Confirmed with Link: [MTL/TB] Sergachev/Drouin II

[McGuires Corndog]

Look, god knows I've had my disagreements with W7 but he has a point. A really pertinent point.

This trade in of itself does not improve the Habs. Drouin is not a center and apparently Galchenyuk is not a center. So we're missing two legit top 6 centers. My sincere apologies to Danault & Pleks. Radulov has to be re-signed (or replaced by an equivalent player) or else with the Drouin acquisition MB is simply spinning his wheels.

Also, we still have a papier-mâché captain who improves on his Invisible Man imitations with every new playoff series. I would use him instead of Chucky to acquire one of those centers.

I don't think the defence is a big issue for the immediate future IF Markov signs. If he doesn't then we do have a problem and if MB decides to plug it by trading Galchenyuk well we're in the same position as not re-signing Radulov. With Galchenyuk gone and Drouin in we've just re-arranged the lounging chairs on the Titanic.

So I repeat the Drouin acquisition can only be an improvement of the team if MB a)re-signs Radulov or replaces him with an equivalent player, b & c) if he gets 2 top six centers (they don't have to be #1 & #2, two #2s would do for now) d) if he re-signs or replaces Markov. And if your answer is he'll re-sign Markov and use Gachenyuk to get one of those centers, we're still missing another top six center and we still have Patches on the team and we have a thirty-eight -year old as our #2 defenceman.


So even though I think W7 is a little premature with his criticism, he has a valid point. He should have just waited till mid-July to express it the way he did. We need to see if MB is truly improving the team or just re-arranging the furniture.

Excellent post, Habs Icing.

You hit the nail on the head, exactly how I feel right now as well.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Shaw can help immensely on the third line. You don't ever trade a Gallagher. Not ever. Never! Hudon has proven squat when it comes to the NHL so it would be foolish to pin any hopes on him but if he does make the team and contributes, mazel tov! However, I agree we need to get rid of Patches.

Unfortunately, my gut tells me this management team will trade Weber, Price and even their new shiny toy, Drouin, before they unload Captain Patio Ready.

No, Shaw can't and his contract is legitimately the worst one on the team.

If you found anyone as stupid as MB to off load that problem contract, you do it.

You also got to give to get in the case of Gallagher and selling high before his body breaks down is smart.

 

[McGuires Corndog]

No, Shaw can't and his contract is legitimately the worst one on the team.

If you found anyone as stupid as MB to off load that problem contract, you do it.

You also got to give to get in the case of Gallagher and selling high before his body breaks down is smart.

I'd leave Shaw exposed, it means admitting a failure but that contract is just awful.

You're absolutely correct regarding Gallagher, we should be trying to leverage him in a package for a top 6 Center. Our strength is on the wings, and his stock will fall just a matter of time so it'd be better to sell him before he's worthless.

 

[Habs100]

Shaw can help immensely on the third line. You don't ever trade a Gallagher. Not ever. Never! Hudon has proven squat when it comes to the NHL so it would be foolish to pin any hopes on him but if he does make the team and contributes, mazel tov! However, I agree we need to get rid of Patches.

Unfortunately, my gut tells me this management team will trade Weber, Price and even their new shiny toy, Drouin, before they unload Captain Patio Ready.

Gallagher and Shaw are third liners now. No way we should be paying our 3rd liners over 4 million a season. Lehkonen, Danault, and Byron is an excellent 3rd line and all are paid around 1 million per year. We can use the freed up money to pay our top six players: Pacioretty, Radulov, Drouin, Galchenyuk, plus two more (Derek Stepan?, Kovalchuck?, Jagr?).

 

[groovejuice]

This seems like the smart thing to do, but can we afford to give Radulov and Galchenyuk 6 Million a year each plus resign Markov? Now that we have Drouin making 5.5 I doubt it.

The problem isn't the guys you mentioned above. The salaries of Shaw, Emelin, Plekanec are obstacles as Weber's likely will be going forward.

With the draft approaching, I'd rather see retaining salary to trade some of these players than losing draft picks to achieve the same outcome.

 

[The Real Guy Lafleur]

The sequence that instantly made me a fan...

Can't wait to hear the Montreal crowd screaming:

Drou-in Drou-in Drou-in

 

[habtastic]

Precisely the wrong time to trade Galchenyuk.

Let them play together. Chucky will turn out fine on D if you give him enough chances. What were his +/- stats during the stretch when a) DD went down at the end of 2015-2016, and b) Up until his injury last year? I bet he was a plus.

You CAN teach D, if you actually try to. I have so little hope that we'll keep Galchenyuk, who is so unfairly maligned, that while I'm excited about Drouin, and also think we'll keep Radu, I know that we'll be losing a player that could finally make the Habs an offensive dynamo.

Seems like MB's already made up his mind about Chucky. Shop him, fine, but if you don't get a deal where you are the undisputed winner, then maybe DON'T do something for a change. All those years of DD preventing Chucky from developing...

 

[1909]

You keep Galchy to play RW if you are 100% sure to lose Radulov on the UFA market. And if you are sure to not being able to trade for one or get one on the UFA market like a Oshie or Williams.

It doesn't solve our centers problem, but the club is still strong on RW with Galchy-Gally-Shaw-McCarron, even Lehkonen.

On left, Habs still have patches, Drouin, Byron, Hudon, DLR or Martinsen , and Lehkonen who can play both wings.

At centre... well... Galchy (if nothing better), Danault, Plekky (if not drafted); McCarron, DLR or Mitchell

 

[Wats]

Shaw can help immensely on the third line. You don't ever trade a Gallagher. Not ever. Never! Hudon has proven squat when it comes to the NHL so it would be foolish to pin any hopes on him but if he does make the team and contributes, mazel tov! However, I agree we need to get rid of Patches.

Unfortunately, my gut tells me this management team will trade Weber, Price and even their new shiny toy, Drouin, before they unload Captain Patio Ready.

Who helps more in regular season/playoffs:

Radulov at 6.5M
Pacioretty at 4.5M
Drouin at 5.5M
Galchenyuk at 6.0M.
Byron/Danault/Lehkonen at under 1.5M.
Gallagher at 3.75M

or

Plekanec at 6.0M
Shaw at 3.9M

Easy to see who makes more than they are worth for the team IMO. Shaw is easily replaceable.

 

[Redux91]

we just traded 9th overall for 3rd overall and skipped the development years. Perfect trade

He could of gone 1st overall...he had an even better draft year than mackinnon..

You just cant be upset with this

 

[SaintsThomas]

Just trade Patch away

 

[FrankMTL]

He could of gone 1st overall...he had an even better draft year than mackinnon..

You just cant be upset with this

I agree, I find it hard to believe that some people are not satisfied by this trade. When you have a chance to trade for a young player of this talent, you do it. I love Sergachev and I think he'll be a good player in this league but you got a player of equal or higher talent, who's a few years more advanced in his development that can help us where we need it the most, offence.

 

[donghabs98]

Can't wait to hear the Montreal crowd screaming:

Drou-in Drou-in Drou-in

For all of the worries of Drouin cracking under pressure I actually believe in the opposite. I think him being close to family will keep him in line and the pressure will push him to do better. This is a player that always steps up in crunch time, be it in 2012 when the Mooseheads were down 0-3 in the playoffs to 2016 when he was a big factor in Tampa going far despite a injured team. For a player like him I think he will thrive in the spotlight.

 

[LastWordArmy]

1. Drouin is not a center. He is a winger.
2. The Habs have decided they are not playing Galchenyuk on the wing, hence why they are trying to trade him.
3. Our top 6 centers next season would be Plekanec and Danault. That is absolutely horrible. 100% horrible. About the worst center line in the league next to Arizona.

Bergevin needs to acquire a top 6 center at the very least. You absolutely cannot go into next season with 2 third liners as your top 6 centers.

I fully expect Drouin to be at centre next season. Just look at what was said by both him and Bergevin at the press conference.

They are going to put him there, and they are going to force it to happen, and give him every opportunity Chuck didn't get... every benefit of the doubt.

Just watch.

 

[googlymoogly]

I agree, I find it hard to believe that some people are not satisfied by this trade. When you have a chance to trade for a young player of this talent, you do it. I love Sergachev and I think he'll be a good player in this league but you got a player of equal or higher talent, who's a few years more advanced in his development that can help us where we need it the most, offence.

ONe reason is the Montreal Cup dynasties always had Hall of Fame Dmen on their rosters. We have been suffering since the nineties to rebuild that talent because we traded away such good Dmen in the past. It makes you wonder if we are making same mistake. But it is a good trade as we still get youth and talent and Sergachev still is just a prospect for an established NHLer. Not as bad as Chelios for almost retired Savard or when we went full ****** and traded away to NY for Gomez to help NY's cap hell. How we got ripped on that one is beyond belief, NY was in trouble and needed to unload an overpriced player and they got Higgins and McDo

 

[FinnHab]

Drouin-Galchenyuk combo could be lethal.

 

[FrankMTL]

ONe reason is the Montreal Cup dynasties always had Hall of Fame Dmen on their rosters. We have been suffering since the nineties to rebuild that talent because we traded away such good Dmen in the past. It makes you wonder if we are making same mistake. But it is a good trade as we still get youth and talent and Sergachev still is just a prospect for an established NHLer. Not as bad as Chelios for almost retired Savard or when we went full ****** and traded away to NY for Gomez to help NY's cap hell. How we got ripped on that one is beyond belief, NY was in trouble and needed to unload an overpriced player and they got Higgins and McDo

Yes I agree regarding needing good dmen, but Sergachev is not a guarantee, as much as we love him. There's always a risk with prospects and from what I saw he probably wouldn't be able to help us until another year or two. We'll see what else Bergevin has up his sleeve to make this team better, but this move was a great one as much as I hate to admit it.

 

[LastWordArmy]

I just read your post, excellent by the way. Your post smells something you know. You have to know that marijuana is not legalized yet if you are living in Canada, maybe you live in Colorado, in that case it's different.

That post came from Philadelphia.

 

[admiralackbar]

Just trade Patch away

This. Should have been the first player traded to send a message to the other playoff slackers.

Not holding my breath on this one, smells like another Turgeon fiasco. I hope I am wrong.

 

[googlymoogly]

Yes I agree regarding needing good dmen, but Sergachev is not a guarantee, as much as we love him. There's always a risk with prospects and from what I saw he probably wouldn't be able to help us until another year or two. We'll see what else Bergevin has up his sleeve to make this team better, but this move was a great one as much as I hate to admit it.

I agree we got a good even trade and maybe even got the upper hand as we have a proven player. Only other issue is Drouin has had issues with coaches and Julien is not the easiest to work with. At least he has one thing going for him and it's we need scoring so he may be given some freedom to show his skills.

 

[Jaynki]

I agree we got a good even trade and maybe even got the upper hand as we have a proven player. Only other issue is Drouin has had issues with coaches and Julien is not the easiest to work with. At least he has one thing going for him and it's we need scoring so he may be given some freedom to show his skills.

His issue with Cooper are not a bad things IMO.

He knew about his value and stick to it. Some dinosaurs think you shut up and play. I personally dont hate a player expressing his mecontentement, like Pacio before he got called up in 20102011

But you can see some sequences where Cooper is madly screaming at him. I imagine how fans would have reacted if MT talked like that to Galchenyuk

He is 20YO. He stood his ground. He standed up tall. And what he did when they called him back?? He has been their best PO performer. He answered the bell.

This kid is ready for the gongshow that Montreal is. We acquired a superstar. He deserved his trade out of TB. Props to MB for making it happen and taking that risk. It will pay its dividend

 

[KevSkillz4]

Please don't trade Galchenyuk. Sign Radulov (4-5 years, 6 or 6,5 millions per year).

Pacioretty - Drouin - Gallagher.
Lehkonen - Galchenyuk - Radulov.

Really good top 6 now and good third line with Byron - Danault - Shaw.

Trade 1st round pick (25th) and prospect for a top 4 defenseman.

 

[1909]

Please don't trade Galchenyuk. Sign Radulov (4-5 years, 6 or 6,5 millions per year).

Pacioretty - Drouin - Gallagher.
Lehkonen - Galchenyuk - Radulov.

Really good top 6 now and good third line with Byron - Danault - Shaw.

Trade 1st round pick (25th) and prospect for a top 4 defenseman.

I would like these lines. But a real centerman would be good too to get.

as for the top-four on D, a LHD is a must to play with Weber. I don't mind having Markov, Emelin, or Davidson or Benn to play bottom d-pairs.

 

[1909]

His issue with Cooper are not a bad things IMO.

He knew about his value and stick to it. Some dinosaurs think you shut up and play. I personally dont hate a player expressing his mecontentement, like Pacio before he got called up in 20102011

But you can see some sequences where Cooper is madly screaming at him. I imagine how fans would have reacted if MT talked like that to Galchenyuk

He is 20YO. He stood his ground. He standed up tall. And what he did when they called him back?? He has been their best PO performer. He answered the bell.

This kid is ready for the gongshow that Montreal is. We acquired a superstar. He deserved his trade out of TB. Props to MB for making it happen and taking that risk. It will pay its dividend

Kucherov was pretty mad at Cooper last season because he did not want to put him (Kucherov) and Drouin (a great playmaker) on the same line.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

I came back to voice my support and approval of the trade but I can't help but think he's going to be another soft, perimeter winger.

Would be awesome next to a Getzlaf or on a high-flying team - but as the main guy he's going to be another softie in a top6 that lacks character and/or size and/or competitiveness.

Playoff nobodies like Pleks and Patches need to get off this roster to really change something. Drouin's effect will be understated until then.

Still - approve of the trade. Not crazy about a huge extension but that's goofy BargainBin - PK wasn't worth investing in but Drouin with no leverage is too good for a bridge deal. The arbitrary and inconsistent approach is what riles me up.

Subban was not a québécois heralded as the most exciting player since Guy Lafeur to appease his good friends at RDS.

The double-standard is sickening.

Imagine this team now with Subban and a re-signed Radu...