Hughes: “We rewarded the players for their efforts”

BROSSARD – When the clock struck three on the NHL’s trade deadline, the Canadiens stood pat, opting to leave the team’s destiny in the hands of the players currently on the roster. General manager Kent Hughes cited the team’s recent five-game win streak as the evidence he needed to give his players a show of confidence and not make any moves as his club makes a push for a playoff spot down the stretch.

The biggest move the Habs made in the lead-up to the deadline was inking center Jake Evans to a four-year contract extension, which surely gave the team the indication that Hughes was not about to go on a selling spree. Otherwise, on Friday’s deadline day, the team made papering moves with forward Owen Beck and goaltender Jakub Dobes which made them eligible for a loan to the AHL’s Laval Rocket.

Hughes discussed the Evans signing, his strategy at the deadline, and gave his views on the team’s progress in a press conference following the 3:00 p.m. ET deadline.

Here are some highlights from his media availability:

Please note questions and answers have been modified for clarity and conciseness.

Hughes on how the team’s play and results influenced his trade deadline game plan:

I think that when you win, it’s always fun. From the start of the season, the plan for what we’d do today or in the week leading up to the trade deadline was to be dictated by the team and its play. Heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off break, we were on a down, so we were thinking we’d probably do what we’ve done in previous years and trade our players. But credit the team and the coach, they won five games straight and we’ve turned things around. I had promised the players in September in Tremblant that, for the first time since I’ve been in Montreal, we didn’t have a set plan at the start of the season; their play would influence what we did. So today, and this week, we rewarded them for their efforts.

Hughes on not jeopardizing long-term plans for short-term gains:

It was a seller’s market this year. There are so many teams that are tight to the playoffs, like us, that did very little in terms of selling off. As a result, the prices were high. So, on the one hand, if you had expiring contracts there was that temptation to get great value. But on the flip side, if you were a buyer, you knew you were paying a pretty steep price to get into something that might help around the edges. And quite frankly, this group of players have gotten the team to this point in the standings.

Hughes on the Evans extension and on how he’s regarded in the organization:

Jake is a good hockey player, but he’s also a very good person. He’s very well-liked in the room, and in the entire organization. We had always kept the lines of communication open, even when we were at a point where we weren’t sure if we’d be able to agree on a contract. We continued to communicate: “If we’re going to trade you, here are the teams that might be interested.” Things like that. But at the last minute, the two sides tried another time before making a decision. We had another discussion, and it took off from there.

Hughes on the buy-in head coach Martin St-Louis has fostered among players, as seen with Evans’ decision to sign a new contract:

I think [St-Louis] plays a big role. If we look at our team from the day that he got here, that first year we were out of the playoffs for the most part. I guess not mathematically speaking, but he came in and there was an immediate energy that came with him, that I think the players felt. I've heard him say several times that to be a good coach, you have to be a good salesman. You have to be able to sell something to the players in terms of a vision. And he’s been able to continue to do that, and I'm sure that as he's done that, the message has evolved. But ultimately, a good coach makes for a good locker room too. Especially with a young team, because in a sense he ends up providing some of that leadership to the group, whereas if you're on a veteran team, I think the coach can focus more on the Xs and Os and the coaching and let that take care of itself. So, Marty and the coaching staff as a whole have done a great job. They've created an environment where you can show up and work really hard and have fun.

Hughes on the team’s leaders wanting the group to stay intact:

I had a discussion with Nick [Suzuki] and I just repeated what I had told him: “It’s on your shoulders,” but don’t come here to tell me not to make any trades if you aren’t doing what you need to do. And they won five straight games after that conversation, and I think Nick recorded 13 points in five games. So, we were happy to see that, but I was also happy to see Nick step up as captain and see how he reacted, rather than Nick [as a player] on the team.