Montreal Offseason UFA signings /trade predictions

[ZUKI]

Am i losing my mind , WHY are you guys talking about Stammer lmao what am i missing...hello? Is this L'antichambre?

nah...it's an old tape of Coach corner

 

[HuGort]

Stamkos isn't a long shot, he's a no shot.

I can't think of a single reason why he would choose Montreal. We would have to offer way more than a southern state for equal money. We'd need to offer ridiculous money/term and that's IF that's what he's looking for, purely cash, which I'm willing to be he isn't. And this management isn't looking for a player like that either. I'm sure he'd rather give TB a hometown discount.

I can't see Stamkos coming here.

 

[Hoochi Papa]

Save all the ammo to 2025 free agency. Pay 14 million to Draisaitl. It's an overpayment but for a player who makes people around him better.

 

[Beer and Chips]

Not this year but we're clearly going to need to fill our holes through UFA, that's what HuGo was saying by MSL attracting players, because for the second year we won't be getting the players we want.

 

[salbutera]

Save all the ammo to 2025 free agency. Pay 14 million to Draisaitl. It's an overpayment but for a player who makes people around him better.

If Draisaitl leaves Edm, he’s US bound

 

[Skip Bayless]

I could see Buchnevich being a target. Not much term left and low AAV (6.5)

I called this on another thread as well. He'd be amazing with Dach.

 

[salbutera]

I could see Buchnevich being a target. Not much term left and low AAV (6.5)

Wasn’t it Gorton who traded Buchnevich to
STL for Sammy Blais?

 

[Hoochi Papa]

If Draisaitl leaves Edm, he’s US bound

That is very likely. Yet I really wish Canadiens would hand out a competitive offer. More ammo from this draft, another step in the right direction with youngsters and Canadiens could be an exciting option. I assume he would get shitloads of money for advertisements, although Habs couldn't compete with money alone.

I just prefer they would go for the actual superstar, instead of paying 9+ millions to someone who just had a career year (ie. Reinhart). Draisaitl makes people around him better and he has proven himself without McDavid. Sure it's not a perfect situation but if you have to overpay, do it for someone who will deliver.

 

[salbutera]

That is very likely. Yet I really wish Canadiens would hand out a competitive offer. More ammo from this draft, another step in the right direction with youngsters and Canadiens could be an exciting option. I assume he would get shitloads of money for advertisements, although Habs couldn't compete with money alone.

I just prefer they would go for the actual superstar, instead of paying 9+ millions to someone who just had a career year (ie. Reinhart). Draisaitl makes people around him better and he has proven himself without McDavid. Sure it's not a perfect situation but if you have to overpay, do it for someone who will deliver.

Cdn teams can benefit from structuring bonus contracts for US resident players (citizens or green card holders), unfortunately Draisaitl
doesn’t qualify

 

[le_sean]

I could see Buchnevich being a target. Not much term left and low AAV (6.5)

12 team NTC. You better believe all Canadian teams are likely on there.

Wasn’t it Gorton who traded Buchnevich to
STL for Sammy Blais?

No, the trade was July 2021, Gorton was fired in May.

 

[The Great Weal]

Save all the ammo to 2025 free agency. Pay 14 million to Draisaitl. It's an overpayment but for a player who makes people around him better.

Besides Tavares, when was the last time a star player signed with a Canadian team? It's not going to happen.

 

[salbutera]

Besides Tavares, when was the last time a star player signed with a Canadian team? It's not going to happen.

Adding: either signed as UFA or accepted lifting trade claude

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Yeah, whatever plan we might make shouldn't be resting on signing any big star UFA, we never get them historically. Like, ever.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Lots of players do offer a discount, but Matthews was never going to do that. This is a guy who went to Europe rather then the NCAA before the draft because he wanted to be paid.

Matthews also probably has the PA glaring at his negotiations though. He's a bar setter.

Yeah, whatever plan we might make shouldn't be resting on signing any big star UFA, we never get them historically. Like, ever.

Most of every doesn't.

The Montreal Canadiens have done very well on the FA market over the years. That they don't is a complete myth that doesn't stand up to the most basic scrutiny.

Besides Tavares, when was the last time a star player signed with a Canadian team? It's not going to happen.

When is the last time one did with a team in California?

The only one that comes to mind is Scott Niedermayer and that was strictly to help his brother win a Cup.

 

[salbutera]

The Montreal Canadiens have done very well on the FA market over the years. That they don't is a complete myth that doesn't stand up to the most basic scrutiny.

Habs have tried to end end but have never been able to lure a top dog - a top-10/15 scorer

- Tried twice trading for Hossa’s right before official UFA period to get more time to negotiate, he wouldn’t even talk to Gainey

- Sundin, Briere, Stamkos, Tavares all refused

It’s also not just UFAs, since very few top end ever hit the market, very few ever waive their NTC/NMC for a Cdn market when such an opportunity arises, which again is rare.

Players are at least starting to become open & transparent about the reality as ROR stated last year, he didn’t realize what a fishbowl playing for the Leafs was like and preferred playing in a warm non-traditional hockey market - on why he chose Nash vs Tor

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Habs have tried to end end but have never been able to lure a top dog - a top-10/15 scorer

- Tried twice trading for Hossa’s right before official UFA period to get more time to negotiate, he wouldn’t even talk to Gainey

- Sundin, Briere, Stamkos, Tavares all refused

But you can apply that to most of every team. Superstars rarely hit FA in general.

The truth is that in the cap era, the Canadiens have signed Samsonov (top 6 player at time of signing), Hamrlik (top-pairing defenseman), Cammalleri (1st liner), Gionta (top-6), Cole (1st liner), Radulov (1st liner), Toffoli (1st liner) and other solid depth players on the market.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that we couldn't develop for shit but that's a better haul than most teams I'd reckon. Montreal has had no problems either retaining or acquiring players. Trying to paint it otherwise just strikes me as cope or ignorance.

 

[salbutera]

But you can apply that to most of every team. Superstars rarely hit FA in general.

The truth is that in the cap era, the Canadiens have signed Samsonov (top 6 player at time of signing), Hamrlik (top-pairing defenseman), Cammalleri (1st liner), Gionta (top-6), Cole (1st liner), Radulov (1st liner), Toffoli (1st liner) and other solid depth players on the market.

A lot of it has to do with the fact that we couldn't develop for shit but that's a better haul than most teams I'd reckon. Montreal has had no problems either retaining or acquiring players. Trying to paint it otherwise just strikes me as cope or ignorance.

This is not new, Langway wanted out of Canada “because of taxes” 40-years ago. Serge Savard said himself on Mitch Melnick’s show, he & Corey had to fly to NY to meet with Bellows in summer of 1992, because he refused to report to Mtl. They guaranteed him in writing Bellows would be traded back to a U.S. market of his choosing within max 2-seasons if he agreed to play for Habs. Savard also said there were other deals for offensive stars he simply couldn’t pull the trigger on because players refused to come to Mtl.

That was back when players had zero autonomy pre-1994 lockout

Btw - none of those players were anywhere near the caliber of Hossa, Briere, Stamkos, Tavares at the time of their relative UFA periods.

However, as I’ve stated many times, Habs best success seems to come from targeting American / American resident players which all of Gionta, Cammy, Hamrlik, Cole, and Toffoli were at the time of signings.

American players in particular seem to thrive and feed off wearing the CH and the frenzy of the market

 

[Spring in Fialta]

This is not new, Langway wanted out of Canada “because of taxes” 40-years ago. Serge Savard said himself on Mitch Melnick’s show, he & Corey had to fly to NY to meet with Bellows in summer of 1992, because he refused to report to Mtl. They guaranteed him in writing Bellows would be traded back to a U.S. market of his choosing within max 2-seasons if he agreed to play for Habs. Savard also said there were other deals for offensive stars he simply couldn’t pull the trigger on because players refused to come to Mtl.

That was back when players had zero autonomy pre-1994 lockout

You're bringing stuff up from 40 years ago, in an era in which the Canadiens were also winning a million games + cups.

I'm not sure it's the problem you want to pretend it is, especially when you're talking about world-class cities like Montreal (you can add Toronto and Vancouver to that too).

Do I think that some players won't want to come here? Yeah, sure. I'd apply that a whole lot of other places too for a variety reasons. It's negligible. There's enough talent to go around.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

By the way @salbutera Toffoli and Cammalleri are Canadian, not American.

 

[salbutera]

You're bringing stuff up from 40 years ago, in an era in which the Canadiens were also winning a million games + cups.

I'm not sure it's the problem you want to pretend it is, especially when you're talking about world-class cities like Montreal (you can add Toronto and Vancouver to that too).

Do I think that some players won't want to come here? Yeah, sure. I'd apply that a whole lot of other places too for a variety reasons. It's negligible. There's enough talent to go around.

Habs desperately needed the Hossa, Sundin, Briere, Stamkos, Tavares during those particular years to put them over the top…. so no there isn’t enough top end talent to go around

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Habs desperately needed the Hossa, Sundin, Briere, Stamkos, Tavares during those particular years to put them over the top…. so no there isn’t enough top end talent to go around

90 percent of NHL teams could cry the same blues.

What's the biggest FA signing in Lightning history? What about the Sharks?

 

[salbutera]

By the way @salbutera Toffoli and Cammalleri are Canadian, not American.

They are dual citizen, with primary residence in US. Toffoli lives near Manhattan beach where his LA wife is from, Cammy alternated between house in South Carolina near Myrtle Beach and in Miami

 

[Spring in Fialta]

They are dual citizen, with primary residence in US. Toffoli lives near Manhattan beach, Cammy lives in South Carolina near Myrtle Beach

A citizenship they acquired by having long careers in the NHL.

What the hell are you on about? They're not American players.

 

[salbutera]

A citizenship they acquired by having long careers in the NHL.

What the hell are you on about? They're not American players.

They are American resident players so had the opportunity to bonus structure their contracts which max benefit comes from playing in a Cdn market, since IRS does not view bonus as income and they can avoid Cdn taxation, if they spend 6-months + 1-day in US as a resident

 

[Spring in Fialta]

They are American resident players so had the opportunity to bonus structure their contracts which max benefit comes from playing in a Cdn market, since IRS does not view bonus as income and they can avoid Cdn taxation. Is they spend 6-months + 1-day in US as a resident

Wouldn't that apply to just about every player that has spent their career in the US, so long as they play long enough to hit FA status?

Your entire argument strikes me as extremely convoluted and going in a million of bizarre directions.