The Montreal Canadiens are once again at the center of the NHL’s offseason rumor mill, and this time, the stakes could not be higher. With confirmation that Kent Hughes and his management team have made the team’s coveted first-round picks available on the trade market, the landscape of the upcoming NHL Draft has suddenly shifted.

The move, which comes as other teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets signal similar intentions, has set the stage for a potentially dramatic few weeks in Montreal. Fans and analysts alike are buzzing with speculation about what this bold strategy could mean for the future of the franchise—and whether the Habs are ready to make a major splash to accelerate their rebuild under Martin St. Louis.

As the clock ticks down to draft day, all eyes will be on the Canadiens’ front office to see if they can turn these valuable assets into immediate difference-makers. With so much uncertainty and excitement in the air, the next chapter in Montreal’s storied hockey history is about to unfold in spectacular fashion.

Jul 7, 2022; Montreal, Quebec, CANADA; Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes (left) talks with head coach Martin St. Louis before the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

As expected, an interesting rumor involving Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens has just been confirmed.

We mentioned it a bit earlier, but the Blue Jackets have announced a possible trade, and this information (coming directly from their general manager) has revealed something significant about the Canadiens.

The rumor that the Montreal Canadiens’ first-round picks are available on the trade market has just been confirmed!

See what the very well-informed Marco D’Amico had to say on the subject:

“Columbus is another team in the middle of the first round that has put its first-round picks in play.

This makes things a bit trickier for the Canadiens and potentially dilutes the market.”

Reading this, it’s easy to understand that the Canadiens have officially made their first-round pick available, and the fact that the Jackets are doing the same does indeed make things a bit more complicated for Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton.

What do you think? Should the Habs absolutely trade their 16th and 17th overall picks in the draft in order to acquire assets that can help Martin St-Louis right away?

This will be a major storyline to watch over the next 31 days, and it would be interesting to see if the Canadiens can capitalize on those two first-round picks.

Among the names that could be intriguing trade targets in that sense, we can think of forwards like Marco Rossi, Dawson Mercer, Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly, and possibly still Trevor Zegras, depending on what the Canadiens’ management is looking for.