Ranking Hughes Moves SO Far

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Le Tricolore

Boo! BOOOO!
Aug 3, 2005
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Saw @26Mats mention this in another thread:

would be fun to rank his moves.

If we include draft picks, I have Demidov at 1, probably Slaf at 2, and then Hutson at 3. But Hutson can overtake Slaf, especially given where he was drafted. The Monahan trade is up there. Hopefully the Laine Trade will be too. Petry for Matheson...

so I thought this thread could be fun. You can see all of Hughes' trades here: History of hockey trades by general manager Kent Hughes - NHL Trade Tracker


Feel free to add signings / draft picks in here too (but don't bitch about not drafting certain players over others. We have enough of that elsewhere).
 
Demidov 150% number 1

Also the Suzuki, Caufield and slaf contracts. Escape especially cole. Phenomenal. What 50 goal scorer makes less than 8. And with cap about to go spe shit. Unreal. So valuable to us. That extra cap room

The laine trade I think has the potential to be one of the biggest steals ever. I truly believe he's still a 40-50 goal scorer so. That's just nuts.
 
The best:

2 firsts for Monahan
Hoffman for a second + subsequent trades of the other acquisitions for picks
getting rid of Weber's contract
Laine for Harris
Petry for Matheson

The not so great:

Lekhy for Barron (Barron not so great)
2nd Petry trade for Lindstrom (pass on this, can't win them all)
Toffoli for Heineman +++ (pulled the trigger too fast)
Kirby Dach (rather have Nazar)
Overpayment for Newhook
 
The best:

2 firsts for Monahan
Hoffman for a second + subsequent trades of the other acquisitions for picks
getting rid of Weber's contract
Laine for Harris
Petry for Matheson

The not so great:

Lekhy for Barron (Barron not so great)
2nd Petry trade for Lindstrom (pass on this, can't win them all)
Toffoli for Heineman +++ (pulled the trigger too fast)
Kirby Dach (rather have Nazar)
Overpayment for Newhook

At least the Lehky trade, the 2nd of COL 2024 put in the trade for advacing at draff to #21 and draft their target, Michael Hage.

Monahan and Lehky trade helping to get the #21 and Michael Hage.
 
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Solid trade history since joining the Habs.
I doubt over that tenure many other teams have outperformed this management group in trades. Gotta be in the top 1/3 league wide. I don't follow other teams trades close enough but no real big losers on the list and some very good wins.
 
The best:

2 firsts for Monahan
Hoffman for a second + subsequent trades of the other acquisitions for picks
getting rid of Weber's contract
Laine for Harris
Petry for Matheson

The not so great:

Lekhy for Barron (Barron not so great)
2nd Petry trade for Lindstrom (pass on this, can't win them all)
Toffoli for Heineman +++ (pulled the trigger too fast)
Kirby Dach (rather have Nazar)
Overpayment for Newhook
I'd probably add in the not so great, betting on all 3 of barron/Struble/X instead of moving 1 of them and adding a veteran Dman in their spot. Too much asked of Matheson/Savard to help a young D core develop.
 
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S Tier

- Drafting Slafkovsky over Wright/Cooley
- Drafting Hutson at 62
- The Monahan Saga
- 2024 Draft 1st round (Demidov and trading up for Hage)

A Tier

- Petry, Hoffman, CapSpace --> Matheson, 2nd
- Laine, 2nd --> Harris
- Slafkovsky and Caufield extensions
- Bringing in MSL
- Drafting Fowler at 69 (nice)

B Tier

- Chiarot for a 1st
- Kulak for a 2nd
- Dach for Romanov
- Guhle extension
- Drafting Beck, Engstrom, Konyushkov
- Toffoli for 1st + Heineman
- Newhook for 31st and 37th

C Tier

- Drafting Mesar
- Lehkonen for Barron + 2nd (hindsight granted, I didn't hate it at the time)
- Passing on Michkov
 
Demidov 150% number 1

Also the Suzuki, Caufield and slaf contracts. Escape especially cole. Phenomenal. What 50 goal scorer makes less than 8. And with cap about to go spe shit. Unreal. So valuable to us. That extra cap room

The laine trade I think has the potential to be one of the biggest steals ever. I truly believe he's still a 40-50 goal scorer so. That's just nuts.

Suzuki was Bergevin
 
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At least the Lehky trade, the 2nd of COL 2024 put in the trade for advacing at draff to #21 and draft their target, Michael Hage.

Monahan and Lehky trade helping to get the #21 and Michael Hage.

What happened to our own 2024 2nd again?
 
Demidov 150% number 1

Also the Suzuki, Caufield and slaf contracts. Escape especially cole. Phenomenal. What 50 goal scorer makes less than 8. And with cap about to go spe shit. Unreal. So valuable to us. That extra cap room

The laine trade I think has the potential to be one of the biggest steals ever. I truly believe he's still a 40-50 goal scorer so. That's just nuts.
Cole is a 50 goal scorer?
 
What happened to our own 2024 2nd again?

1730256312415.png


Bozo on right traded it for bozo on left (in addition to a 1st)
 
The best:

2 firsts for Monahan
Hoffman for a second + subsequent trades of the other acquisitions for picks
getting rid of Weber's contract
Laine for Harris
Petry for Matheson

The not so great:

Lekhy for Barron (Barron not so great)
2nd Petry trade for Lindstrom (pass on this, can't win them all)
Toffoli for Heineman +++ (pulled the trigger too fast)
Kirby Dach (rather have Nazar)
Overpayment for Newhook
Who’s telling you that habs would have drafted Nazar. It was never in the cards. It was Romanov for Dach.

S Tier

- Drafting Slafkovsky over Wright/Cooley
- Drafting Hutson at 62
- The Monahan Saga
- 2024 Draft 1st round (Demidov and trading up for Hage)

A Tier

- Petry, Hoffman, CapSpace --> Matheson, 2nd
- Laine, 2nd --> Harris
- Slafkovsky and Caufield extensions
- Bringing in MSL
- Drafting Fowler at 69 (nice)

B Tier

- Chiarot for a 1st
- Kulak for a 2nd
- Dach for Romanov
- Guhle extension
- Drafting Beck, Engstrom, Konyushkov
- Toffoli for 1st + Heineman
- Newhook for 31st and 37th

C Tier

- Drafting Mesar
- Lehkonen for Barron + 2nd (hindsight granted, I didn't hate it at the time)
- Passing on Michkov
Bringing MSL should be in your C list. And drafting Huston late 2nd, and Fowler early 3rd, were just pure luck. Why not draft Hutson at Mesar’s spot or Beck’s spot ? Why give an early second rounder to get Newhook (+ a late 1st rounder) and have a better chance to get Fowler before any other of the 5 drafted before him ?
 
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Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes are back for New Jersey, but Jonathan Kovacevic is still playing big minutes for them. Believe he would look good on the Habs blueline right now.
 
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Anyone that can turn Brett Kulak into Lane Hutson deserves to be on “Canada’s Most Wanted” for massive larceny.

Two first rounders for Sean Monahan.

Got paid to take Patrik Laine.

Used the pick he got in the Colorado trade to move up for Hage - who looks terrific btw.

Moved out as much of the deadwood as he possibly could from the spend to the cap and still finish last Bergevin years.

He had almost zero cap space to make any deals when he came in, what he’s managed to accomplish in such a short period of time is extremely admirable.

He’s performing at an elite level at his job, and is the best GM we’ve had since Serge Savard. If anyone is going to lead the Habs back to the promised land, it will be Hughes.
 
In hindsight, I get why they passed on Michkov. I think they got spooked by what happened with Fedotov. Michkov had a deal in the KHL until 2026, and maybe they thought the Russians would try to hold onto Michkov through any means possible. Just my thoughts.
 
Im gonna go again on it but passing on Michkov is a F .
No idea why Reinbacher is a top 5 pick anyways , bro doesnt belong in the top 10 of that year draft to begin with

Newhook trade is awful
Never been a fan of Dach trade neither
Loved the TDL moves tho
Agree with all except the Dach trade
Im telling you all he'll turn it around no question
 

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