Kent Hughes on Canadiens ‘roller coaster,’ his mystery target at the deadline, more

MANALAPAN, Fla. — Kent Hughes, in workout gear, sat back in his chair and pondered the question.

What are the highs and lows like for the general manager of a young Montreal Canadiens team fighting to make the playoffs?

His face said as much as the words that eventually came out.

“I would say, like a roller coaster,” Hughes said with a smile at the GM meetings on Monday. “But I prefer that to the alternative of where we were a few years ago, when we were playing meaningless games at this time of year. Happy to be there now. Happy to live those experiences. That’s what sports is all about at the end of the day, right? For players, for anyone involved, for fans.

“I’d rather there be more highs and fewer lows, but it’s great.”

The Habs are still a very young team, meaning these do-or-die games in March are critical for the continued development of the roster in what management hopes is a long window of sustainable contention. The growing pains are obvious, and while the skill is on display every night, sometimes the defensive immaturity is, too.

Live and learn.

“I spoke to a senior general manager leading up to the trade deadline, and he was talking about our team, and he said: ‘Kent, one of the things you guys are lacking is experience. There’s only one way to get it,’” Hughes said.

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That’s why a surprise playoff appearance so early in the rebuild last season was a major bonus. While that first-round loss to the Washington Capitals was all gravy, Habs fans are now hoping for more.

However, patience is a tough sell in hockey’s most passionate market. Especially when you have to explain to that fan base about 90 minutes after the trade deadline on March 6 that, while nothing happened that day, it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Hughes decided that day to reveal that the Habs took a major swing, but the deal didn’t quite materialize.

Why share that?

“It’s two-fold,” he said. “One, I think I was an hour and a half late (to the media availability), and I didn’t want them to think my time was so important that I could just leave everyone waiting around. And additionally, it was to communicate to our fan base: ‘Don’t misinterpret the lack of results as a lack of interest in doing anything and just being completely focused on the future and not the present.’ It’s on me for not being able to get something done.

“At the end of the day, it’s a results-oriented business. But it wasn’t for a lack of trying. And that was really the message.”

To be clear, if the Canadiens had done something that day or at least something significant, it absolutely had to help the team past this season.

“Oh, 100 percent,” Hughes said. “We were willing to look at other opportunities, too, that were more short term in nature to help the team. But the larger focus was definitely on continuing to move us towards the end goal.”

And while there has been speculation on the Habs trying to acquire Matthew Knies (league sources confirmed that they called the Toronto Maple Leafs on him, but it didn’t get close), Nazem Kadri and Rasmus Ristolainen, among others, what I can say with confidence is that whatever major trade the Canadiens were working on hasn’t actually been identified yet in all the post-deadline reports.

It remaining a secret is fine with Hughes, because there’s always a chance that he resumes the conversation on said player at a later date.

“I think that’s fair,” Hughes said about the proposed trade target still not being identified in the media. “It’s still a mystery.

“But I don’t think I said anything that day (after the deadline) that was novel or unique. There’s a whole slew of people that continue to pursue trades until the deadline. We did that, not just on one particular trade, although one particular trade probably took up more of our time. But we were calling around about a number of different things right up to the end.”

To be continued this offseason.

It’s always hard to say this because you can’t prove what you can’t see or what you don’t know, but there’s a world in which perhaps the adage is true for a young Habs team that needs to let things bake and not rush the final product — that the best trade is the one you didn’t make.

Hughes isn’t going to say this, but I will: The Canadiens aren’t one player away from winning a Stanley Cup. I’m not even sure they can defend well enough right now to definitely make the playoffs, never mind go deep.

While there may be disappointment in the market that the Canadiens didn’t swing big at the deadline, I’m not sure they really needed to. Not yet.

Let the kids play. Let them learn from their mistakes. Let them grow from the adversity and pressure of this stretch run.

In the meantime, in the department of actions speak louder than words, calling up goalie Jacob Fowler for a game against the Ottawa Senators last week — a game that otherwise would have fallen to veteran Samuel Montembeault in a back-to-back scenario — well, that was a statement. The Canadiens don’t trust Montembeault anymore for these big games. That doesn’t mean he can’t be part of things again at some point, but the three-goalie situation speaks to where they are now.

“I think given how tight the standings are and how little time there is in the season, it’s a coach’s decision ultimately with the help of our goaltending coach, but I fully expect that the goalie playing the game is the goalie they believe gives them the best chance to win that particular game,” Hughes said.

Which is also a way of saying that the Habs haven’t decided on their playoff starter quite yet (if they make it).

“No,” Hughes said. “Game by game.”

Still, it’s not just about goaltending. The Canadiens need to be more consistent in their defensive structure. That part is hard to watch some nights for those running the team.

“It can be frustrating,” Hughes said. “When you see your team play an ‘A’ game, you want to see 82 more of them. Unfortunately, we haven’t strung that consistency together yet. Having said that, if you look at the results of the games from a standings standpoint, we haven’t had the wide swings that we’ve had in years past.”

This is very true. The Canadiens have generally rebounded well from losses. Their worst skid of the season is three regulation losses in a row back in mid-November.

“In that regard, we’re seeing a bit more consistency, so it means we’re able to correct and rectify whatever issues are there,” he said. “But it’s just, how do we do that so that we know we’re going to execute it well every night. We’re not there yet. But again, part of it is experience. It’s also that balance with a really young team of when players make mistakes, putting them back on the ice and allowing them to maintain their confidence and continue to grow as players.

“The other side of that is sometimes being held accountable and ensuring that mistake doesn’t happen again because the consequence of the mistake isn’t something the player wants to live with. That’s continuing to evolve as our team evolves.’’