Confirmed Trade: [MTL/CBJ] Patrik Laine, '26 2nd for Jordan Harris

[Frank Drebin]

Yes, and for the other bottom feeding teams with revenue 100 mill less than MTL, it is not nearly as easy.

for them, 17m would be a big deal

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Also a factor, true.

I can't believe people are throwing out "hey if it doesn't work out it's only 17 million dollars wasted, no biggie"

It's not $17M, but $16.2M if his $2M bonus has already been paid by Colombus.

If not, it's $18.2M.

Cap wise, it's $17.4M in any scenario.

 

[dgibb10]

So, having a player signed to a market value contract is worthless?
That's what you're saying. I suspect 32 NHL GMs would disagree.

Having a player signed at a (UFA) market value contract does not provide positive value yes. It provides net 0 value.

Habs will have a ton of capspace next season with 15+ million coming off. Bonuses won't have any impact on the Habs plans.

This trade was absolute genius by Hughes. All it cost was money, which is chump change for Molson. I realize this is hard to understand being a Devils fan with limited capital. Meanwhile, Habs will have tons of capspace next season and able to do a similar move for more assets if they choose.

What is genius about having a larger budget than the other bottom feeders?

What’s their cap space next season when savard Dvorak armia come off and the 4.2 in retention. Salaries for Allen and Petry come off.

Presumably those players have to be replaced if MTL is trying to win (playoffs) next year in 25-26

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Having a player signed at a (UFA) market value contract does not provide positive value yes. It provides net 0 value.


What is genius about having a larger budget than the other bottom feeders?

Leveraging the capspace for picks and for talent that will help other players (Dach) develop. He leveraged Sean Monahan and now Laine. If you can put your capspace to work while rebuilding and garner picks and talent, that is an effective GM.

Clearly your jealousy of the Habs deep pockets is showing...

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Former New York Ranger Dan McCarthy scored four goals in five games, giving him a significantly better career goals/game average than Wayne Gretzky and Alex Ovechkin!

What's the story behind this ?

He played pro 5 more years (or 6 if you count that 80-81 season).

 

[Jedub]

Bonne chance Patty. It will be a comeback for the ages if he turns back into a 40 goal man.

 

[dgibb10]

...at which point the cap hits of Dvorak and Armia vanish into thin air right at the time when three of their kids are showing they're doing great ahead of schedule. This hardly strikes me as a dire portent for the Habs.

Once again, the risk is MTL, assuming, based on what I have been told by virtually every habs fan, when they plan on trying to compete for the playoffs in 2025-26, will have an extra 10 million dollars on their 25-26 cap sheet because they acquired laine.

If Laine doesn't turn out, you'd much rather have that 10 million dollars ELSEWHERE for a team who again, I have been told will be trying to compete

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Presumably those players have to be replaced if MTL is trying to win (playoffs) next year in 25-26

4.2M in retention doesn't get replaced. lol

Dvorak/Armia/Savard get replaced by the likes of Demidov and Beck and Mailloux/Reinbacher/Barron.

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

What is genius about having a larger budget than the other bottom feeders?

The genius is not in having it, but in how you're using it.

QED.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

Once again, the risk is MTL, assuming, based on what I have been told by virtually every habs fan, when they plan on trying to compete for the playoffs in 2025-26, will have an extra 10 million dollars on their 25-26 cap sheet because they acquired laine.

If Laine doesn't turn out, you'd much rather have that 10 million dollars ELSEWHERE for a team who again, I have been told will be trying to compete

Habs are unlikely to cmpoete in 2025-26. The D is way to young to compete in that time frame. Habs will continue to build by getting experience for the young players.

The 8.7M of Laine's caphit won't have any impact at all this season or next. Habs will still have a ton of capspace. After price is LTIR'd they still have 8M of capspace that they won't use this year. And if Laine produces.. then great for the Habs.

The genius is not in having it, but in how you're using it.

QED.

Preach!

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

Preach!

I'm trying my best, but, with some people, it's like rowing in quicksand.

 

[dgibb10]

Habs are unlikely to cmpoete in 2025-26. The D is way to young to compete in that time frame. Habs will continue to build by getting experience for the young players.

The 8.7M of Laine's caphit won't have any impact at all this season or next. Habs will still have a ton of capspace. After price is LTIR'd they still have 8M of capspace that they won't use this year. And if Laine produces.. then great for the Habs.


Preach!

You can't have it both ways.

If you aren't competing, then having laine provides 0 benefit since you only have control over him over the next 2 years. (and if you trade him for I assume a 1st, 16 mill is a hefty price to pay for a 1st+2nd)

And if you are competing, then the cap hit matters

 

[Junohockeyfan]

I'm trying my best, but, with some people, it's like rowing in quick sand.

Its tough work educating folks who don't understand the basics of a rebuild. But keep up the good fight!

The horror of the Habs using 8.7M of the available 17M in capspace. Mon dieu!

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

(and if you trade him for I assume a 1st, 16 mill is a hefty price to pay for a 1st+2nd)

Who could have imagine trading Jordan Harris (a good D by the way) for a 1st + a 2nd ?

 

[dgibb10]

Who could have imagine trading Jordan Harris (a good D by the way) for a 1st + a 2nd ?

And 16 million dollars, don't forget that part.

 

[Junohockeyfan]

You can't have it both ways.

If you aren't competing, then having laine provides 0 benefit since you only have control over him over the next 2 years. (and if you trade him for I assume a 1st, 16 mill is a hefty price to pay for a 1st+2nd)

And if you are competing, then the cap hit matters

That's really short sighted. Habs young talent like Dach and Newhook need a top line talent to solidify a second line. Having talented players help with their offensive development (and overall development).

Its a win-win for the Habs. Development win and potential to compete if the stars align (unlikely).

And in 2 years time, if Laine produces, who's to say he doesn't re-sign for a team friendly deal, having found a home. Or if not, its a placeholder for Demidov who arrives next season. Plus, there is the potential to trade Laine (with retention) for a haul if he produces.

It opens so many possibilities for the Habs. All it cost was capspace the Habs weren't using. And somehow Hughes pilfered a 2nd on top of it all. lol

 

[Xirik]

Remember when the Coyotes were mocked by everyone for taking on older players and bad contracts for picks and basically being the NHL's retirement home?

 

[dgibb10]

Habs are unlikely to cmpoete in 2025-26. The D is way to young to compete in that time frame. Habs will continue to build by getting experience for the young players.

The 8.7M of Laine's caphit won't have any impact at all this season or next. Habs will still have a ton of capspace. After price is LTIR'd they still have 8M of capspace that they won't use this year. And if Laine produces.. then great for the Habs.


Preach!

Laine takes away opportunity for young players.

In fact, he's likely to take away opportunity from one of Juraj Slafkofsky or Kirby Dach on PP1

 

[Michel Beauchamp]

And 16 million dollars, don't forget that part.

Wouldn't that be more or less $14M (or more or less $5.3M) ?

Trade deadline this year: $7.1M x 3/4 = $5.325M

Trade deadline next year: $7.1M + $9.1M x 3/4 = $13.925M

See how that neatly ties in with a previous post of yours where you asked "What is genius about having a larger budget than the other bottom feeders?" ?

As I previously wrote, the genius is in how you're using that larger budget...

Remember when the Coyotes were mocked by everyone for taking on older players and bad contracts for picks and basically being the NHL's retirement home?

And how exactly does this apply to this thread ? Logically speaking ?

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Somehow I missed this when it happened, but holy wow.

My first reaction- uh, Laine is cool with that media pressure? Ok.. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt, but seems he hasn’t liked places, and MTL fans and media are, uh, passionate!

Best of luck to him, but not enough to make MTL good.

 

[LuGBuG]

I just want to hear @Scintillating10 opinion on how much of a winner Laine is.

For the record Habs fans I like the move. Just based on stuff he’s said he certainly shouldn’t like it. I want to see this spin zone.

Stay tuned everyone…

 

[frederixx]

Remember when the Coyotes were mocked by everyone for taking on older players and bad contracts for picks and basically being the NHL's retirement home?

Except Laine is 26, still very talented and Montreal will be the youngest team in the NHL next season.

That being said, who knows what Laine will show up when the season begins. Let's hope he puts on a good show, right?

 

[pth2]

Its tough work educating folks who don't understand the basics of a rebuild. But keep up the good fight!

The horror of the Habs using 8.7M of the available 17M in capspace. Mon dieu!

Don't waste your time, haters gonna hate.

 

[ReHabs]

Laine takes away opportunity for young players.

In fact, he's likely to take away opportunity from one of Juraj Slafkofsky or Kirby Dach on PP1

Any instance of adding talent to a roster can possibly disrupt existing lines and TOI opportunities. What’s your point? Florida added Tarasenko at the trade deadline, they changed their PP deployments… mon dieu, sacré bleu, c’est impossible!

Slafkovsky is signed long term, so what if players better than him form the first PP unit — what does it hurt? Does it hurt Slafkovsky to have to earn, on merit, PPTOI?

Kirby Dach is coming back from a long term and serious injury, not a surprise he won’t get PP1 time until he shakes the rust off. Again, what’s the point — do you want a team that plays its best performing players or a team that doesn’t believe in merit?

I’ve scrolled through and read your arguments and each is more specious and desperate than the last. What’s your point?

 

[ReHabs]

You can't have it both ways.

If you aren't competing, then having laine provides 0 benefit since you only have control over him over the next 2 years. (and if you trade him for I assume a 1st, 16 mill is a hefty price to pay for a 1st+2nd)

And if you are competing, then the cap hit matters

Your argument fails both ways

Just because a team doesn’t have the pieces and chemistry to consider itself a competitive one prior to player acquisition does not mean it should not make attempts to improve the roster. This isn’t a on-off switch, it isn’t binary where a team goes from Bad to Good with a press of a button.

Teams have to build up, often iteratively, and Laine could prove to be part of that competitive roster even as early as this season.

Claiming that a young, offense-starved team doesn’t have any chance to benefit from the acquisition of a skilled forward because its current roster isn’t sufficiently skilled at forward… is a very bad take. D-.

If the Habs are splurging big futures it would be one thing, but they explicitly did not do anything of the sort.

As for the cap hit… the core pieces are all signed and extended. Carey Price’s 10.5m LTIR hasn’t even been touched the last two off-seasons. Plenty of cap inefficient depth guys are moving on next summer and the one after to be replaced by cheaper AND better options.

Laine was a perfect trade for the Habs BECAUSE of his high cap hit. The Habs got paid to try him out… the only other chance the Habs would have would be to sign him as a UFA. He gives the Habs a super deluxe two year trial period before he becomes a 28-year old UFA, which is typically the age players become UFA in the first place.

Either way that the evaluation goes, the Habs have the inside track and will make an extremely well-informed decision at that time.

So it is short, medium, and long term upside for the Habs.