Hughes’s 'big catches' are Hage, Laine, and (possibly) Reinbacher.

So, as many expected, the CH did nothing at the trade deadline. Of course, with the additions of Dobson, Bolduc, and Danault, as well as the addition of a quality depth player like Texier, Hughes hasn’t exactly been inactive in recent months.

You could even say that he was ahead of many of his counterparts and that his recent acquisitions had already cost him three high draft picks and a quality prospect (Mailloux, himself a former first-round pick).

So it seems that Hughes and Gorton are quite comfortable with their group of players in Montreal, but perhaps even more so with their pool of prospects.

A “virtually untouchable” quintet

At 19, Michael Hage is just a few points away from second place in the NCAA scoring race.

At 18, Alexander Zharovsky is the leading candidate for KHL Rookie of the Year.

Right-handed defenseman Bryce Pickford, who turns 20 next month, is tearing it up in Medicine Hat in the WHL. He ranks second in WHL scoring with 41 goals in 49 games!

At 21, David Reinbacher seems to be finding his stride in Laval. We’ll come back to that a little later.

Finally, Jacob Fowler seems destined for a bright future and is locked in a battle with Sergei Murashov for the title of best rookie goaltender in the AHL.

That’s quite a few top prospects in their respective leagues!

The Canadiens have therefore drafted VERY WELL in the last four auctions, and in all likelihood, these five prospects will all become “impact players” (better than the average NHL player, worthy of the top 15-20 in their draft year).

Perhaps there are even one or two “star” players (worthy of the top 5-10 in their draft year) in this group…

It’s also important to remember that all these brave young men are only a year or two away from becoming full-time NHL players. We’re talking a few months at most for Hage and Reinbacher.

So not only do you rarely trade these types of players, you also make sure not to block their path to the NHL too much.

In theory, once these five guys are well established in the lineup, the Habs will be at the peak of their “window of opportunity,” which will likely be starting in 2027-2028. Hughes has the advantage of gradually integrating his prospects, allowing his young core to mature, building the group’s confidence little by little, teaching them to learn from their mistakes, etc. This will give him even more accurate information about his team’s needs.
The goal therefore remains the same this year: to build for the long term and gain experience. That doesn’t mean that these five “golden” young players will never be involved in a trade. Maybe one of them could even be traded this summer. But it’s very clear that Hughes would not involve them in a “Erat for Forsberg” type of trade… But for a trade involving Jordan Kyrou or Robert Thomas, maybe…

Will Reinbacher soon get his first chance?

Simon “Snake” Boisvert has been saying it for some time now: David Reinbacher might find it relatively easier to develop in the NHL alongside Hutson or Matheson than in the AHL with players who have a lower hockey IQ.

In Engstrom’s absence, he’s been doing pretty well with the Rocket lately.

The Austrian skates with ease with and without the puck.

He’s racking up important minutes and games under his belt.

He’s gaining confidence. He’s improving. That wasn’t necessarily the case in January… He himself seems to be aware of this.