Possibility for Hughes to make a solid trade: Dadonov could be the next Kulak for the CH

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Jeff Drouin
September 6, 2022 (8:14 PM)

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The arrival of Evgeny Dadonov to the Habs is very intriguing. Acquired in a deal with the Vegas Golden Knights to pass on Shea Weber's hefty contract, many Canadiens fans wondered at the time why Kent Hughes picked up the Russian forward who was no longer in the Golden Knights' plans.

But come to think of it, this deal makes sense for the Habs, because as Jeremy Pearman of Habsolumentfan.com reports, this tactic of picking up players at the end of their contracts could eventually pay off.

In an article published on Montreal Hockey Now, tipster Marco D'Amico brings up a very interesting point regarding Dadonov's arrival with the Habs. The latter will play the last year of his contract this season and it is known that some players give more in these circumstances in order to get a new deal the following season.

D'Amico made an interesting comparison with defenseman Brett Kulak, who was obtained for next to nothing from the Flames in 2018, and who brought a lot of money to Kent Hughes at the trade deadline.

"If you had told me last year that Brett Kulak would have brought us a 2nd round pick, a 7th round pick as well as a player, I would have thought you were nuts. However, the CH put him in a great position that increased his value on the market."

The second round pick D'Amico is referring to here is defenseman Lane Hutson, who could prove to be a steal.

Going back to Dadonov, it's very possible that he could have a good season with the Habs, especially if used the right way, he could score 20 or so goals, which would increase his value at the trade deadline.

Well ok, it's not a guarantee that the Habs will be out of the playoff race at that point either, but if that were the case, Dadonov could have a good market value. Then again, he'll have to have good production on offense if Kent Hughes hopes to get a return similar to or even better than the one he received for Brett Kulak.

What do you think?