Trade Completed Between the Canadiens and Devils Turned Out to Be a Costly Mistake for Kent Hughes

Except, perhaps, in the summer of 2024, when he traded defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2026 fourth-round pick.

At the time, it seemed like a fairly insignificant deal, as Kovacevic no longer appeared to be part of the organization's plans.

However, the Canadiens' defensive unit struggled early in the season-especially on the right side-and having Kovacevic around would've certainly helped Martin St. Louis.

Especially considering the Devils turned the 27-year-old blueliner into one of their regulars throughout the season, and general manager Tom Fitzgerald rewarded him with a new contract worth $4 million per year, running through 2030.

He's developed into a strong defensive defenseman in the NHL and is now looking to follow in the footsteps of a certain Jaccob Slavin..

But as you know, Kent Hughes corrected that mistake in December when he acquired Alexandre Carrier from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Justin Barron.

Max Van Houtte shared that thought, as you can see below.

We now know what happened next, the Quebec-born defenseman has become a cornerstone of the Canadiens' young blue line and will take on an even bigger role following the departure of David Savard.

Still, there's something ironic about the Canadiens spending this summer hunting for a reliable right-shot defenseman-essentially looking for.. a Johnathan Kovacevic.