Breaking: Kent Hughes signs a forward after his strategic trade pays off

The Canadiens locked up Sasha Pastujov Thursday, signing the forward to a one-year, two-way deal for 2026-27.

Montreal confirmed the contract on social media at 3:00 PM, and the announcement carried the club's signature signed-card graphic with Pastujov's autograph front and center.

The Canadiens have agreed to terms on a one-year, two-way contract (2026-27) with forward Sasha Pastujov.

Kent Hughes put the pen to paper on this one, keeping Pastujov in the organization after he arrived from Anaheim in a trade for Sean Farrell.

Pastujov's path to Montreal wasn't a straight line. He landed with a Habs group that finished last season 48-24-10, good for 106 points and sixth overall in the league.

That's a winning environment for a forward still trying to find a permanent NHL address. Martin St-Louis runs a lineup that has shown, all year, it will churn its bottom six without much hesitation.

A two-way deal means Laval is the immediate landing spot, not the Bell Centre. But it also means the door stays open if the Rocket's forward group forces the issue.

Montreal closed last season on a 7-3-0 run over its final 10 games before dropping the finale 2-4 at Philadelphia.

Why the two-way structure matters for Pastujov's next move

A two-way contract is the organization hedging, plain and simple. It lets Montreal option him between the NHL and AHL pay scales depending on where he actually plays.

For a player who just switched organizations, that's not an insult. It's a runway, not a demotion, and Pastujov gets a real chance to prove the fit before anyone commits bigger money.

Think of it like a tryout with a signed lease attached. He's not just auditioning, he already has a locker.

Kent Hughes has made a habit of stacking these bridge deals across Montreal's forward depth chart, betting volume of chances beats betting on one big swing.

Whether Pastujov turns that one-year window into a training camp roster spot depends entirely on what St-Louis sees from him this fall.

Nobody in Montreal is promising him minutes yet. This deal buys time, not a spot on the wing.

The Canadiens have built a reputation for churning through names like this quickly. Pastujov either forces his way up that list, or he becomes a footnote in Anaheim's return column.