A first trade for the Canadiens is already addressed by Kent Hughes who confirmed the details live
A first trade is already taking shape in Montreal, and Kent Hughes made that clear live in Brossard.
The Montreal Canadiens general manager confirmed during the club's season review on Monday morning that he has already started calling teams around the NHL to map out offseason options.
That matters, because it shows the front office isn't waiting around. Hughes is already testing the market and trying to get a read on who could be available in the months ahead.
Here was the key line shared from the session:
"Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes says he has already begun making calls to teams around the NHL to get an idea of which players might or might not be available this offseason."
That quote says plenty on its own. The Canadiens are already laying groundwork for what could become their first major move of the 2026 offseason.
And from Montreal's side, this is the kind of signal fans wanted to hear. Hughes isn't sitting back. He's pushing early.
The Canadiens are already chasing answers
This didn't come out of nowhere, either. A few reports had already pointed to Montreal looking hard at upgrades before the deadline.
Anthony Di Marco reported that Hughes had tried to move Patrik Laine in a deal to land a defenseman. That alone showed the Canadiens were open to making a bold move if the right fit was there.
Pierre LeBrun also confirmed Montreal's interest in Nico Hischier of the New Jersey Devils. That's another sign the club has been searching for help down the middle.
Renaud Lavoie added that Hughes had come very close to acquiring a strong second-line center before the deadline. That detail stands out now more than ever.
Now the Canadiens' management has openly confirmed the same direction. The objective is clear, and the work is already underway.
That's what fans like about this moment. There's no mystery around the intent. Hughes is on the phone, and the pressure is now on to turn those talks into something real.
The next question is the big one: will these early calls finally lead Montreal to the second center it has been trying to find for years?
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YESTERDAY
MAY 29, 2026
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| G | A | PTS | ||
| Taylor Hall | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Logan Stankoven | 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| Jackson Blake | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Seth Jarvis | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Cole Caufield | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Shayne Gostisbehere | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Eric Robinson | 1 | - | 1 | |
| Sebastian Aho | - | 1 | 1 | |
| William Carrier | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Nikolaj Ehlers | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Lane Hutson | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Alexander Nikishin | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Andrei Svechnikov | - | 1 | 1 | |
| Frederik Andersen | - | - | - | |
| Josh Anderson | - | - | - | |
| Zachary Bolduc | - | - | - | |
| Alexandre Carrier | - | - | - | |
| Jalen Chatfield | - | - | - | |
| Kirby Dach | - | - | - | |
| Phillip Danault | - | - | - | |
| COMPLETE STATS | ||||