The Canadiens are certainly among the summer’s winners so far

When the Canadiens’ season came to an end after the series against the Washington Capitals, there were questions to be asked.

Most notably, we wondered what Kent Hughes’ summer would look like, and there were several options on the table.

Especially when you consider that the Habs had two first-round picks, and there was a good chance those selections could be traded to acquire a quality player.

In the end, that’s what happened.

Kent Hughes sent his two first-round picks (and Emil Heineman) to Long Island to fill a need for a right-handed defenseman who could play on the top pair.

But the Canadiens’ GM wasn’t done yet… and traded Logan Mailloux, a player who spent the last two years in the AHL, for a goal-scoring forward in Zachary Bolduc.

This, too, was a major need in Montreal.

Hughes may have lost Joel Armia and Christian Dvorak to the market, and that hurts. That said, he also managed to fill one of his slots by bringing Samuel Blais to town, a guy who can hit and plays physical night after night.

When you think about it, the Habs did what they had to do:

• Picked up a #1 defenseman (Dobson)
• Grabbed a quality forward (Bolduc)
• Added a guy who’ll help with his toughness (Blais)

Oh, and Kent Hughes was also able to sign another veteran goalie in Kaapo Kahkonen, a guy who may come in handy in case of injuries in Montreal.