Major: a second top-20 draft pick acquired by Hughes and the Canadiens in a solid trade that brought Sean Monahan in 2022?
After the mid-season, the CH is out of the playoff picture. The points separating them from a spot in the spring tournament make the task almost impossible for Martin St-Louis' team.
While some will keep hope, others will start to think about the future. They will therefore follow a completely different race, that towards Macklin Celebrini and the 1st overall pick in the 2024 draft.
Considering that nothing changes and that the Canadiens does not gain any spots with the lottery, Kent Hughes will have a top-10 pick.
He could, under several circumstances, have another pick in the top-20 as a scenario of the complex transaction involving Sean Monahan offers the possibility for the GM to select the 1st pick of the 2024 Flames.
As Andrew Zadarnowski had explained last November with a superb diagram, Hughes could agree to take the Flames' pick if it is between the 20th and 32nd this season. Seeing how the Flames are playing recently, however, it would be surprising if this pick, reserved for teams that make the playoffs, ultimately belongs to the Flames.
It would also be surprising if the Habs management, in the event that the Flames get their act together, accept this offer. They have much more to gain by delaying their decision to 2025, or even 2026.
At the same time as Zadarnowski's publication, the excellent Marco D'Amico of the site MTLHockeyNow had developed several scenarios with this 1st-round pick. Most of these scenarios gave a better pick than the 20th (the possibility for 2024), like an 11th pick in 2025.
One scenario even suggests, after numerous circumstances, the possibility that the Habs drafts 2nd in 2025 or even 1st in 2026.
In theory, the Habs could have two picks in the top-20 at the next draft. But practically, it would be surprising if Kent Hughes and his colleagues opt for this option when the chances of selecting at a better rank in 2025 or 2026 are still excellent.
Don't forget that this pick was given as a gift to take on Sean Monahan's contract...
WOW!
| POLL | ||
Do you believe that Kent Hughes is a good general manager? | ||
| Yes, for everything | 360 | 72.7 % |
| No | 71 | 14.3 % |
| Only for trades | 27 | 5.5 % |
| Only for contracts | 37 | 7.5 % |
| List of polls | ||
