Here are the Montreal Canadiens news items, stories, and content you may have missed on Friday.
Montreal Canadiens News
Former Hab Michael Pezzetta decided to deliver a cheap shot on Friday night versus the Laval Rocket. Florian Xhekaj, unsurprisingly, was quick to defend his teammates. The whole situation was rather chaotic, and could have ended up worse for all involved. [Xhekaj Fights Former Hab After AHL Cheap Shot]
On Thursday night, star Lane Hutson was finally used on his natural side, and the results were beyond impressive. It was far and away his best game of the season, and a good reminder that there may still be untapped potential in play. [Why Hutson Enjoyed The Best Game Of The Season]
Speaking of Hutson, he’s officially the first star player from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Usually, it takes 200+ games for this particular algorithm to declare star status, but Hutson’s impact is simply too strong for the usual waiting period.
We have a star to announce… and its nuts!!
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) December 12, 2025
LANE HUTSON IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL STAR OF THE 2022 CLASS!!!
The algo in the model will make a player a star if they haven't played 200+ games but they've already amassed enough points that if they didn't produce anything until… pic.twitter.com/Sg7foD7Z3u
Let’s keep the Hutson praise train going! The big news on Friday was the trade that saw Quinn Hughes moved to the Minnesota Wild in exchange for Zeev Buium, Marco Rossi, Liam Ohgren and a late first-round pick. Honestly, despite most people thinking it was a great return for the Canucks, I have to say it’s the epitome of a sum-of-the-parts deal, and those rarely work out for the team trading away the superstar player.
And yes, Hughes is a superstar. Few players in the league make a greater impact on a nightly basis. And by few, I really mean few, perhaps four or five.
Anyhow, I disagree that it was a great return, because players like Hughes rarely come along, and having to trade one of the best players in franchise history during his prime will always be considered a failure in most hockey books.
That being said, the Hughes trade did lead to a few interesting infographics, including the one embedded below that suggests Hutson only trails Hughes when it comes to puck possession.
Quinn Hughes: League of his own when it comes to puck possession. He's led the league each of the last 5 years and is on another level this season.
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) December 12, 2025
Nobody has averaged 4 minutes per game since he entered the league. Next highest Canuck, Hronek at 1:44
*Better headshot:) pic.twitter.com/kttRKCebVJ
Juraj Slafkovsky is hungry for more success, the exact attitude you want to see from a 21-year-old player.
Juraj Slafkovsky isn’t satisfied with his season (from his latest NHL blog):
— /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) December 12, 2025
“I think I can still be more productive, I can create more chances for myself and for the boys. It wasn't a bad start to the season, but I would like to add more.”
👇👇👇 pic.twitter.com/QzbEwk6A3S
Sportsnaut Network
Is the answer for the New Jersey Devils‘ woes in the room? Or is it somewhere else? Well, we asked the head coach about it. [New Jersey Devils]
The Penguins traded Tristan Jarry to Edmonton for goalie Stuart Skinner, defenceman Brett Kulak, and a 2029 second-round pick. With all due respect to Edmonton, this was yet another underwhelming attempt to solve their goaltending issues. [Pittsburgh Penguins]
After billows of smoke for a few weeks in the NHL trade rumours, the Vancouver Canucks shocked everyone by dealing elite defenceman Quinn Hughes, not to the New Jersey Devils, but to the Minnesota Wild. [Vancouver Canucks]
