Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes made a trade over the summer that really flies under the radar among all the trades he made in the off-season. Yet, this one seems to be becoming another masterpiece on his part. Indeed, during the last season and even during the summer, there was one file that was the talk of the Habs, and that is the one of defenseman Jeff Petry. The latter had asked for a trade in the middle of the season, only to have to wait until the middle of the summer to learn that his request would be granted. Hughes waited until he felt he could get the right kind of return for Jeff Petry, and that patience is now paying off. When the Habs announced that they had sent Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Michael Matheson and a 4th round pick in 2023, the reaction was one of cautious optimism. No one really had a strong opinion on whether or not this was a good deal for the CH. After all, the Habs were still picking up a big contract with Matheson, who came with a four-year, $4.875 million annual average. Yes, Petry's contract was more expensive, at $6.25M, but they were still giving away a former first round pick who was only 23 years old in Poehling in this trade. After a modest start in Montreal, due to a major injury that also returned during the season, the Tricolore's number 8 is paying solid dividends for his new team, now that he seems to be healthy again. Patience has paid off, as Matheson's impact on the Habs, if his health remains, has been remarkable so far this season and it's been even more so in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Penguins are considering trading Petry again, as he's taken a lot of flak since the start of the season. Pittsburgh would be looking to gain some financial flexibility with this potential trade. As for Matheson, in addition to bringing a more than interesting offensive game that greatly helps the Habs' offense, the defenseman is emerging as an excellent leader for the team's young backs. He has also greatly helped Justin Barron's game since the two have been paired together recently. At 28 years of age, Matheson still has some great hockey to offer the CH. His speed and ability to carry the puck make him one of the most important defensemen on the team. He is literally Martin St-Louis' <i>go-to-guy </i>, being the most used defenseman on average for the Tricolore. In 23 games this season, the Pointe-Claire native has three goals and 14 points. I was one of those who was skeptical about the acquisition of Matheson, and I must admit that I am now pleasantly surprised by his effectiveness with the Habs. He is another great addition to Kent Hughes' already short list of accomplishments. <div align='center'><blockquote class='twitter-tweet' data-lang='en'><a href='https://twitter.com/MTLhockeynow/status/1628469885671022594'> </a></blockquote></div>