Montreal Canadiens stand pat at NHL trade deadline amid playoff chase

Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes gives his mid-season update at a press conference in Brossard, Que., Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

BROSSARD, Que. — Kent Hughes was ready for another yard sale.

Then the Montreal Canadiens went on a run and changed his mind.

The Canadiens general manager stood pat at the NHL trade deadline Friday, bucking the trend of selling the last three years as Montreal remains in the hunt for a playoff spot.

"The plan from the beginning of the season was that what we did at the trade deadline would be dictated by the team,” Hughes told reporters at CN Sports Complex after the 3 p.m. ET trade embargo began. “Heading into the 4 Nations break, we were on a down, so we thought we’d probably do the same thing as in years past and trade away our players.

“Then, credit to the players and coaches, they won five in a row and turned things around.”

Montreal (30-26-6) was one point outside the playoffs with 66 points in 62 games, tied with the Detroit Red Wings, entering Friday’s action. The Ottawa Senators — who held the second wild-card spot in the East — and the New York Rangers each had 67 points.

The Canadiens lost eight of nine games before last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off. They returned from the two-week break with five straight wins before falling to the Edmonton Oilers in overtime Thursday night.

Hughes signed centre Jake Evans to a four-year, US$11.4-million contract extension on Tuesday to take him off the trade boards.

He then held on to three notable unrestricted free agents on Friday — veteran defenceman David Savard, winger Joel Armia and centre Christian Dvorak — signalling a change in direction four years into Montreal’s rebuild.

“I promised the players in September that for the first time since I’ve been in Montreal, we didn’t have an established plan before the season, and that their play would be a factor in what we do,” Hughes said. “So today and this week, in a way, we rewarded them for their effort.”

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki has been vocal about being tired of watching his teammates pack their bags to join Stanley Cup contenders at the trade deadline.

Hughes said he and Suzuki discussed that last month.

"I told him, 'It's on your shoulders, but don't come in here telling me not to make moves if you don’t do what you have to do,'" Hughes said. "They won five games in a row after that discussion, and I think Nick had 13 points in those five games."

Hughes made a trade earlier this season, acquiring 28-year-old defenceman Alex Carrier from the Nashville Predators for younger blueliner Justin Barron in December.

He said he canvassed teams ahead of Friday’s deadline for deals that could help the Canadiens in the future. Some fans also called for Montreal to add a second-line centre after Kirby Dach sustained a season-ending knee injury in February.

Hughes ultimately called it a "seller's market" and didn't buy, either.

"There's so many teams that are tight to the playoffs like us that did very little in terms of selling off," he said. "As a result, the prices were high. So on the one end when you have expiring contracts, there is that temptation to get great value. On the flip side, if you were a buyer you knew you paying a steep price to get into something that would help around the edges."

The Canadiens have already stockpiled draft picks during their rebuild. They own 12 selections — including two firsts, two seconds and three thirds — in this year's draft.

In other news, defenceman Kaiden Guhle skated for the first time since undergoing surgery on a lacerated quadriceps muscle in January.

Hughes wasn’t sure of a timeline for Guhle's return and added the Canadiens would not rush him back into the lineup if they fall out of the playoff race.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 7, 2025.

The Canadian Press