I’ll be honest, I’m really starting to believe that Kent Hughes is building a contender in Montreal.

Clearly, I’m not the only one who thinks so.

During the GM meetings, Pierre LeBrun reported that an anonymous general manager admitted to being afraid of the Montreal Canadiens.

As a rival GM who didn’t want to be quoted on the record just happened to say unsolicited to me at the GM meetings this week, “That team scares me”.

– Pierre Lebrun

That’s a sign that things are really heading in the right direction. The Habs already have a young core leading the charge.

Guys like Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky – they’re progressing fast, and we haven’t even seen Ivan Demidov in action yet.

Demidov is arriving next year, and I have a feeling he’s going to change everything.

What strikes me is that Kent Hughes never panicked. He made the right trades at the right time, accumulated solid picks and prospects, and now we’re seeing the results.

An anonymous NHL GM admits to being “afraid” of the Montreal Canadiens and praises Kent Hughes’ decisions

The Canadiens have been one of the best teams in the NHL since the Four Nations Face-Off break – and that’s without Kirby Dach. That’s saying something.

In addition to Demidov, we’ve got Jacob Fowler turning pro, Michael Hage who had a fantastic first season in the NCAA, and guys like Adam Engstrom, Oliver Kapanen, and Bogdan Konyushkov quietly progressing – but they could surprise.

The Habs aren’t a powerhouse in the NHL just yet, but everyone is starting to feel that it’s coming, and that’s scaring other teams.

I’m really excited to see what’s next for Kent Hughes, who will also kick off the offseason with two first-round picks, likely both in the top 17, and a ton of cap space.