Montreal Offseason UFA signings /trade predictions

[Miller Time]

I don’t see a path where outside of the MSL/VL connections, Stamkos is a fit for us or us for him.

I can see a scenario where there is mutual interest and a 3-4 year deal around 8M$ can get done.

If he's chasing top $$, or if Tampa decides to tie up 8 of the 10M$ in cap room they have (with 4-5 roster spots to fill), then forget it... But if TB wants him to swallow a heavy discount, I could see us being an attractive destination.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

I can see a scenario where there is mutual interest and a 3-4 year deal around 8M$ can get done.

If he's chasing top $$, or Tampa decides tie up 8 if the 10M$ in cap room they have (with 4-5 roster spots to fill), then forget it... But if TB wants him to swallow a heavy discount, I could see us being an attractive destination.

You’re right, I thought about the 3-4 year route as well.

I think like you said it comes down to Tampa’s fiscal management and maybe even if Stamkos is just ready for that “challenge” knowing the first couple years we may not be competing but by year 3-4 he has a shot at a final cup. One hell of way to wrap up a HOF career, bringing back the cup to MTL.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I don't want to sign Money unless it's extremely team friendly, short term (2 years max) and he only plays on the 3rd line and PP time if we do.

Great team guy but time it catching up. Has looked overwhelmed this playoffs because he can't keep up to the Oilers and it's only going downhill from here.

I'd like to see what other options present themselves before looking his way.

Jets have him in a 2C role against a cup contender. If the Habs sign Monahan, we use him in a 3C role. Different usage = different results.

No. Newhook will be similar in value to Zegras. Trade does nothing but exchange forwards. Need to add forwards without giving up any of the top 6.

I figured some would think this way. I'd value Zegras over Newhook but I do see the potential for Newhook to be a 60 pts forward. The thing is, I think Zegras is a 60-80 pts forward.

 

[Bacchus1]

Top end players will willingly waiver to most teams that can contend.

Again, if you want to talk about an Ottawa or a Winnipeg (or Columbus), teams that have a well-documented history of struggling with retaining players (and even Columbus managed to snag Gaudreau) then sure, I can see it. But applying it to Montreal is just plain silly for reasons I've demonstrated. No team ever hits on each target. I don't even recall the last time a player requested a trade from here for reasons that had to do with the city or the market and I've been a fan for over twenty years.

Lots og players have wanted to leave. Just recently: Petry, Kotkiniemi, Drouin, Galchenyuk …

 

[Bacchus1]

Ahh yes thanks -

Slaf - Suzuki - CC
Newhook - Dach - ??
Roy - Dvorak - Anderson
Gallagher - Evans - Armia

Yup, we are basically looking for someone who can play immediately with Dach and Newhook. Or whoever is on the second line. We don’t know how well Dach will be this year, so I could see whomever it being being a C/LW

If we had a chance to upgrade our bottom 6 I could see us doing that, too, particularly at C. We have warm bodies on the bottom 6, but if a chance to improve comes along, I could see us demoting or sitting as a 13th a former regular.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Lots og players have wanted to leave. Just recently: Petry, Kotkiniemi, Drouin, Galchenyuk …

Petry's wife wanted to leave. Not Petry

Kotkaniemi signed for more money. I don't think he hated Montreal and the players he was playing with. Maybe he didn't like Ducharme.

Who cares about Drouin and Chucky. Soft mentality and can't handle pressure. You don't want these players anyways.

 

[Bacchus1]

Petry's wife wanted to leave. Not Petry

Kotkaniemi signed for more money. I don't think he hated Montreal and the players he was playing with. Maybe he didn't like Ducharme.

Who cares about Drouin and Chucky. Soft mentality and can't handle pressure. You don't want these players anyways.

Actually, Petry never wanted to stay. He wanted to test the free market. His wife wanted to stay until the pandemic, and when she changed her mind about living in Montreal, he needed no convincing.

KK obviously wanted to leave, as he basically stated in his exit interview, and willingly gave the finger to Bergevin by signing that contract that was basically a FU!

 

[therocket9]

A #3 Goalie with experience that can be call up if one of Primeau/Montembault is injured and let Dobes in the AHL

Copley has a career .899% save percentage Montreal already has that with Monty at a .898% career save percentage just sign Chris Driedger as a veteran.

 

[Vachon23]

Copley has a career .899% save percentage Montreal already has that with Monty at a .898% career save percentage just sign Chris Driedger as a veteran.

I don’t want him to surpass Monty or Primeau, I just want a veteran presence down there. Can be Driedger

 

[lillypad33]

This team is flat out screwed until the Gallagher/Anderson contracts are gone away.
You just can't compete with the US teams when they already have a 5-6% advantage on 80 million dollars and then you throw away 12.
Stamkos will require a 5 year contact of which 3 of those years will likely have a decent return.
I'm not too keen on years 4 and 5 given what I see with Gallagher and Anderson at this point.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

This team is flat out screwed until the Gallagher/Anderson contracts are gone away.
You just can't compete with the US teams when they already have a 5-6% advantage on 80 million dollars and then you throw away 12.
Stamkos will require a 5 year contact of which 3 of those years will likely have a decent return.
I'm not too keen on years 4 and 5 given what I see with Gallagher and Anderson at this point.

If you're giving Stamkos 12 mill for 5 years you deserve to suck.

 

[Vachon23]

Guys Stamkos won’t sign with a rebuilding team, we can stop with that speculation

 

[salbutera]

This team is flat out screwed until the Gallagher/Anderson contracts are gone away.
You just can't compete with the US teams when they already have a 5-6% advantage on 80 million dollars and then you throw away 12.
Stamkos will require a 5 year contact of which 3 of those years will likely have a decent return.
I'm not too keen on years 4 and 5 given what I see with Gallagher and Anderson at this point.

Why will Stamkos require a 5-yr deal? 2-years at $12M AAV w $11M in bonus and NO US team can match the take home….not one

That puts Stamkos in a position to for one last retirement contract is he’s able to perform & stay as healthy as he has last 3-seasons

Guys Stamkos won’t sign with a rebuilding team, we can stop with that speculation

Habs would’ve been in the hunt for a wildcard spot w a healthy Dach this season, add Stamkos along with a likely top 5-10 NHL PP w Hutson’s addition, Habs are a legit wildcard team

Additionally TBay without Stamkos becomes much weaker and borderline wildcard team

 

[26Mats]

Monahan has 1 point in 4 games.

If the Jets get bounced and he has this meager production, he could be available for a lower price tag in the offseason.

 

[Vachon23]

Habs would’ve been in the hunt for a wildcard spot w a healthy Dach this season, add Stamkos along with a likely top 5-10 NHL PP w Hutson’s addition, Habs are a legit wildcard team

Additionally TBay without Stamkos becomes much weaker and borderline wildcard team

I don’t think so…

Big difference between having a good stretch and having that success with constancy

Stamkos won’t leave his beautiful life to play in Canada in a bottom 5 team, it make 0 sense

 

[Deebs]

Monahan has 1 point in 4 games.

If the Jets get bounced and he has this meager production, he could be available for a lower price tag in the offseason.

He's not good enough for a playoff team.....yet, he's good enough for us. We need to change this attitude.

Money did his job as a place holder as we move forward with our rebuild and now that time is over. Unless there's absolutely no other options on the table, he shouldn't be considered imo.

 

[26Mats]

He's not good enough for a playoff team.....yet, he's good enough for us. We need to change this attitude.

Money did his job as a place holder as we move forward with our rebuild and now that time is over. Unless there's absolutely no other options on the table, he shouldn't be considered imo.

4 or 5 games is too small of a smaple size. I didn't say he isn't good for a playoff team. I'm saying teams may perceive him as not good enough for that small sample size. If you just go by most recent production you're in danger of buying high instead of buying low.

At any rate, see Monahan as largely a place holder for 2 to 3 years. And his good leadership, and good play, will benefit the youth during that time frame, imo.

 

[LaP]

He's not good enough for a playoff team.....yet, he's good enough for us. We need to change this attitude.

Money did his job as a place holder as we move forward with our rebuild and now that time is over. Unless there's absolutely no other options on the table, he shouldn't be considered imo.

Absolutely 100% agree. I don't see any reason to sign him. If we acquire someone it should be a player in his mid 20ies. We already got vets to help the kids with Matheson, Savard, Gallagher, Anderson and Suzuki si slowly becoming an experienced young player too.

I'd target players like Lundell this summer via trade.

 

[Deebs]

Absolutely 100% agree. I don't see any reason to sign him. If we acquire someone it should be a player in his mid 20ies. We already got vets to help the kids with Matheson, Savard, Gallagher, Anderson and Suzuki si slowly becoming an experienced young player too.

I'd target players like Lundell this summer via trade.

Yep, it's time to move forward with our club.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Guys Stamkos won’t sign with a rebuilding team, we can stop with that speculation

Depends if Stamkos wants money, or not.

Competitive teams won't be able to give him the money he wants that's likely why there isn't already a deal with Tampa.

He's got his 2 cups.

While he did meet with the Habs last time he was ufa, I don't think it's likely he comes here, but as long as some dumbass doesn't make this its own thread, speculation is fine

 

[LaP]

4 or 5 games is too small of a smaple size. I didn't say he isn't good for a playoff team. I'm saying teams may perceive him as not good enough for that small sample size. If you just go by most recent production you're in danger of buying high instead of buying low.

At any rate, see Monahan as largely a place holder for 2 to 3 years. And his good leadership, and good play, will benefit the youth during that time frame, imo.

We have no room for a placeholder. We already have 5 top 9 spots reserved for Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Newhook and Dach. Another spot will likely be reserved for our 1st round pick this summer. I don't expect him to be in the NHL next season but i don't think it will take 4-5 years either. That's 6 spots already. Roy is close to a top 9 role in the NHL. So that's 7 out of 9 sposts reserved. Another one is reserved for Gallagher. So that's 8. You want to keep at least one spot open for a Dach/Newhook type of trade so that's 9 and i'm not even counting Anderson. I think lot of our fans are day dreaming with Monahgan. I know you guys love him to death but at one point a GM must keep his feet on the ground and act accordingly. We have no room for him moving forward.

 

[Vachon23]

Depends if Stamkos wants money, or not.

Competitive teams won't be able to give him the money he wants that's likely why there isn't already a deal with Tampa.

He's got his 2 cups.

While he did meet with the Habs last time he was ufa, I don't think it's likely he comes here, but as long as some dumbass doesn't make this its own thread, speculation is fine

Last time though, we were a really good team and he was the missing piece. It’s not the case now

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Last time though, we were a really good team and he was the missing piece. It’s not the case now

Yes, but he was also a player who hadn't won a cup before. Now he has 2.

Could want a 3rd, or more, but those teams aren't likely to have the space. Stamkos just wanting the money and a somewhat competitive team, the habs might be that team.

Slim chances... very slim, but still a possibility.

 

[26Mats]

We have no room for a placeholder. We already have 5 top 9 spots reserved for Suzuki, Caufield, Slaf, Newhook and Dach. Another spot will likely be reserved for our 1st round pick this summer. I don't expect him to be in the NHL next season but i don't think it will take 4-5 years either. That's 6 spots already. Roy is close to a top 9 role in the NHL. So that's 7 out of 9 sposts reserved. Another one is reserved for Gallagher. So that's 8. You want to keep at least one spot open for a Dach/Newhook type of trade so that's 9 and i'm not even counting Anderson. I think lot of our fans are day dreaming with Monahgan. I know you guys love him to death but at one point a GM must keep his feet on the ground and act accordingly. We have no room for him moving forward.

My top 9 next year while we await our 2024 1st:

Caufield - Suzuki - Slaf
_____ - Dach - ______
Roy - Newhook - Armia
Gallaghar - Evans - Anderson
Ylo/Pez/RHP

Dvo traded.

I think we have two spots open if Dvo is traded. If he isn't, we have one. I'd take Monahan. If the 2024 1st and a better player fill the spots next year, then we can move Monahan for assets. I'd much rather our young players play with Monahan than Dvo and Anderson. Also, Armia is coming off of the books prior to the 2025 season, so that's one extra spot. Although one of Beck or Kapanen may be ready then. But if they're both read, that's a good problem.

 

[salbutera]

Last time though, we were a really good team and he was the missing piece. It’s not the case now

Different way to look at the situation. First off to leave TBay, Stamkos will need to be slighted / have his ego bruised w a low ball offer.

Should that situation manifest, then options potentially start opening up w MSL / Vinny influence combined w $$ kicking in. Which then makes it a legacy play - Stamkos legacy of growing a young team core that IMO is eerily similar to the TBay team from 10-12 years ago

There’s also the Hutson effect, he may be a rookie but the Habs could potentially be an elite PP as early as next year, especially w Stamkos…

Yes the probability Stamkos signs w Mtl is low, but stranger things have happened..