A former NHL player agent with no prior front-office experience, Kent Hughes was hired as Canadiens general manager on January 18, 2022, and immediately launched a rebuild, trading impending free agents for picks and prospects. He installed Martin St-Louis as head coach, built out the club's analytics and player-development infrastructure, and has overseen the draft-and-develop core of the rebuild, including selecting Juraj Slafkovský first overall in 2022. Under his direction the Canadiens progressed from a last-place finish in 2021-22 to a return toward playoff contention in the years that followed.