Trades don't need to be about pick-pocketing the other team. a hockey trade involving Guhle could be made and benefit both teams.
Of course, any trade involving Guhle -- so that the trade doesn't regularly circle back to bite you in the arse -- would ideally be done with a team in the Western Conference.
As much as I am a fan of Guhle, I don't think that he needs to be part of the team down the line for Montreal to win a 25th Cup.
If losing Guhle comes with the benefit of gaining a solid 2C that is more of a 1B for te next 7 to 10 years, I don't see how that doesn't benefit us more than assembling a patchwork of stop-gap 2Cs that don't provide any consistency in the lineup at that position during this version of the Habs.
IMO, Montreal will not be picking top-3 for a while now, even without this elusive top-6 C to play on another top-6 line.
Waiting to see if Hage is our 2C (1B) of the future is a waste of at least three more years for Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Demidov and three prime years of Laine (if we keep him). It's also three wasted years of Hutson, Reinbacher and Guhle, as we circle back to Guhle.
Hage will not be an impact forward -- if even a C -- before another three years have gone by, under the best of circumstances. As solid a prospect as he is, Hage is not some exceptional beast waiting to gnaw off the bridle so he can assault the NHL. He will need to develop and iron out some flaws in his game, refine some strengths, mature physically, get accustomed to the tempo at the NHL level, etc.
Instead of wasting at least three important development years of all the players listed above, years that will assist in helping them reach another gear as NHLers and help the team, overall, to reach a higher level, I'd rather trade Guhle, or Guhle ++ now to address the 2C issue immediately, depending on the quality of the young C coming back (I'd prefer to pay Guhle ++ with Guhle being the only current core player from Montreal in the deal, but to get a better young C in return).
Landing a quality 2C right now would increase the odds of Suzuki, Caufield, Slafkovsky, Caufield, Hutson and Reinbacher becoming the best versions of themselves that they can be as we mature into as Cup contender after three more years.
By then, if we're lucky, Hage will be ready to become an impact player at the NHL level and could well become that as a top-6 winger, instead of as a top-6 C.
Nobody has a crystal ball, but adding a genuine 2C starting next year will definitely help develop everyone up front and on the back end because of the right seats that will get assigned to the right players and because of the responsibilities this 2C would rightfully assume.
The only problem with this discussion is that we have no idea what C Guhle might provide the Habs with in their search to become a Cup contender.
I think it is clear that the Habs are not in a win-now position to trade a young stud LD for an ageing veteran with a couple of seasons left at a high level in order to win a Cup.
I certainly don't suggest moving Guhle under those circumstances.
Montreal needs a steadying 2C that will be around for at least the next 7 years, slotting in immediately and contributing to a 3-4 year window for a 25th Cup. He could then be replaced to extend the window.
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. Looking forward to HuGo's trading this summer.
