Upcoming trade with the Montreal Canadiens involving a first round pick?

During his time at the helm of the Habs, Marc Bergevin made the big mistake of not giving Carey Price a good team when he was at his prime. Only once in his career did Carey Price have a player who has passed the 80-point mark in a season infront of him.

Gone as it is, Kent Hughes could make the opposite mistake of not giving a viable goaltender to a roster at its peak. That's what could happen if the GM doesn't find a good goalie soon, while his club is rapidly gaining experience.

The options are slim for the GM and he has only two choices. First, he can try to deal for a goalie of the future. That's why lately, many rumors are linking the CH to the Buffalo Sabres' young Montreal goalie, Devon Levi.


Kent Hughes can also take a chance on selecting one in the draft and hope to land a gem. That's what Marco d'Amico suggests in a recent article on MTL Hockey Now.


D'Amico would like to see Hughes acquire a late first-round pick in an attempt to find the club's future goalie. In particular, he cites the names of Michael Hrabal and Scott Ratzlaff, both of whom could be good targets.

It's a dangerous path, however. The draft, even if selected in the first round, is not a guarantee of success. Especially since it takes a long time to develop a goalie, as we can see with Cayden Primeau and Samuel Montembeault for example. While analysts believe that the CH will be competitive in two to three years, it would be surprising if a goalie drafted next summer is the missing piece to the club ....

A mix between a deal with a goalie already drafted some time ago (like Devon Levi) and a promising goalie drafted early in the next draft could be a very good mix for the future.

A file to follow!

Source : HF