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Kent Hughes’ Next Challenge
USA TODAY Sports

Kent Hughes’ Next Challenge

Originally posted on Dose.ca  |  Last updated Aug 28, 2026 2:38 PM ET
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Unless proven otherwise, the Canadiens will start the upcoming season with essentially the same lineup as the one we saw in the most recent playoffs.

In Nick Suzuki's view, that's good news.

We can all agree that it's not the end of the world, but we also agree that the Montreal Canadiens fell short of their offseason goals.

So what's next? Ideally, it would be a trade.

But in the long run, the Canadiens can't always rely solely on trades to improve their team. After all, many teams are looking to make moves right now, which affects prices.

Jeff Marek discussed the Canadiens on his podcast. And in his view, the next challenge for Kent Hughes (who's been doing a good job since 2022) will be this: Can he sign a big free agent despite Quebec's income tax?

That's a good question.

Obviously, Montreal has always been a destination that free agents have looked down on. The Habs have mostly been used as a fallback option in these situations.

But Marek's take is this: How promising is the Habs' future to convince a top-tier free agent to come settle in the city?

It's clear that this would help the club in the medium term. No one is saying otherwise.

That said, in an NHL where players are signing contracts at increasingly younger ages (which means the quality of talent on the UFA market sometimes leaves something to be desired), relying on free agents isn't necessarily the solution.

But we agree on the fundamentals: if the Habs could use their ample salary cap space to attract a star without having to give up prospects, that would be ideal.

That said, that's only for next year—at best. In the short term, it's not a solution.


In Brief

– News from Brossard.

– Wow.

– Note:

– Oh, really?

– When will he sign a contract?

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

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