The Montreal Canadiens are at the center of a swirling controversy this week, as speculation intensifies around the future of legendary goaltender Carey Price and the team’s salary cap strategy.

Behind closed doors, tense negotiations and unexpected media confrontations have set the stage for what could be a franchise-defining decision.

As the hockey world turns its attention to the Canadiens’ front office, whispers of hidden motives and strategic posturing have begun to surface, leaving fans and insiders alike desperate for answers.

At the heart of the intrigue is Kent Hughes, the team’s general manager, whose recent comments have sparked widespread debate among journalists and analysts.

A rising star in sports media, Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports has stepped into the spotlight, challenging Hughes’ statements and offering a fresh perspective that could change everything.

With rumors of a potential blockbuster trade and conflicting reports about the team’s plans, the stakes have never been higher.

Is Kent Hughes truly as confident as he appears, or is there a deeper game being played behind the scenes? What does this mean for Carey Price’s future—and for the Canadiens’ hopes this season?

Dive into the full story to uncover the real drama unfolding in Montreal.

Canadiens GM Kent Hughes

Photo credit: Sportsnet

Nicolas Cloutier, rising TVA Sports journalist and Sick Podcast contributor, questions Kent Hughes’ latest comments on Carey Price.

Let’s summarize the situation of the past few days.

While all eyes have been on Carey Price and his contract since Monday, waiting for a trade, Kent Hughes told journalist Eric Engels yesterday that he doesn’t need to trade Carey Price, and that he is comfortable starting the season using the long-term injured reserve (LTIR) to manage the Canadiens’ salary cap issues.

It’s good to see Kent Hughes keeping a cool head, but this could very well be smoke and mirrors..

Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports explains why Kent Hughes has a strong incentive to trade Carey Price before the season starts

On his Twitter account, the friendly journalist broke down the reasons why, in his opinion, Kent Hughes’ comments in his interview with Eric Engels are just a negotiation tactic.

“Kent Hughes told colleague Eric Engels that he isn’t obligated to trade Price. Obligated, maybe not.. but he really ought to do it, since the cap relief will be far from optimal with the LTIR. The negotiation game is in full swing and, obviously, the last thing a GM wants to show is that he absolutely needs to make a trade.”

– Nicolas Cloutier

So, if we summarize Cloutier’s points, here’s what to take away:

1- It is technically possible to start the season with Carey Price’s contract on the long-term injured reserve list.

2- If that happens, it would significantly handicap the Canadiens’ GM in terms of salary cap flexibility to find a legitimate second-line center.

3- If Kent Hughes said he’s comfortable starting the season without trading Price, it’s because he doesn’t want to appear weak to other GMs who could use that to extract a high draft pick from him.

That makes a lot of sense! We also encourage you to follow Nicolas Cloutier on X. His analyses are always insightful.