Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has expressed his eagerness to see the team’s young core reach a new level of performance. Speaking at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup on Wednesday, Hughes highlighted the importance of the group’s development.
“We’re excited to see that growth of who we have right now. … We’re excited about this group, and we want to see them take the next step,” Hughes said, as reported by NHL.com’s Derek Van Diest.
This summer, Hughes secured long-term deals for key young players, signing Juraj Slafkovsky to an eight-year, $60.8-million contract and Kaiden Guhle to a six-year, $33.3-million pact. These signings follow earlier contracts for Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield, solidifying the Canadiens’ core group for the foreseeable future.
Hughes noted the strategic approach behind these contracts, particularly the potential financial benefits on the back end of the deals. “On the back end of (those long-term contracts), they should be underpaid because effectively, they are making more money on the front end than they would if they signed short term,” Hughes said. “So, I think on the back end of those deals, at least the cap number, should be favorable, and if it’s not, then you made the bet on the wrong horse.”
Slafkovsky, the first overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, had a challenging start to his NHL career, recording 10 points in 39 games. However, his performance improved significantly in his second season, posting 16 goals and 37 points in 46 games since January 1.
Hughes acknowledged the ups and downs of Slafkovsky’s development, emphasizing the need to manage expectations. “I don’t know that development is always linear,” Hughes said. “Along the way, there’s bumps, and (Slafkovsky’s) had to manage the No. 1 overall label and try to live up to what that means and what people expect of him. And now, he’s got a big contract to go with it. We have to be mindful of how we manage him and the messaging that we provide him, and provide externally, too.
“We don’t need him to score 40 or 50 goals or it’s a failure. It’s about continuing to progress as a hockey player and to be the best version of himself, because we’re confident the best version of Juraj is going to give us a good chance to compete and win.”
The Canadiens have not reached the playoffs since their unexpected run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2021.
