Two promising forwards in Kent Hughes' sights, including a former sixth overall pick

A few days ago, Renaud Lavoie mentioned that the Canadiens would certainly make a phone call to Minnesota to find out about the availability of forward Jack McBain.

McBain, 22, was drafted by the Wild in 2018 at 63rd overall. He currently plays for Boston College and will become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he doesn't agree with Minnesota. In 22 games this season, the 6-foot-4 center has 18 goals and 11 assists for a total of 29 points.

Rumors of the Habs' interest in the youngster flared up again today, as Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman claimed in their latest 32 Thoughts podcast that the Habs are well connected to McBain. The duo went even further by mentioning that Kent Hughes would also have an interest in Devils forward Pavel Zacha.




Zacha, who was selected 6th overall in the 2015 auction by the Devils, is not developing as many would have thought. Expectations for the 6ft 3in striker are high but his progression is small. Even though he is constantly improving his points production season after season, it is not enough. It does seem like a change of scenery would go a long way in reviving the 24-year-old.

In 55 games this season, Zacha has 13 goals and 15 assists for a total of 28 points. He is completing the final year of a three-season contract signed in 2019 which earns him an average of $2.25 million per season.