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![\"Montreal](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/681529.webp\" "\\"Montreal")
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\nTwo Kent Hughes acquisitions could pay off for the Canadiens for years
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Montreal Hockey Fanatics has no direct affiliation to the Montreal Canadiens, NHL or NHLPA<\/p>\n
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Photo credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tA year ago, plenty of people were questioning the price Kent Hughes paid for Noah Dobson<\/a>.<\/p>\n Twelve months later, those doubts are gone.<\/p>\n The 26-year-old right-shot defenseman delivered across the board, putting up 47 points in 80 games on the Montreal Canadiens’ top pair, with virtually none of that production coming on the power play.<\/p>\n At $9.5 million per season through 2033, the price tag already looks pretty reasonable for a player of that caliber.<\/p>\n And his impact goes beyond the numbers.<\/p>\n Lane Hutson<\/a> is directly benefiting from Dobson’s presence, freed from the burden of carrying the blue line on his own.<\/p>\n But the real surprise comes from somewhere else.<\/p>\n The price Montreal paid – Emil Heineman<\/a> and two first-round picks in 2025 – is also starting to look better with time.Corey Pronman of The Athletic just ranked Alexander Zharovsky<\/a> 11th in his annual re-draft of the 2025 class, even though Zharovsky was originally selected 34th overall.<\/p>\n Alexander Zharovsky makes the Noah Dobson trade look even better for the Canadiens<\/p>\n No other player drafted outside the first round ranks that high on the list.<\/p>\n The New York Islanders haven’t been as fortunate.<\/p>\n