Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes met with the media on Friday afternoon following the NHL trade deadline, which resulted in no deal for the Habs.
According to Hughes, the Canadiens had the outlines of a potential deal, however it fell through in the final minutes of the deadline.
“We spent a lot of time on one case in particular,” he said. "And it came down to the wire, but that doesn't stop us from revisiting it in the summer."
Without trying to read too much between the lines, it seems like the Habs were actively involved in a trade for a player like Robert Thomas or Vincent Trocheck, two talented centers who should still be available in a trade after the regular season and playoffs are over.
When pressed for more details about a potential deal, Hughes once again pointed to the possibility that a trade could be completed in a matter of months.
He said, "I'd love to answer, but maybe you'll find out in the summer."
As far as pending unrestricted free agent Patrik Laine is concerned, Hughes suggests that despite all the trade talks approaching the deadline, he won't be a distraction moving forward.
Hughes explained, "Patrick is part of the team like the other players, he's not a distraction." "I expect Patrick to be available for the team based on the decisions made by the coaches."
If the Habs had pulled off a significant trade, Hughes noted that it would likely have resulted in other trade dominoes falling.
"We had some things that would have happened if the deal we were working on had gone through," he said. “Yes, it was an important business for us.”
Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks
As for the lack of action, Hughes reminded fans that the team actually made some big deals earlier in the season, including the trade that brought star defenseman Noah Dobson to the Canadiens.
“I think our players are happy to be here and they're happy with the group,” Hughes said. “They are not unaware of the fact that we have taken significant steps since the end of last season to improve our team.
“Part of the message to the group is that we like these players, we have good hockey players, and we have good hockey players that are not playing.”
