Canadiens Had a Plan B Trade for a Defenseman If the Dobson Deal Had Fallen Through
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According to what the excellent Nicolas Cloutier of TVA Sports reports, the Montreal Canadiens had indeed targeted a 6-foot-6 player for a trade.
It’s really interesting, and it shows just how much Kent Hughes always has 2-3 backup plans, and it also shows how proactive he always is.
Kent Hughes and the Canadiens had targeted acquiring the tall Radim Mrtka, if the Noah Dobson trade had not worked out”Kent Hughes had a contingency plan to move up in the draft if he wasn’t able to get his hands on Dobson.
The Canadiens had shown strong interest in right-shot defenseman Radim Mrtka, who was ultimately selected 9th.”
– Nic Cloutier
Mrtka eventually did become a defenseman for the Buffalo Sabres, as he was drafted 9th overall.
So we understand that, in any case, the Montreal Canadiens would have acquired an excellent right-handed defenseman this past June on draft night.
It makes sense now why Kent Hughes spent so much time on the phone that day.
Personally, I am very happy with the acquisition of Noah Dobson by the Tricolore, because I really think it was worth giving up the 16th and 17th overall picks (plus Emil Heineman) to bring him to Montreal.
On the other hand, if we had given the 16th and 17th overall draft picks for a Radim Mrtka, it probably would have been more disappointing, or at least riskier.
Mrtka, 18 years old, is a giant-sized defenseman at 6-foot-6 and 207 pounds who was indeed drafted 9th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2025.
The Czech right-handed defenseman collected 35 points in 43 games last season in the WHL, with the Seattle Thunderbirds.
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