atrocious start this season with just one goal in 29 games and a fresh start could only be good for the fourth overall pick in the 2016 draft.

The same goes for Maxime Comtois who, after an interesting start with the Ducks, is also having an ordinary season with five goals in 18 games.

In the case of McMichael, first round pick with the Capitals in 2019, he is currently playing in the American league after spending all of last season in Washington. But in his case, I feel like the organization will be patient with him and he'll probably get a chance to come back with the big club before too long.

It's hard to say at this point what the price might be to acquire one of these players. However, it's a safe bet that Kent Hughes would like to make another big splash like he did with Sean Monahan and Kirby Dach by not paying too much to bring in a player that could potentially revive his career in a Habs uniform.

What do you think?