Thursday afternoon, Kent Hughes acquired Sean Monahan and a conditional first-round selection from the Calgary Flames in exchange for future considerations. The news first began trickling out around mid-afternoon in the Eastern Time Zone, but hours rolled past without any official confirmation. The extended delay sent speculation into overdrive, especially since the Montreal Canadiens at the time did not appear to have a logical way to accommodate Monahan’s cap hit.
The reality, as it often is, was more benign than the speculation. No three-plus-team deals, no Pierre-Luc Dubois, no Jonathan Drouin. However, that doesn’t mean that the delay wasn’t understandable.