Hughes: 'This team has resilience and can handle adversity'

MONTREAL – The deal is done. The Canadiens traded forward Sean Monahan to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, acquiring a 2024 first-round pick – and a 2027 third-round pick if the Jets win the Stanley Cup this year – in return.

Shortly after the trade, general manager Kent Hughes took to Zoom to discuss the deal with the media.

Here are some highlights from his press conference.

Please note that some answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Hughes on the return for Monahan, asking for a pick versus a prospect, and retaining salary in the deal:

With certain teams, the cap influenced things because they have enough space, but with a lot of other teams, the fact that it was a rental lowered the demand. In terms of return, there were some teams who said they would not pay a first-round pick to rent a player.

We were open to getting one or the other [a pick or a prospect]. If it were a prospect, that player would’ve had to have the value of a first-round pick. We were open and we will always remain open. If we make a trade today for a pick instead of a prospect with the value of a first-round pick or if we trade a pick in the future in order to get that kind of player, we’re always open. But in the case of this trade, the pick was more available and that did it for us.

It was kind of a case-by-case situation when we talked to teams about whether we would be willing to retain [salary] or not. I generally don't try to close doors and just keep it open. But if I could do a trade without retaining, there's value to that for us in the sense that we have that availability, whether we end up moving another player before the trade deadline or not, or whether we participate as a third party in a trade. My feeling was that on the retention component, we would get more value out of using it elsewhere than using it for Sean.

Hughes on how the team will adapt to Monahan’s absence in the lineup:

I don't think one player replaces Sean Monahan. If we look at the different ways in which he contributed to our team, from faceoffs, to penalty kill, to power play, to leadership. There are a lot of things that Sean brought to the table and we're going to be looking for the group as a whole to step up. I think that's part of a process of a young group maturing and growing and taking ownership of their future and of this team.

We have reasons to be optimistic that Alex Newhook will be back soon, so that gave us a certain amount of confidence to make the trade now rather than wait. We’ve seen a bit of Mitchell Stephens, and then Lucas Condotta, for six weeks, and I think we’re going to continue having that style of player who will help us on the fourth line.

It’s something we’re going to discuss with the team, and Martin St-Louis will discuss with the team. But one thing we’ve seen with our group since I’ve gotten here, whether it be with injuries or trades, this team has shown it has resilience and it can handle adversity. In Sean’s case, I think he knew there was the possibility he would get traded. I’m confident our group will continue to work towards something. The guys know what we’re trying to do, and that’s what we want to build in Montreal.

Hughes on what Monahan meant to the team and why he decided to move him:

When we signed Sean, we signed him because we believed he was a player who could make us better on the ice, in the room, and in the city of Montreal. I can’t say enough good things about Sean. He was really an important person and player for us. [...] We know we were a better team with Sean, but in the moment, we don’t have enough clarity about our future to offer him a reasonable contract. So we said that in the current situation, we were better off trading him to give him a chance to play for a very good team, where he’ll be well-positioned in the lineup. I thank him for all he’s done for our team.