The Canadiens are off to a very poor start to the season. The 9 points collected so far don’t reflect the team’s weak defensive zone and inability to right the ship when things go wrong.
In recent weeks, we’ve heard that the Habs are interested in a sturdy defenseman and forward, but the market is tough right now.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Habs are in a danger zone where they don’t want to make the mistake of trading a young player too quickly.
What’s more, in his opinion, Montreal isn’t an attractive destination right now to settle down and play in for the long term. At least not yet.
Friedman mentioned this information in his podcast 32 thoughts.
In his opinion, the fact that taxes are high and the team isn’t good enough yet won’t help Kent Hughes in the short term.
Friedman believes, however, that the general manager has gone about it the right way with high draft picks, and that Montreal could eventually become a destination of choice.
Still, even when the Habs are at the top of their game, it won’t be as easy to attract free agents as the Rangers did.
The tax system doesn’t help, but neither does the pressure of Montreal.
As for transactions, Kent Hughes needs to be patient, especially with young players. He’s accumulated a number of them over the last few drafts, but needs to make sure he keeps the good ones, especially if it’s for trades of rental or near-rental players.
