Montreal Canadiens And Always Evolving Plans
Eric Engels of Sportsnet (Q&A): The life of a general manager is never easy. Worse, with injuries and a team in the process of a long rebuild, Kent Hughes has things far from easy. It feels like this.
“I always believed that, even as an agent, when people would ask, ‘What’s your typical week like?’ I would say it’s hard to describe,” he said in an exclusive interview with Sportsnet. “A lot of times I had 20 items I wanted to get through for the week, and when I got to Item 3, I felt like I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off because even on the agent side, it’s a very reactionary business. It’s the same and then some on this side.”
With injuries mounting, prospects have had to get more playing time than Montreal and its management anticipated. The key for Hughes is to figure out his young core along with signing and extending more players as needed.
As for the draft and free agency, Hughes is open to anything. With so many picks, options are out there. That includes trying to trade players like Joel Edmundson before the draft. Montreal will be active at the draft. That is a given.
Would Ten Minutes Of Overtime Increase Scoring?
Travis Yost of TSN.ca: Again, this is something that would create the need for a few more players who specialize at the 3-on-3. Would doubling overtimes to ten minutes increase scoring and lessen the need for a shootout?
It is a great question. Teams are starting to figure out how to “squat” to get games to a shootout. There is a high chance this could reduce shootout by around half. Now, players that generate tons of speed off the rush would be at even more of a premium.
While the NHL and NHLPA have tabled this for now, the minimizing of the shootout has hit a stalemate. Some teams are even considering players who are “shootout specialists.”
It would change a few dynamics which is why we put this here. Having a playoff spot decided by overtime rather than a shootout is more appealing to the league and its fans. Now, there are two questions. How does the NHL and NHLPA make this work? Finally, how do teams adapt to the ten-minute overtimes via personnel? That’s a better question.
