While appearing on the <i>Got Yer' Back</i> podcast with reporters Ryan Rishaug and Pierre LeBrun, Montreal Canadiens GM Kent Hughes made a very interesting statement regarding his game plan to improve his team this offseason. First of all, with a lot of wisdom in comparing his situation with other growing teams in his division, Hughes mentioned how long it would take before the Habs would be competitive again and aspire to the Stanley Cup. <q> It's hard to predict how many years it will be before we're competitive and contending again because it involves the other teams in our division too. I think Buffalo, Ottawa or Detroit are in a similar position to us, and then there's Tampa Bay and Boston who are already on top. I think it will take another two or three years. - Kent Hughes</q> Where it gets interesting regarding his intentions for some of the moves he'd like to make over the summer, the CH GM also revealed that he'd like to make a Kirby Dach trade again, meaning he'd like to add a rising player who could be a perfect fit with the team's young core to speed up the rebuilding process. <q>I intend to try to complete more transactions like the Kirby Dach deal last summer, where you get your hands on a young player who already has a few years of experience rather than drafting and waiting for a prospect. We'll try to do that again to speed up the process in the long run. But we won't sign 28- or 29-year-old free agents to a long-term contract to try to improve the team in the short term. - Kent Hughes</q> This is a very interesting detail for Habs fans. Hughes will not enter the unrestricted free agent race this summer to try to improve his team in the short term with big contracts. Instead, he revealed that he wants to add a young player that would help speed up his rebuilding plan, while betting on someone who could make a long-term home in Montreal. In this perspective, it is quite easy to make a connection with a player like Pierre-Luc Dubois, for example, who is only 24 years old. He has exactly the profile that the GM seems to be looking for, that is to say a young player who can help the team in the short, medium and long term. The summer of 2023 for the Tricolore looks very exciting for the fans! To see the complete interview of Kent Hughes, it's here : https://www.youtube.com/live/-fxvAQT0pgw?feature=share Credit: <a href='https://www.habsolumentfan.com/canadiens/kent-hughes-devoile-ses-plans-pour-ameliorer-le-canadien-durant-l-ete?ref=marco&fbclid=IwAR39cTx5KUSnWLH37jKYtLxW30-x4FX6HHao835ZL4TJxW34Obww-au9Fxg' class='link_marker' target='_blank' rel='noopener'>HabsolumentFan</a>