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It doesn’t make much sense to me to move prospects like Kapanan, or Mailloux and our pick, to only move up 2 or 3 spots in a draft where there isn’t enough separating players in the 12 to 16 range. We not only may end up drafting a player at 13 or 14 that isn’t as good as the guy we would have taken at 13, or 14, but those picks may not even turn out to be better than Kapanan or Mailloux. It doesn’t seem like it’s worth giving up Mailloux/Kapanan type prospects unless we could get into the 6-8 range. Last year, I would have mov d wither or both as part of a package to draft Buium or Parekh, but I don’t see those types of prospects in the 9-12 range this year. id rather move prospects like them or save prospects like them as part of package to fill the 2C hole.

And I agree with this thinking. No deal is better than the wrong deal. Hughes has a lot to consider including managing the salary cap when the Habs become a more serious contender. I have confidence that he will be prudent.

Which NHL teams need to upgrade on defense? Ranking all 32 by current quality - The Athletic 20. Montreal Canadiens Current quality: 41st percentile Looking for: Top-pair defenseman The model, like nearly everyone else who watched him play, has made its decision on Lane Hutson. He’s projected to be a top-10 defender in terms of value for the 2025-26 season. One of Montreal’s priorities should be figuring out whether Kaiden Guhle is Hutson’s long-term partner — and Guhle showed some signs — or if David Reinbacher is the better fit. Reinbacher, the No. 5 pick in 2023, had a rough season but still profiles as a high-floor, low-ceiling option who would make sense next to Hutson. He’s also a right shot, something Montreal lacked last season. If he pops, Montreal will be in fine shape. Beyond that, Montreal has two capable veterans (Mike Matheson and Alex Carrier) and Arber Xhekaj, a player whose poor projection pushes the Canadiens down these rankings.

I have to agree, it's not a strong draft and Mailloux could easily turn out to be better than the #13 pick by himself.

From Pierre Lebrun's athletic column today Habs GM Kent Hughes is leaving no stone unturned in surveying the forward market and trying to line up potential trade scenarios for this week and perhaps into the summer. The search for a No. 2 center might be too hard this offseason, so a compromise might be a top-six winger with pop. Some of those calls Hughes is making are in that direction. Montreal, armed with the No. 16 and No. 17 picks Friday night, is trying to find a partner who would be interested in a picks/prospects package. But the Canadiens aren’t going to force it. If the price to attain a top-six difference maker is out of their comfort zone and hurts their long-term planning, they’re willing to stay patient, whether that means an in-season trade or even next summer. The No. 1 priority, as Basu wrote, is to become a long-term contender that takes multiple swings at a title over time. The priority is absolutely not about making sure they make a short-term swing just to make the playoffs again next year. The longer-term view wins out.