Playoffs Positivity Thread

[ReHabs]

we don't need another 1st in this draft.

Of course we do. We can use that 1st round pick or 1st round prospect to acquire a player we do need.

 

[Benstheman]

And even then, we're better off holding on to armia, we don't need another 1st in this draft. I think the only player we should trade is Matheson.

If we are competing for a playoffs spot, Matheson won't be traded before the deadline, unless it's a hockey trade that fill a need like RHD or a 2nd line center.

 

[DAChampion]

Some people are forgetting that this will be a very different team the day after the deadline and that’s going to have a significant impact on the standings. They could very well trade 3 veteran forwards and one veteran defender. Two ufas from one of the best 4th lines in the league, their best faceoff man (Dvorak) and at least one veteran defenceman (I don’t see both Savard and Matheson going). It’s unlikely that they’ll get players who will have immediate impacts in return, and please don’t try to tell me that guys from Laval are ready to replace any of these players because they aren’t.
They might climb high enough to compete for a spot, but they won’t hang onto it when they lose all these guys.

If the Habs are in da mix at the deadline, then I think they're likely to buy as much as they sell, or more.

Notice that Hughes has not been throwing in the towel, which he might have if this were his first year and tanking was more ok. Trading Barron for Carrier for example is a "compete now" move.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Of course we do. We can use that 1st round pick or 1st round prospect to acquire a player we do need.

We don't need to trade Armia and we shouldn't, we won't be able to replace what he brings. We don't need any more rookies outside of Demidov and Beck. If we wanna upgrade the roster we should be looking to trade picks to acquire a partner in the mold of a Carrier to play with Hutson. The only players we should get rid of are our 2 worst players, Matheson and Dvorak. For me the rebuild is done, I would even be willing to trade both of our 1st round picks to upgrade this roster.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

If we are competing for a playoffs spot, Matheson won't be traded before the deadline, unless it's a hockey trade that fill a need like RHD or a 2nd line center.

Yes if Matheson is traded i'm assuming they are bringing in another Carrier to play RD with Hutson. 2nd line center is still Kirby's spot, he will get a lot more time there they are far from giving up.

 

[Sorinth]

If the Habs are in da mix at the deadline, then I think they're likely to buy as much as they sell, or more.

Notice that Hughes has not been throwing in the towel, which he might have if this were his first year and tanking was more ok. Trading Barron for Carrier for example is a "compete now" move.

Yeah they aren't going to pull the rug out from under the players if they are in a fight for a playoff spot. They might for example sell Evans if he indicates he's going to FA but then they'll probably turn around and trade for a replacement. Potentially even one with some term that could be seen as an upgrade like say Trochek if the NYR really do blow everything up.

 

[Benstheman]

We don't need to trade Armia and we shouldn't, we won't be able to replace what he brings. We don't need any more rookies outside of Demidov and Beck. If we wanna upgrade the roster we should be looking to trade picks to acquire a partner in the mold of a Carrier to play with Hutson. The only players we should get rid of are our 2 worst players, Matheson and Dvorak. For me the rebuild is done, I would even be willing to trade both of our 1st round picks to upgrade this roster.

Yeah depending on where the two 1sts picks are. But if you have the opportunity to draft potential 2nd line centre ala Desnoyers or Frondell, you definitely do it. In two years they will already help you. RHD is another story. It takes longer to develop and I fear that any D not name Schaefer drafted this year will take too much time to have an impact for us.

Yeah they aren't going to pull the rug out from under the players if they are in a fight for a playoff spot. They might for example sell Evans if he indicates he's going to FA but then they'll probably turn around and trade for a replacement. Potentially even one with some term that could be seen as an upgrade like say Trochek if the NYR really do blow everything up.

I would love Trochek as our 2C. Reasonable cap hit and turn to beast mode in the playoffs.

 

[schwang26]

Realistically, it will depends on what they could get for these players.

From the start, I will take Evans out of the equation because I'm positive they will want to extend him.

Dvorak they will get a 3rd or a 4th round pick at best.

Savard at his full cap hit will probably get you a 3rd.

Armia is the one with the most value at the deadline. Maybe we can get a late 1st if we use the last retaining spot on him.

So imo, if you are in the mix for a playoffs spot, you don't mess with this by trading Savard and Dvorak for meh picks that we already have a lot of. So I think the only player that may be traded is Armia if we can get a 1st at the deadline.

It’s never been about winning today, it’s been about establishing an ongoing winning team for the future. Hughes has said as much and the moves he’s made or didn’t make reflect that philosophy. He’s also always tried to maximize his returns so I doubt he lets guys walk for nothing just at the chance of getting a playoff spot. You have to keep in mind that some of the other teams they’re competing with for the two final spots will make moves to improve their chances where as Montreal almost certainly won’t. Definitely TB and Ottawa will acquire vets at the deadline to help them.

 

[rahad]

We don't need to trade Armia and we shouldn't, we won't be able to replace what he brings. We don't need any more rookies outside of Demidov and Beck. If we wanna upgrade the roster we should be looking to trade picks to acquire a partner in the mold of a Carrier to play with Hutson. The only players we should get rid of are our 2 worst players, Matheson and Dvorak. For me the rebuild is done, I would even be willing to trade both of our 1st round picks to upgrade this roster.

Yeah no the rebuild is far from being done. I would not trade our first round pick. We still have big ? in our club. We need #2 center and #1 RHD. Kent need to follow his plan and not rush it for a one playoff round exit.

 

[Benstheman]

It’s never been about winning today, it’s been about establishing an ongoing winning team for the future. Hughes has said as much and the moves he’s made or didn’t make reflect that philosophy. He’s also always tried to maximize his returns so I doubt he lets guys walk for nothing just at the chance of getting a playoff spot. You have to keep in mind that some of the other teams they’re competing with for the two final spots will make moves to improve their chances where as Montreal almost certainly won’t. Definitely TB and Ottawa will acquire vets at the deadline to help them.

I disagree. You can be assure if they have a chance to fight for a playoffs spot, they won't be trading pieces for 3-4 round picks. That would be a stupid message to send to the players.

 

[schwang26]

If the Habs are in da mix at the deadline, then I think they're likely to buy as much as they sell, or more.

Notice that Hughes has not been throwing in the towel, which he might have if this were his first year and tanking was more ok. Trading Barron for Carrier for example is a "compete now" move.

Carrière is only 28 and was brought in to stabilize the D, and because they know either Savard or Matheson will be gone. Good move and he’ll be here for a couple more years at least. They needed a guy because they couldn’t throw another kid in the mix yet. I think it has less to do with securing a playoff spot and more to do with filling a hole and stabilizing things. Ya sure, they’ll probably climb and compete for one of the last spots, but they aren’t going to sacrifice the future in hopes that they make it this year.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Yeah no the rebuild is far from being done. I would not trade our first round pick. We still have big ? in our club. We need #2 center and #1 RHD. Kent need to follow his plan and not rush it for a one playoff round exit.

Dack is our #2 center, and there's still a possibility for Demidov at center, plus we have Hage coming. That #1 RD to play with Hutson can be acquired through trade, Hutson is the offensive player on his pairing, he needs a complimentary defensive minded partner. Don't forget Reinbacher is coming as well.

We litteraly do not need anymore prospects.

 

[schwang26]

I disagree. You can be assure if they have a chance to fight for a playoffs spot, they won't be trading pieces for 3-4 round picks. That would be a stupid message to send to the players.

Dvorak is probably the only guy who fetches a low pick. So ya, maybe they keep him. I say Armia and Savard fetch more at the deadline. Teams will overvalue these guys come deadline time. As for Evans, that’s a really tough decision. It’s just not good asset management for a team that’s still rebuilding. I don’t see it happening. They aren’t letting guys walk for nothing and they aren’t giving out ridiculous contracts to guys who are too old to be part of the rebuild. They’re already stuck with Anderson and Gally

 

[Benstheman]

Dvorak is probably the only guy who fetches a low pick. So ya, maybe they keep him. I say Armia and Savard fetch more at the deadline. Teams will overvalue these guys come deadline time. As for Evans, that’s a really tough decision. It’s just not good asset management for a team that’s still rebuilding. I don’t see it happening. They aren’t letting guys walk for nothing and they aren’t giving out ridiculous contracts to guys who are too old to be part of the rebuild. They’re already stuck with Anderson and Gally

Yeah I don' see Savard having great value. Maybe we get a late 2nd if we retain.

Armia (retained) and Evans could get us a late 1st each. If it's the case and feel they can't resign them, they probably will be traded.

But just for fun, let's assume we are in a situation to make the playoffs comes trade deadline and we can't garner a 1st for any of our UFAs. Do you really think HuGo will still trade them for future assets?

 

[rahad]

Dack is our #2 center, and there's still a possibility for Demidov at center, plus we have Hage coming. That #1 RD to play with Hutson can be acquired through trade, Hutson is the offensive player on his pairing, he needs a complimentary defensive minded partner. Don't forget Reinbacher is coming as well.

We litteraly do not need anymore prospects.

Dach still has not proven he can be a #2 center in the league. If we miss the playoff. Our pick will be around 10-16- We drafted 3 core players around those rank (Caufield, Suzuki and Guhle). It would be a huge mistake to trade those high pick for a playoff round. We can end up regretting it in 3-4 years. I'm sure Detroit also believe they are close to make it. The rebuild has over. If Kent can make a trade like Baron for Carrier. Go for it. No need to rush the rebuild.

We will see about Reinbacher next year. He is someone i can see playing with us in 2026. This is why i would wait before trading Metheson until 2027 trade deadline.

 

[ReHabs]

If the Habs are in da mix at the deadline, then I think they're likely to buy as much as they sell, or more.

Notice that Hughes has not been throwing in the towel, which he might have if this were his first year and tanking was more ok. Trading Barron for Carrier for example is a "compete now" move.

There are a range of purposes for every move, I don't think there are only two buckets "Tank" and "Compete Now".

Barron-Carrier was as much of a cap dump from a tanking NSH as it was the Habs cutting their losses with the bust Justin Barron as much as it was Hughes wanting to shore up his team's excessive defensive weakness. I think it was a perfectly reasonable "in the mix" move, myself.

We don't need to trade Armia and we shouldn't, we won't be able to replace what he brings. We don't need any more rookies outside of Demidov and Beck. If we wanna upgrade the roster we should be looking to trade picks to acquire a partner in the mold of a Carrier to play with Hutson. The only players we should get rid of are our 2 worst players, Matheson and Dvorak. For me the rebuild is done, I would even be willing to trade both of our 1st round picks to upgrade this roster.

Weren't you saying everything is peachy because the tank is on in the tank thread? Make up your mind, it can't be that 20 games change your conviction about the direction of the team.

Yeah I don' see Savard having great value. Maybe we get a late 2nd if we retain.

Armia (retained) and Evans could get us a late 1st each. If it's the case and feel they can't resign them, they probably will be traded.

But just for fun, let's assume we are in a situation to make the playoffs comes trade deadline and we can't garner a 1st for any of our UFAs. Do you really think HuGo will still trade them for future assets?

If the Habs maintain a 0.600% through to the deadline, I think all bets are off.

If we have a cumulative 0.500% through to the deadline, which is an 82pt pace, I would hope Hughes sells some pending UFAs for trade ammunition. This summer's a big one and we'll have lots to do to reshape the roster.

 

[rahad]

Yeah I don' see Savard having great value. Maybe we get a late 2nd if we retain.

Armia (retained) and Evans could get us a late 1st each. If it's the case and feel they can't resign them, they probably will be traded.

But just for fun, let's assume we are in a situation to make the playoffs comes trade deadline and we can't garner a 1st for any of our UFAs. Do you really think HuGo will still trade them for future assets?

I believe both Savard and Armia are worth a second round pick. I don't see any team offering a late first for Armia. Kent need to sign Evans before the trade deadline. If he refuse, he need to see what Evans is worth in the market. The last think you want is to lose him for free.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Dack is our #2 center, and there's still a possibility for Demidov at center, plus we have Hage coming. That #1 RD to play with Hutson can be acquired through trade, Hutson is the offensive player on his pairing, he needs a complimentary defensive minded partner. Don't forget Reinbacher is coming as well.

We litteraly do not need anymore prospects.

Yes they do. This is not about trying to win 1 Cup. This is about building a contender for 5-10 years. That is likely why Molson allowed it. They need to keep adding new talent to the roster to keep it going and keep the existing players on track.

 

[BLONG7]

Too early to seriously talk playoffs, that said right now, we are in the mix, so this is a great thing!!

That said, acquiring another 1st round pick on top of the 2 we have would be a very smart thing, which could mean Matheson gets moved.
Could Evans fetch another?? I want us to sign him, but for a reasonable offer.

 

[salbutera]

Some people are forgetting that this will be a very different team the day after the deadline and that’s going to have a significant impact on the standings. They could very well trade 3 veteran forwards and one veteran defender. Two ufas from one of the best 4th lines in the league, their best faceoff man (Dvorak) and at least one veteran defenceman (I don’t see both Savard and Matheson going). It’s unlikely that they’ll get players who will have immediate impacts in return, and please don’t try to tell me that guys from Laval are ready to replace any of these players because they aren’t.
They might climb high enough to compete for a spot, but they won’t hang onto it when they lose all these guys.

If Habs are within 6pts of wildcard they won’t deal anyone unless they’re blown away by an offer, which I don’t see happening anyway.

Pending UFAs will simply be looked upon as deadline acquisitions..

Onwards & forwards need 3-of-4 pts this weekend - Chi is a classic trap game, Habs can’t get too high off the last 3GP (which is where the vets help…)

 

[waitin425]

I would be extremely hesitant to do this, given his production thus far and rumoured locker room issues. But adding Elias Pettersson to this team without removing any of our core...turns is into a contender. Imagine Demidov comes over mid playoff run as well.

Dvorak would have to go the other way for money purposes.

Dvorak + Hage + Mailloux + Habs 1st and Calgary 1st (top 2 protected)

Run for the playoffs with.....

Slaf - Suzuki - Caufield
Laine - Pettersson - Dach
Heinemen - Newhook - Gally
Donkey - Evans - Armia

Hutson - Guhle
Matheson - Carrier
Xhekaj - Savard

Monty
Dobes

 

[Benstheman]

There are a range of purposes for every move, I don't think there are only two buckets "Tank" and "Compete Now".

Barron-Carrier was as much of a cap dump from a tanking NSH as it was the Habs cutting their losses with the bust Justin Barron as much as it was Hughes wanting to shore up his team's excessive defensive weakness. I think it was a perfectly reasonable "in the mix" move, myself.


Weren't you saying everything is peachy because the tank is on in the tank thread? Make up your mind, it can't be that 20 games change your conviction about the direction of the team.


If the Habs maintain a 0.600% through to the deadline, I think all bets are off.

If we have a cumulative 0.500% through to the deadline, which is an 82pt pace, I would hope Hughes sells some pending UFAs for trade ammunition. This summer's a big one and we'll have lots to do to reshape the roster.

Yeah it's fair. And I'm confident HuGo knows his maths.

I would be extremely hesitant to do this, given his production thus far and rumoured locker room issues. But adding Elias Pettersson to this team without removing any of our core...turns is into a contender. Imagine Demidov comes over mid playoff run as well.

Dvorak would have to go the other way for money purposes.

Dvorak + Hage + Mailloux + Habs 1st and Calgary 1st (top 2 protected)

Run for the playoffs with.....

Slaf - Suzuki - Caufield
Laine - Pettersson - Dach
Heinemen - Newhook - Gally
Donkey - Evans - Armia

Hutson - Guhle
Matheson - Carrier
Xhekaj - Savard

Monty
Dobes

Not sure about the value but I don't see it as a deal that make sense for neither team.

Vancouver will look for actual assets and don't think Habs can afford to trade both 1sts AND Hage in the same deal while they also need a top 4 RHD.

To be honest, I don't see EP being traded during the season anyways. They will try to get a top 4 D because Hronek is out long term and Hughes short term.

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Yeah it's fair. And I'm confident HuGo knows his maths.

Not sure about the value but I don't see it as a deal that make sense for neither team.

Vancouver will look for actual assets and don't think Habs can afford to trade both 1sts AND Hage in the same deal while they also need a top 4 RHD.

To be honest, I don't see EP being traded during the season anyways. They will try to get a top 4 D because Hronek is out long term and Hughes short term.

He's not the guy we need. His 11.6 million cap hit doesn't jive with what we're building. He's not worth 11.6 million that's almost 4 million more than Suzuki. If they were to retain 3 million to get him at around 8.6 million then I would be willing to pay a big price. Our 2 firsts + Hage and more.

 

[dackelljuneaubulis02]

If we are competing for a playoffs spot, Matheson won't be traded before the deadline, unless it's a hockey trade that fill a need like RHD or a 2nd line center.

It would only be for an upgrade on him. He’d be a pretty significant loss.

 

[HuGort]

Since the Habs were dead last in goal differential on December 16th at -31 and bottom 5 in the standings:
- the Habs have the best record in the league 6-1-0 (Colorado is 5-0-0 thought)
- their goal differential is +17! The best in the league over that period
- and that goal differential is mostly thanks to having scored the most goals (31 in 7 games ~ 4.429 per game).

About when Carrier trade was made