GDT: 2024 Summer Free Agency (July 1st)

[Spring in Fialta]

Poor Wings are desperate.

Yzerman was way too complacent and all too happy to just lose and make a pick at the end of the season instead of using all resources available to him to improve his team. Now, they lost for years and for the last 2-3 years they realize they need to win some games so they end up throwing money at a bunch of guys who don't tilt the ice in the hope of just making the playoffs.

It's a complete f***-up and specifically what I think we should avoid here. Use everything. Even if you're rebuilding, it shouldn't be strictly about the prospect. Great veterans can still provide awesome value to get you to the next step even if they won't be there for a cup run or the last year or two of their deal is bad (which seems to be easy enough to deal with). They'll still leave a great influence and have helped create a team that at least knows how to win some games instead of just losing year after year which appears to have become extremely difficult at getting out of.

 

[Vachon23]

Lots of shorter contracts were signed this year.

Yakov Trenin is a great example.

4 yrs is not a short contract

 

[Jaynki]

So much for the Red Wings rebuild, their only real drafted top talent upfront other than Larkin is Raymond.

They now have 14 players that they signed in free agency. I guess owners want playoffs now.

Other than Kane, it's a lot of average NHLers. It might be enough.

A mid team doing mid things destined to midness

Steve Yzermid

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

We can all sit here and say, id sign that guy to that contract.

Then ask yourself if you were that player if you would sign with a rebuilding team. The guys that would help MTL like a guy like Debrusk is not chosing MTL at this stage

It takes both sides to be interested and MTL isnt in a position to make a mistake when you have Donkey and Broken Hands signed long term

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Lots of shorter contracts were signed this year.

Yakov Trenin is a great example.

True and likely the ones Hughes was interested in weren't interested in Montreal.

 

[HuGort]

Florida lock up Lundell.

They got a deal on Reinhart only way they could do it

 

[Mrb1p]

4 yrs is not a short contract

Short for a primed player

 

[Skip Bayless]

We can all sit here and say, id sign that guy to that contract.

Then ask yourself if you were that player if you would sign with a rebuilding team. The guys that would help MTL like a guy like Debrusk is not chosing MTL at this stage

It takes both sides to be interested and MTL isnt in a position to make a mistake when you have Donkey and Broken Hands signed long term

This is why the best venue for us the trade market. UFA will only get used for short term fixes or the big fish that puts us over the top I.E. Draisaitl.

But to build the foundation, it has to go through the draft and trade. This is why Hughes is not in a hurry to waste assets to get rid of the deadwood. Our young players need to play and up their value for them to become more valuable assets.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

Every year the sky is falling crowd points to another team being active at UFA and screams bloody murder

Then makes fun of that team mid season when that team is no better off

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

To me
Cole-Nick-Slaf
Roy-Dach-Newhook

Is more than fine. The real problem is the other two lines that are riddled with Evans and absolute shit. It needs to be addressed.

Evans is not the problem, nor RHP, neither Pezzetta. It's your Gallagher, Anderson and Dvo. Armia was sent down and came back better at least. But, yeah that's a lot of deadweight on over-inflated contracts. Dach and Newhook have also been injury prone.

 

[JoelWarlord]

Short for a primed player

I like Trenin and I realize he's not the same player, but he's also just one year younger than Armia was when we signed him to a 4 year deal we're now thankful is almost over.

Trenin is also the same age Barclay Goodrow was when he signed a 6 year deal and he was just dumped on waivers going into year 4 of the contract.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

I like Trenin and I realize he's not the same player, but he's also just one year younger than Armia was when we signed him to a 4 year deal we're now thankful is almost over.

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The same Trenin who produced at levels lower than Armia on top of that

I get people want change but most of these posters would be complaining by December about the same player MTL supposedly missed out on

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

Every year the sky is falling crowd points to another team being active at UFA and screams bloody murder

Then makes fun of that team mid season when that team is no better off

The problem is that the Habs have around 20 mil in capspace right now and signed no one except for Alex Barré-Boulet. Yes, the Rocket got plenty of new minor leaguers, but they can't play in the NHL. Apart from Xhekaj and Barron, there's no other RFA to sign. That extension to Slaf was also kinda of precipitated. Reminds me of BargainBin who signed Price to that awful extension and didn't do much on free agency day. I get the other young guys need to be locked up longterm, but only Guhle will get a significant raise while Armia, Savard and Dvo are off the books. Then, only Gallagher and Anderson will be around for another 2 years and Matheson will be traded too.

 

[Apoplectic Habs Fan]

The problem is that the Habs have around 20 mil in capspace right now and signed no one except for Alex Barré-Boulet. Yes, the Rocket got plenty of new minor leaguers, but they can't play in the NHL. Apart from Xhekaj and Barron, there's no other RFA to sign. That extension to Slaf was also kinda of precipitated. Reminds me of BargainBin who signed Price to that awful extension and didn't do much on free agency day. I get the other young guys need to be locked up longterm, but only Guhle will get a significant raise while Armia, Savard and Dvo are off the books. Then, only Gallagher and Anderson will be around for another 2 years and Matheson will be traded too.

But what is currently out there that you really want long term?

Spend for the sake of spending?

 

[gusfring]

We still have a spot on the 4th line available. RHP should get waived.

Rhp and pezzetta should be gone.

 

[le_sean]

Yzerman also doubled down on his mediocre roster by picking safe, low ceiling guys the last few drafts. Kasper, Danielson, MBN. Fine players, but they don’t really have the talent to surround them. Those guys should be complimentary players, not core ones.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Steve Yzerman did not embrace le tank

4 Straight busts including 2 top 10 really did them in. 2015-2018.

 

[NewDef]

We got Anderson...

They might just play Condotta in the NHL instead of Pezz/RHP.

I actually liked him better than rhp/pezz in that role last season. Physically more suited to 4th line duty, very responsible. I don't care so much about 4th line production at the moment as long as the puck exits tha fn zone.

 

[Tyson]

I am a bit concerned if the Habs go into the season 15 million under the cap...

 

[Jaynki]

I am a bit concerned if the Habs go into the season 15 million under the cap...

I would be way more concerned if they did (useless) move in the name of doing moves.

 

[Redux91]

Every year the sky is falling crowd points to another team being active at UFA and screams bloody murder

Then makes fun of that team mid season when that team is no better off

Yeah it's incredible really lol
All the 'habs did nothing!! Bottom 5 finish again!!' posts are like.. wha?
What and who exactly did people realistically expect??

The SECOND we were given a miracle and drafted Demigod
I wanted to sign *zero* free agents

And I just can't understand why people would want to handcuff the team WHILE we are currently dealing with not one but TWO incredible anchor contracts still..

Just doesn't make any sense at all really

 

[Tyson]

I would be way more concerned if they did (useless) move in the name of doing moves.

Agreed in that respect, I am not advocating a useless UFA signing but still holding out hope we can trade for a decent, young forward.

 

[Jaynki]

I would offer sheet the f*** outta Byfield or Mercer. Or even Braden Schneider. Or Mo Seider although DRW have 20M in cap space.

1years. 9M. The max price for 1st, 2nd, 3rd. (We have those picks in doubles).

The Carolina Hurricanes tricks.

We should absolutely punish the GM who signed Foegele, Edmundson and traded for Jeannot. We should absolutely weaponise our cap space for 1 years and take advantage of these unintelligent person.

 

[Twisted Sinister]

Yeah it's incredible really lol
All the 'habs did nothing!! Bottom 5 finish again!!' posts are like.. wha?
What and who exactly did people realistically expect??

The SECOND we were given a miracle and drafted Demigod
I wanted to sign *zero* free agents

And I just can't understand why people would want to handcuff the team WHILE we are currently dealing with not one but TWO incredible anchor contracts still..

Just doesn't make any sense at all really

People want their instant gratification.

 

[Habssince89]

I would be way more concerned if they did (useless) move in the name of doing moves.

Yes but the core deserves some veteran help, and with the high level of competition in the atlantic (and the eastern conf in general) the habs can help support and develop the talent and still end up with a higher pick. Overtanking isn't a good idea at this point