BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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Laine 11th career hatty vs BUF
- Thread starter amnesiac
- Start date
So you’d re sign one of the most injury prone players in the league in his late 20s for say $9Mx 7 years?
This on a team whos early in their rebuild who probably won’t contend for the Cup for at least another 5-6 years. Brilliant.
You must’ve loved Bergevin and what he did for Gallagher.
And kemme guess, you’re one of those who thought the Habs would be a playoff team this season, and be Cup contenders by 2026?
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BB88
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- Jan 19, 2015
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Laine is 26y and with his last season he’s not going to get anywhere close to the superstar money.
A team could sign him for 6-8M less per season than what superstars are going to be signing for so yes Montreal can and should re-sign Laine if he doesn’t get another major injury this season
Montreal isn’t early in their rebuild, they are getting to a part where they need to start challenging for WC spot and learn to win games
Their 1C is 1 year younger than Laine, they already have Caufield& Slaf playing in the NHL, Caufield is getting close to hitting his prime. Demidov is coming up next season?
& the biggest reason why they should keep him is that Montreal fans have been screaming for 20+ years for them to find someone like Laine, who brings fans out of their seats and creates that special feeling. That city (the fans) have adopted Laine and if you now turn around and trade him that’s the biggest FU you could make to those fans
& yes Laine is 26y damm he’s old!!!! How is he going to look in 8 years time…..
If Laine played like this on the powerplay for my Leafs, we would sign him to 8x11 without thinking twice!
yeah I figured you were one of those who thought the Habs were soon to be contenders. Part of the impatient fanbase that think it only takes a few years of top picks to build a true Cup contender….. They didn’t get a Crosby and Malkin in back to back years unfortunately. Here’s a reality check, it usually takes a decade from when you started drafting high. See FLA, COL, TB, WSH, EDM and when they started, and how many high picks (homrun picks and busts) it took them before finally piecing together a winner.
Habs pretty much started this rebuild 2 seasons ago with Slafkovsky after Bergevin made his idiotic moves after the 2021 run… Kotkaniemi pick obviously doesn’t count, it’s a lost/bust pick. Caufield and Hutson are homerun picks, very fortunate, but they’re not your Makar and MacKinnon elite pieces. Hopefully Demidov is one. I’m not counting on Slafkovsky or Reinbacher to be another unfortunately. They need to land one of those elite pieces next summer, ideally a centre.
And btw, Laine is a UFA at 28, not this summer. He won’t go for a discount unless he gets injured again, and if he does youd have to be really dumb to re sign him. Let alone re signing a guy because we need to “please the fans”??? That’s how you screw up a rebuild and end out being exactly where they were for the past 30 years.
elmaco
Registered Hockey Fan
- Feb 1, 2017
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Good take but, you don't consider the improvement Laine could make in those 2 years.
I don't want to criticize but I do not believe getting 4 opportunities 5 on 3 in the last 6 games is a rate that is going to continue
Even if hes a PPG player for a year and half, scores 40 next season, and doesnt get injured, his history shows that he will get injured later on, and often. I dont wish it, Im just being real. The guy has played 136 games since the 21-22 season out of a possible 277. Hes missed more games than hes played.
Then in summer 2026 youre talking about a sought after UFA. ie. the absolute WORST time to sign a guy UNLESS youre contender for the Cup. We're talking $11M+ per by then as the cap increases. THe Habs have enough rich contracts at the moment with Suz, CC, Slaf, and soon to be Hutson and Demidov in 3 years. Assuming they get a good pick next summer, thats another (probable) big contract in 4 years time. Guhle and Suzuki will be approaching UFA status in 2030 and 31 respectively, 2 more HUGE contracts. If you sign an expensive UFA now, theyll have to give someone up to make it all fit, and chances are Laine will have the worst contract.
I 100% guarantee everyone and their mothers, the Habs wont be Cup contenders in 26-27 or 27-28. Hopefully on the upswing by then, but then youre banking on Laine being great at age 32 or 33 when are acutal hopeful Cup contenders come 2030 or later. He could be great at that age, but Its too high risk with him. Wait to sign your big name UFAs when the time comes. Not now, and not in 2 years either.
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His choice of profession is a much better predictor of future injuries, than his injury history. He does have two concussions but that is not rare among hockey players. Other than that his injuries have been random other things that happen in a contact sport. He has had a lot of them, but that is not an indicator of future events.
