Kirby Dach was not the Habs' first trade target at the draft.

The Montreal Canadiens were almost inarguably the team that stole the show at the 2022 National Hockey League Entry Draft, but as it turns out they tried to make an ever bigger splash than the one they did.

According to a recent article from Canadiens reporter Marco Normandin, the trade that brought former Chicago Blackhawks forward Kirby Dach to the Canadiens may have been general manager Kent Hughes' Plan B. Normandin, citing a source close to the organization, revealed that the Canadiens initially attempted to get into the top 7 of the draft, likely targeting the Ottawa Senators' pick at #7. The plan for Hughes and the Canadiens, had they been successful in acquiring such a pick, would have been to make that newly acquired pick the centerpiece of a trade with the Winnipeg Jets, one that would have brought centerman Pierre-Luc Dubois to Montreal.

Acquiring Dubois, who was born and raised in the province of Quebec, would have likely blown the rift off the Bell Center at the draft so I can certainly see why the Canadiens may have been tempted to go this route. The fact that Dubois is coming off a very strong season with 28 goals and 32 assists for 60 points in 81 games with the Jets, the second most productive season of his NHL career thus far, likely also made him a very attractive asset to the Canadiens who have struggled over the years to establish quality depth up the middle.

There is one final detail from Normandin's report that was particularly interesting. Normandin, who was on hand for the draft, confirmed that Dubois was in attendance on Thursday in Montreal, taking in the NHL draft from one of the lodges at the Bell Center, after crossing paths with him in the hallway. Although this is purely speculation at this point, it could very well be the case that the Canadiens had planned to unveil Dubois live at the draft if they had indeed been successful in their alleged attempts to pull off these massive trades. 

Something tells me fans in Montreal may still get the chance to see Dubois playing in a Habs uniform someday in the not too distant future.