Weird thing about that is that when Hughes was on Antichambre a few weeks ago he said he won’t be pursuing UFAs till next year but if something jumps in his lap like a Panarin situation, he’d definetly consider that.
Arpon is reporting that they’re actively trying to pursue an experienced star player via trade this summer. And implied that management doesn’t want them to be like Buffalo and Ottawa, saying that management wants Suzuki and Caufield and others to be able to play in a competitive environment so that their spirits are down like they are now with Monahan gone and a first round pick occupying his empty stall (tongue in cheek).
The whole trading to get a big name this summer is the first time I hear of this. This is good news.
Hertl is definetly a Great name.
That logic doesn't line up.
For one, Arpon's actual comment (which wasn't a report) was (in the context of Monahan being traded for futures):
This is why no one should be surprised to see the Canadiens aggressively adding pieces this offseason, and it won’t necessarily be limited to Kirby Dach or Alex Newhook-style deals in which draft picks are traded for young, largely unproven talent. It could be talent that will help in the shorter term, because there appears to be a real desire from management to put players like Caufield in a competitive environment so he’s not answering questions about draft picks getting lockers for much longer.
That's not trading for a big name, its trading for someone who's more proven than a career high of 30 points in the NHL.
And if Hughes is uninterested in the UFA market, why would he be interested in a a guy who will be 31 next season and is on a long term contract. Better yet, why would Hertl be interested?
I also didn't see any comparison to Buffalo or Ottawa (implied or otherwise) in Basu's article, which makes sense because both those teams have acquired a lot of veteran talent over the seasons and not wanting to be like Buffalo or Ottawa would imply not acquiring veterans.
