Photo credit: Journal de Montréal
Fans of those famous NHL trade trees are going to love this one, involving Kent Hughes and the Montreal Canadiens.
There’s a fascinating detail making the rounds regarding the other piece of the Artemi Panarin trade, prospect Liam Greentree.
The first-round pick used by the Kings to draft Greentree (26th overall in 2024) originally belonged to the Montreal Canadiens.
On June 28, 2024, the Canadiens made a deal with Los Angeles during the draft.
That day, Kent Hughes was determined to move up to get his hands on the talented Michael Hage.
To do so, he gave up his selection (which became Greentree), along with a second-round pick (Carter George) and a seventh-round pick (James Reeder) to the Kings.
A trade that allowed the Montreal Canadiens to select Michael Hage, and allowed the Los Angeles Kings to acquire Artemi Panarin
Without that trade, the Kings would never have had Greentree in their prospect pool.
It’s pretty incredible to see how the puzzle pieces fall into place.
On one side, the Canadiens got their guy in Michael Hage, a player who is already making fans salivate.
On the other, the Kings turned that pick acquired from Montreal into an NHL superstar two years later.
Obviously, Kent Hughes didn’t foresee this exact scenario, but it’s fascinating when you look at this updated trade tree.
That’s the beauty of asset management: one move in 2024 can unlock a blockbuster trade in 2026.
For the stats and transaction junkies, it’s a delicious little twist of irony to add to tonight’s discussion.
Previously on Montreal Hockey Fanatics
POLL
2 HOURS AGO|153 ANSWERS
The Artemi Panarin trade started with Michael Hage and the Montreal Canadiens
Do you consider the trade to acquire Michael Hage a win for the Canadiens in hindsight?