Kent Hughes has just resolved a major issue by making great moves

From the moment he arrived as GM of the Habs, if we remember correctly, he mentioned that one of his ultimate priorities was definitely to create some cap space under the NHL salary cap.

The Montreal Canadiens were in big trouble with their salary cap, and this was something Kent Hughes really had to address before even thinking about making a big acquisition.

Well, today we can finally say that this issue has been resolved.

We can wonder if Josh Anderson is next, or if Brendan Gallagher is next, but there is now less urgency to free up money in Montreal.

Kent Hughes has been patient; he has traded a few more burdensome contracts for contracts that were about to expire, and bingo.

He moved well, he maneuvered well, and now Hughes is already among the GMs with the most cap space under the NHL salary cap.

Moreover, he has moved well and awarded very reasonable contracts to his key players, like Cole Caufield, Kirby Dach, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Samuel Montembeault.

What a turnaround. The Canadiens are now in a very good position with their salary cap.

Kent Hughes could even afford a new transaction «like Sean Monahan» if he wishes.

In any case, after two and a half years, Hughes can claim that his mission has been successful, as he has managed to free himself from many significant contracts over the seasons.

Furthermore, let's remember that the contracts of Joel Armia, Christian Dvorak, and David Savard end next summer, so in a year, Kent Hughes will definitely be in a good position to make a big move in the free agent market (or in the trade market).

He will have a lot of cap space.

Credit: GoNordiques
Habs: Kent Hughes vient de régler un gros dossier qui traînait sur son bureau

Credit: La Poche Bleue
Le CH se sort enfin de son impasse salariale