Line Combos: Early look at the 23-24 Habs

[Scriptor]

Would love to see Dach as a CENTER (no? yes? we need at least one big/tall center for crying out loud!).


Caufield - Suzuki - Anderson
Pinard/Slaf - Dach/Monahan - Monahan/Dach
Slaf/Pinard - Newhook - Gallagher
Pezzetta/Hoffman - Evans - Armia

Dvorak (injured?)
Ylonen




Guhle - Savard
Matheson - Barron
Xhekaj - Kovacevic

Harris
Wideman
Struble (10-15 games+...?)

Every time we see Anderson on that 1st line, we're limiting the production from Caufield and Suzuki.

Not a bad team at all

RHP is too small to play with Caufield, IMO.

 

[Scriptor]

Caufield Suzuki Newhook
Slafkovsky Dach Monahan
RHP Dvorak Anderson
Hoffman/Armia Evans Gallagher

It should be better then last year if we stay healthy.

I like the 2nd and 3rd line enough that I would go with that 1st line.

But it should likely be:

Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Slafkovsky - Monahan - Heineman
RHP - Newhook - Anderson
Remaining veteran garbage from Bergevin era

until Slafkovsky takes a step forward and is able to play with CC and Suzie.

 

[WG]

The real interesting thing will be what Hughes will do about Price?


3 options

1. LTIR before opening day and we maximize his cap ($83.5 & $10.5m). Is the worst option as it kills our cap space on day 1, and we can't open up or accrue space.

2. Don't use LTIR at all unless we need to do it due to injury. That means he's only on IR not LTIR to start season. Doing it this way means we get the full use of his $10.5m during the season if we need it. It also allows us to accrue cap space if we don't. However, it gives us a $73m cap for rest of team if we do it this way.

3. Do what we did last year with Byron. Maximize Price's LTIR before opening day then put another player on LTIR on opening day to use as cap space. We do not accrue space doing this either, but might still be best option. We would need to trade for a short-term LTIR player. Someone like Jake Muzzin from Toronto if Toronto doesn’t want to use LTIR and instead accrue cap space.

Trying to make the math work for option 1. I'm not sure this works but perhaps someone can correct the faulty assumptions.

Starting premise, waive Armia and Hoffman temporarily to Laval, this saves the 1.15M cap hit per player. Waive Rem, full cap hit buried. I left Wideman on the roster, it helps to have guys close to league minimum for the opening day calculation.

Thus, 'dead' cap = Eddy (1.75M retained) + Alzner (.8333M buyout) + Armia (2.25M) Hoff (3.35) + bonus overage carryover (1.17M) = 9.353M

Goalies (3) Price + Allen + Monty = 15.35M
Defense (8) Guhle, Harris, Barron, Kovo, Matheson, Savard, AX, Wideman = 13.921M

Forwards (6) CC, Suzuki, Anderson, Gally, Monahan, Dach = 33.072M

Forwards (6) RHP, Slaf, Pezz, Evans, DVo, Newhook (assume 2M) = 11.013M

Total (23) including Price and Dvorak = 82.71M

I think this allows the team to get under the cap with Price on the roster, then he and Dvo can be put on IR and Hoffman/Armia come back. You can jiggle it a little, ex. waive Wideman and add Andersson so there are 12 healthy forwards and you still have a league min salary there.

If nothing else, this would save bonus carryovers going into 24-25. Maybe the team can leverage the excess cap they gain in season as well.

 

[Beendair Donedat]

Assuming Dvorak is injured for awhile, I see the lines as:

Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Harvey-Pinard - Newhook - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Monahan - Gallagher
Pezzetta - Evans - Armia
Hoffman

Matheson - Barron
Guhle - Savard
Xhekaj - Kovacevic

Montembeault
Allen

Ideally I’d like to see Hoffman dispatched ASAP. I’d also like to add some muscle, I don’t think Xhekaj is ready for the two headed beast of Reaves/Lucic yet, and I don’t want him getting hurt in a rivalry game. If Deslauriers is available from Philly for cheap, I’d bring him back. He can handle the heavy lifting in that department, and can hang with those guys.

 

[Belial]

RHP is too small to play with Caufield, IMO.

RHP might be small but he's a bulldog out there. It worked with Suzuki at the end of the season, I don't see why they wouldn't try that line to see if it works.

On paper seems like it could work as RHP tends to go to the net all the time...

Assuming Dvorak is injured for awhile, I see the lines as:

Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Harvey-Pinard - Newhook - Anderson
Slafkovsky - Monahan - Gallagher
Pezzetta - Evans - Armia
Hoffman

Matheson - Barron
Guhle - Savard
Xhekaj - Kovacevic

Montembeault
Allen

Ideally I’d like to see Hoffman dispatched ASAP. I’d also like to add some muscle, I don’t think Xhekaj is ready for the two headed beast of Reaves/Lucic yet, and I don’t want him getting hurt in a rivalry game. If Deslauriers is available from Philly for cheap, I’d bring him back. He can handle the heavy lifting in that department, and can hang with those guys.

I don't think they brought in Newhook to play center, Dach should be the second-line center from the get-go, and no more wing/center/wing/center nonsense with him.

They went and got him to play center so play him at center!

 

[Dawnbringer]

Dach should be the second-line center from the get-go, and no more wing/center/wing/center nonsense with him.

They went and got him to play center so play him at center!

This season if Dach is playing centre I want another centre that's decent on faceoffs playing with him on the wing. That way if the line is out for an important draw, either the other centre takes it or it allows Dach to cheat a but knowing if he gets thrown out the fall back guy is still a decent option.

 

[Belial]

This season if Dach is playing centre I want another centre that's decent on faceoffs playing with him on the wing. That way if the line is out for an important draw, either the other centre takes it or it allows Dach to cheat a but knowing if he gets thrown out the fall back guy is still a decent option.

Well get Newhook with him, maybe two bad FO centers will make a good combo at the end.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Been a hard 2 weeks for that prediction

Dubois/Michkov would have been nice but we got Newhook/Reinbacher. Time will tell

 

[Walrus26]

Juggle anything around these three pairs based on what we saw from them last year:

Suzuki + Caufield
RHP + Anderson
Monahan + Slaf
(Plus Dach with just about anybody once he got his groove going)

 

[Belial]

Dubois/Michkov would have been nice but we got Newhook/Reinbacher. Time will tell

That's quite the simplification...

How did we get Dubois? Considering the haul they got it would've taken Dach+Anderson+Beck + second rounder!!!

 

[Habs Halifax]

That's quite the simplification...

How did we get Dubois? Considering the haul they got it would've taken Dach+Anderson+Beck + second rounder!!!

We didn't get Dubois because he opened up his list of teams to 5 or 6. We wanted to acquire via the Horvat or Trouba price. If not, we were not going deeper.

It is kind of simple. Most Habs fans talking about Dubois over the last year were interested but not desperate. Just cause the Kings gave that offer, it don't mean it was his true trade value. It's usually market based and the leverage we thought we had disappeared.

 

[Belial]

We didn't get Dubois because he opened up his list of teams to 5 or 6. We wanted to acquire via the Horvat or Trouba price. If not, we were not going deeper.

It is kind of simple. Most Habs fans talking about Dubois over the last year were interested but not desperate. Just cause the Kings gave that offer, it don't mean it was his true trade value. It's usually market based and the leverage we thought we had disappeared.

I know the whole story, I just don't know why you used his name in your earlier post.

It was unreal for us to pay that kind of price.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I know the whole story, I just don't know why you used his name in your earlier post.

It was unreal for us to pay that kind of price.

Dubois's name was used because a poster bumped a post from before where I had Dubois and Michkov on the roster.

 

[Belial]

Dubois's name was used because a poster bumped a post from before where I had Dubois and Michkov on the roster.

 

[Archijerej]

Juggle anything around these three pairs based on what we saw from them last year:

Suzuki + Caufield
RHP + Anderson
Monahan + Slaf
(Plus Dach with just about anybody once he got his groove going)

It's a shame we can't be sure about Monahan's health. Would make our lives much easier.

 

[Belial]

It's a shame we can't be sure about Monahan's health. Would make our lives much easier.

Imagine he goes PPG and we're in a PO position at the TDL what do you do?

 

[Archijerej]

Imagine he goes PPG and we're in a PO position at the TDL what do you do?

I would have broken his ankles long before the TDL.

 

[Belial]

I would have broken his ankles long before the TDL.

You do remember that before he got injured last season we were in the mix for a PO spot right?

 

[Walrus26]

Imagine he goes PPG and we're in a PO position at the TDL what do you do?

Retain his services rather than dispense with them.

 

[Colezuki]

When Healthy

Newhook - Suzuki - Monahan
Caufield - Dach - Slafkovsky
Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher
RHP- Evans - armia

Extras - Hoffman, Pezzetta, Pitlick

 

[Colezuki]

Unrelated note but jesus christ I cannot wait until Hoffman, Armia and Pitlick are off this team

 

[NekkiChiconey]

When Healthy

Newhook - Suzuki - Monahan
Caufield - Dach - Slafkovsky
Anderson - Dvorak - Gallagher
RHP- Evans - armia

Extras - Hoffman, Pezzetta, Pitlick

I like this. I wouldn't mind switching Newhook/Caufield and would definitely switch Gallagher/RHP. I think Ylonen also gets in there. Ideally, get rid of Hoffman before the season starts, I don't even want him near this team.

Matheson - Barron
Guhle - Kovacevic
Xhekaj/Harris - Savard

Extras - Xhekaj/Harris, Wideman.

Would like to see Guhle with Kovacevic, I think he's a better fit than Savard for Guhle's development.

At the deadline, trade Monahan/Anderson/Savard/Dvorak/Allen and then spend the remaining games trying out whoever performed best in Laval: Simoneau, Heineman, Roy, Kidney, Mesar, Struble, Mailloux, Trudeau, Hutson...

 

[BLONG7]

Unrelated note but jesus christ I cannot wait until Hoffman, Armia and Pitlick are off this team

Curious to see what they do, if a couple of the kids out perform these stinking vets...I would rather see RHP and Ylonen dressed than these guys...........Armia and Hoff are just a waste of cap dollars.

 

[JoelWarlord]

My guess would be:

Harvey-Pinard Suzuki Anderson
Newhook Dach Caufield
Slafkovsky Monahan Gallagher
Pitlick Evans Armia

My assumptions here are that Hoffman and Dvorak will be traded before the season begins. If not then either scratch Armia/Pitlick or potentially Slafkovsky will go to the AHL. Harvey-Pinard I'm also not super confident stays in that 1LW spot but at the moment I'll stick him there because if you're taking Dach away from that line they need someone to forecheck and Suzuki/Anderson aren't gonna do it.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Unrelated note but jesus christ I cannot wait until Hoffman, Armia and Pitlick are off this team

Slowly, slowly, they'll be gone. Hoffman only has one year left. Next year is Armia's final year.

I don't mind Pitlick. He's a good utility player who can sit out or be on your 4th line or could step in your 3rd line. Or as was the case last year, he can clear waivers and go down to Laval and be a dominant player.