Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes spoke to the media on Wednesday afternoon, two days after  the trade that sent forward Tyler Toffoli to the Calgary Flames.
 
The move is expected to be the first of several the Habs make ahead of the March 21 Trade Deadline.
 
Much of the conversation on Wednesday centred on defenceman Ben Chiarot, who TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun said could be moved within the next seven to 10 days. Hughes addressed those rumours directly, stating that the team is doing its due diligence and will wait for a team to step up with a suitable offer for the 30-year-old defenceman.

"We’ve had conversations with teams. If we had the right trade for Ben Chiarot, we’d trade him this moment.” said Hughes. “We’re having continued conversations. That could mean he’s traded today or tomorrow. It could also mean that he’s traded two weeks from now.

“We aren’t going to trade him if we don’t believe the deal is the right deal.”
 
Chiarot, who is set to become a free agent after the season, has been heavily involved in trade rumours this season. He is currently on injured reserve due to a lower-body injury.
 
Hughes made a similar statement when asked about defenceman Jeff Petry, who still has three years remaining on a four-year, $25 million contract he signed in Sept. 2020.
 
"Jeff Petry, if we can find a trade that works for us and another team, we're going to do it. But it has to work,” Hughes said in French during his availability.
 
The Canadiens have an 8-33-7 record for a league-worst 23 points and have signalled that the team is entering a rebuilding phase following the Toffoli trade. While Habs management looks to the future, Hughes said the team still expects a competitive on-ice product and that the team will not purposely lose games for better draft positioning.
 
“What we’re looking for from a player perspective is that passion to go out and play despite the circumstances,” he said. “It’s difficult to compete in a situation like this, especially coming out of a Stanley Cup Final the year before, but we’re still expecting them to show up and compete every day.
 
“Quite frankly, we’re still looking for them to develop as a team and as individuals. We’re not looking to throw in the towel and ensure that we finish in last place.”
 
A big part of the Canadiens’ rebuild could be prospect Jordan Harris, a defenceman at Northeastern University. The 22-year-old is set to become a free agent as he has yet to sign a pro contract with the Habs.
 
Hughes said he had spoken to Harris and his agent prior to the All-Star break and is confident that the sides can come to an agreement based on the club’s ability to lay out how Harris fits into its future plans.
 
“I’ve known Jordan for a long time. I’ve coached him. There’s always been a relationship and I would hope that would give him peace of mind,” said Hughes. “More importantly will be our ability to articulate our plan for the future and how he fits into that plan.”

Hughes said that he did not speak to the media immediately following the Toffoli trade as he was focused on communicating with all the players involved – Toffoli, Tyler Pitlick, and prospect Emil Heineman. Hughes noted the club wanted to reassure Heineman that he was a key piece to the trade, as the 20-year-old has been traded twice before signing his first pro contract.
 
“We love his speed, we love his aggressiveness,” said Hughes. “He’s a physical, competitive hockey player with great character." 
 
Hughes also addressed questions regarding goaltender Carey Price, stating that the 34-year-old still has a chance to play this season despite not skating this week.
 
As the Canadiens play out the string of the 2021-22 season, Hughes made it clear that the club will communicate exactly what it will be looking for on the ice and the investments the front office will be making in the future. 
 
“As we move through this process, we will continue to communicate with our players about our desire to build a team,” said Hughes. “They’re going to be made aware of it, and they’re going to see the investments we’re making in this team.”