Balancing Act
June 18, 2024
By Bob Trask
It almost goes without saying that by the time Habs are legitimate Cup contenders many of the veterans currently on the roster will no longer be with the club. The most obvious candidates for departure before the end of next season are Christian Dvorak, Joel Armia and David Savard – all on expiring contracts. Kent Hughes must weigh the potential benefit of getting a greater return near the deadline for players in this situation against creating an opening for prospects knocking on the door. This group includes Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux, Joshua Roy, Owen Beck and the recently signed Oliver Kapanen. Would they develop better playing big minutes in Laval or easing their way into the Canadiens lineup playing down in the lineup and fewer minutes. A lot will depend upon any offers received for the veterans and that could become apparent in July. Another factor is where the Canadiens’ management team sees the team in the competitive cycle. Is the goal short term success or has the view shifted from the long term to the medium term? Where is the first legitimate window of opportunity for the Habs? A lot will also depend upon how the prospects fare in training camp and pre-season – but that won’t be know until late September and early October. When you dig down into everything that goes into making player decisions, the situation suddenly isn’t that simple. In the world of social media, there are as many opinions as to how Hughes should proceed as there are fans of the Canadiens. As the off-season progresses, Kent Hughes will be performing a balancing act and the results of his decisions will only be known in retrospect. The only thing the fan base can agree on is that it will be an eventful summer. -Trask