The Canadiens are weighing how hard to attack the trade market, and Nick Suzuki's upper-body injury just made that question a lot louder.
Frank Seravalli reported Thursday on Sportsnet that Montreal has shown “one of the most aggressive postures on the trade market” to open the season.
The twist? The start from some of the club's young players has the front office debating internally how aggressive it actually wants to be.
The timing stings. Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 12 points and is expected out until at least November 18.
He isn't the only one sidelined. Ivan Demidov is on IR until at least October 31, and Samuel Montembeault's timeline runs until at least October 25.
Tonight's game in Chicago opens a four-game road trip through Winnipeg, St. Louis and Dallas. Montreal sits 4-3-2, 22nd overall.
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The goals against tell the rest of it. The Canadiens are giving up 3.8 per game, and Jakub Dobes carries an .847 save percentage.
Would Kent Hughes really move a top prospect for depth?
He might, if he believes the window is opening now instead of in two years. And some of the kids are making that case for him.
Zachary Bolduc has four goals already. Lane Hutson has nine points from the blue line at 22.
Juraj Slafkovsky has six points over his last five games. Jacob Fowler, 21, owns a .900 save percentage and a shutout.
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Other young pieces haven't grabbed their chance. Oliver Kapanen and Owen Beck are both without a point through two games each.
David Reinbacher has dressed once. Adam Engstrom is still chasing his first point after five games.
Trading a top prospect in October is like cashing out your retirement savings to fix the roof. The leak is real, but that money never comes back.
So here's the line. Demidov and Hutson should be untouchable, and anything beyond them is fair game for a legitimate top-six forward.
The blue line is where Montreal can deal from. Michael Matheson is 32 and carries a $6,000,000 cap hit, with a stack of younger defensemen pushing behind him.
Martin St-Louis needs help now, with his leading scorer in street clothes and a road trip starting tonight.
What card is Hughes holding? Seravalli's report describes an aggressive posture, not a finished deal, and nobody outside that front office knows how far it goes.
The trip wraps in Dallas on October 29. If the Canadiens come home short on points, that posture could turn into a phone call fast.
Should Kent Hughes trade a top prospect for a top-six forward while Nick Suzuki is out?
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