Rumor: The Habs Infamous Nixed Trade at the TDL

[Rapala]

Dobson was rumoured for days before it happened wasn't it?

The leakage was all on the Isles side when contract talks went sour Montreal was one of a number of obvious landing spots.

 

[TheBuriedHab]

It's been said by both LeBrun and Friedman the Habs were after a forward. I'd believe they were after a PF winger because that is what the 2nd line truly needs going forward.

Knies-Hage-Demidov

And then if Hage doesn't stick at C, well you position yourself for McDavid when hes avail in a year.

Habs and Leafs are also a good match trade wise. Habs have an abundance of young mobile top 4 D like Engstrom and Reinbacher that the Leafs are starving for. It makes too much sense.

 

[Milhouse40]

I'll die on this hill that the deal was for a top 4 RD not Matthew Knies. The reasons being:

1. The obviously need for the habs going into the TDL was a depth RD. Everybody knew that. Yet the deal never happened even though we saw many depth D moved. So are you tell me Hughes was incapable of sending some mid prospect and a 3rd for one of those D? No, imo the only logical reason is that the major deal that they were sure would pass was for a RD so trading for a depth D in another trade wasn't necessary.

2. Marco D'Amico on his podcast today pretty much confirmed it indirectly if you put 2 and 2 together. He started off my talking about the habs expected goals against being the worst in the league since the Olympic break, with the Habs finding a way to win only sue to their offence, and recently their goaltending. He then stated that he doesn't believe that the habs are real contenders (which I agree with) because their depth is lacking and they're missing a strong defensive presence on the backend. At the same time, he said the young core is carrying them offensively.

So we've dissected the issue. On defence. Specifically a stabilizing defensive presence. Now we get to the part where he vaguely talked about the potential trade. Remember when he said he didn't think the habs were real contenders and then specified why: their depth and a missing defensive piece? Well he them went on to say the trade that will probably be revisited in the offseason would've changed that, making the habs a contender.

If you apply some logical reasoning there, the only way D'Amico (whether you agree with him or not doesn't actually matter) thought the habs could be contenders is with a boost at depth and a defensive piece, while citing that the habs biggest struggles is their defence. He then says the potential trade that was on the table probably would've put the habs into the contenders category. It doesn't take a genius to dissect what he probably didn't want to indirectly admit, but was obvious:

THAT THE HABS WERE ABOUT TO ACQUIRE A TOP 4 RD (NOT KNIES)

My guess on that day was Simon Nemec. Never really believe the Knies rumors as I don't see Toronto trading Knies to Montreal unless they go in a deep rebuild mode first.

Devils were sellers, they have Hamilton, Pesce and Kovacevic signed long term on RD.......not sure where Nemec eventually fits.
Over time, I came to think that it might be Hamilton also....

 

[Nevins]

Dobson was rumoured for days before it happened wasn't it?

Maybe but don’t remember

 

[Vachon23]

To my knowledge, no one had announced the exchanges to acquire Newhook, Dach, and Dobson in advance. Perhaps I'm mistaken.But it seems to me that Hughes is very good at keeping his personal information secret.

Newhook they where noise about it

Dobson, many where saying that they where heavy interest from mtl

 

[OnTheRun]

March 6: All the media (including Friedman) admit they have no f***ing clue about the "big trade" the Habs were working on.

Fast-forward to April 3... The same media managed to speculate about the said mystery trade every single day since then. And now... "Everyone is denying it, but I still believe it was Knies!"

 

[Runner77]

Im with those who believe it was for Hischier

Where’s Zapruder when you need him? Was there a 2nd flubbed trade from the grassy knoll?

 

[70Stang]

We can guess all we want. We might know someday hopefully. My guess is the forward was Kadri and the Dman was a right D and its just a guess and I take Durzi. Suzy and Durzi are best buds and he fits into the style the habs play. Once again since everyone is speculating and guessing this is my guess lol

 

[Rapala]

March 6: All the media (including Friedman) admit they have no f***ing clue about the "big trade" the Habs were wotking on.

Fast-forward to April 3... The same media managed to speculate about the said mystery trade every single day since then. And now... "Everyone is denying it, but I still believe it was Knies!"

Yeah but he's not 95% sure so it might be true.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

It was Hronek but the wife killed the deal.

Source? I am the source

View attachment 1211371

Whatever you do, just don't say that to Allen Walsh

 

[Gravity]

Why would it be dead? Hughes said they will revisit that this summer

Because it was made explicit that both parties wanted it to remain low key to be able to revisit it. The Knies rumors have been made public and Toronto now wants to retool with a new GM.

 

[Flip The Bird]

Kyperos went on his Sportsnet show couple days after deadline passed. He said his sources said Kent Hughes had big trade with Toronto. He speculated it was Knies!

Who's this D it was suppose to be? Morgan Reilly or somebody? Has to be big name. Carlo not a big name. There is nobody else. If it wasn't Knies had to be Reilly.

 

[TiGarsdChezNous]

Not that I'm into the rumors, but a deal around one of Bouchard, Draisaitl, McDavid or Lafreniere could've been it, Edmonton and Rangers need some assets. I personally think Oilers were shopping Draisaitl, and the fact that he went down with injury couple days after trade deadline is suspicious.

 

[salbutera]

D'Amico implied there were two deals, one on the backend, one at forward.

A local Philly hockey radio guy said this week a deal w an Atlantic division team for Ristolainen was agreed upon but Briere backed out at last minute before deadline

I believe HuGo had two deals in mind - Knies + Ristolainen

 

[Richiebottles]

Why is no one talking about Robertson?

I would think it was for him honestly.

 

[themilosh]

Why is no one talking about Robertson?

I would think it was for him honestly.

I think it was for Petterson, no retention.
1st 26 + Dach + Beck + Xhekaj (+Gally + Monty)

 

[badfish]

Another thing around TDL is people said it was a name that hadnt been out before the deadline. But Knies was out there before the deadline.

Also, I thought Friedman's behaviour was interesting. On his podcast he's always saying, "a source told me x", "an exec told me x," etc. always attributing it to one source. He will even be clear if it's one source. I found even when he was saying Quinn Hughes was available/possibly going to be moved he attributed the rumour to one source. But for whatever reason with this trade he wouldn't report on who it was.

 

[Habs Icing]

Let's be patient. I'm confident this deal will go through/pick up near the draft.

I doubt it. The Leafs fired their GM. New head. New thinking.

 

[Deus ex machina]

A local Philly hockey radio guy said this week a deal w an Atlantic division team for Ristolainen was agreed upon but Briere backed out at last minute before deadline

I believe HuGo had two deals in mind - Knies + Ristolainen

Interesting.

It was also reported multiple times that the Habs had a deal for a RHD but was cancelled by the other GM.
It was speculated that it might have been for Ristolainen but not confirmed by anyone AFAIK.

 

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

If there was a possible trade with Toronto, its a guarantee it won't be completed this summer. Toronto fired Treliving, new GM won't continue trade talks that happened with previous GM.

Oh, and I believe the TO trade targets were Carlo and Nylander.

 

[Treb]

I feel like you've written a whole fan fiction potentially deluding yourself.

You're making leaps in logics contradicting other reports going as far back as last year that the Habs are looking to add a Top6 forward.

There is a chance Hughes "big deal" was for a top4 D, but there is a lot more smoke it was a top6 forward.

We'll see this summer (if it actually happens) what the deal was, but there is no way you can definitely say it was for a top4 RD.

 

[viceroy]

My guess on that day was Simon Nemec. Never really believe the Knies rumors as I don't see Toronto trading Knies to Montreal...

So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Nemec? He's not really big and not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.

Who's this D it was suppose to be? Morgan Reilly or somebody? Has to be big name. Carlo not a big name. There is nobody else. If it wasn't Knies had to be Reilly.

So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Rielly? He's not really big and not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.

Not that I'm into the rumors, but a deal around one of Bouchard, Draisaitl, McDavid or Lafreniere could've been it, Edmonton and Rangers need some assets. I personally think Oilers were shopping Draisaitl, and the fact that he went down with injury couple days after trade deadline is suspicious.

So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Bouchard? He's pretty big but not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.

Also no way no how are the Oilers trading Draisaitl. They might be losing McDavid in 3 years and if Leon's out McD ain't re-signing for sure and then you're in a re-build whether you want it or not.

And still pining for Lafreniere? At the start of the season the French Montreal media were pushing a Slafkovsky for Lafs trade but thank God MTL management was wiser and weren't obsessed with the Franco angle like some...

Why is no one talking about Robertson?

So you cool with the 15-16 million AAV contract Robertson is purported to be looking for?

...I believe the TO trade targets were Carlo and Nylander.

Carlo's like a D version of Pierre Dagenais, for us older fans. Big but allergic to real physicality and Nylander? MTL's all about team culture and if the Habs didn't care about that they would've drafted Michkov.

 

[Spearmint Rhino]

So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Nemec? He's not really big and not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.



So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Rielly? He's not really big and not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.



So the Habs need a big physical defensive RD and they go for Bouchard? He's pretty big but not the big crease clearer we're looking for. He's just more of the same of what we got.

Also no way no how are the Oilers trading Draisaitl. They might be losing McDavid in 3 years and if Leon's out McD ain't re-signing for sure and then you're in a re-build whether you want it or not.

And still pining for Lafreniere? At the start of the season the French Montreal media were pushing a Slafkovsky for Lafs trade but thank God MTL management was wiser and weren't obsessed with the Franco angle like some...



So you cool with the 15-16 million AAV contract Robertson is purported to be looking for?



Carlo's like a D version of Pierre Dagenais, for us older fans. Big but allergic to real physicality and Nylander? MTL's all about team culture and if the Habs didn't care about that they would've drafted Michkov.

Dagenais’s kid is coming up in the next draft isn’t he? f*** I’m old

 

[Kojo]

It was another ruse from Kent, this guy is shady af. There was no big trade but the media needed a story so he just improvised and told us a fabricated tale about a mysterious blockbuster trade with Toronto. That mfer is a genius.

 

[Kimota]

I feel like if it was Knies, they should have make it NOW cause I don't think the next Leafs GM is gonna trade Knies. Esp. in a rebuild