Post-Game Talk: Trade Deadline Day: March 7, 2025: Montreal stands pat

[Tyson]

My energies are with the future which is right around the corner. I can barely stomach watching this current team but with Demidov, Reinbacher, Fowler, Hage on the horizon I am holding out hope.

 

[jellybeans]

It matters when trying to trade players and teams not wanting to pay more money than cap hit. Not every team has bottomless pockets.

That was the point being made about Dvorak having less value.

You have a point

 

[Scriptor]

What's the point of over-emphasizing the roster's pleasure and satisfaction when all signs point to turnover and change?
1) it's clearly a below-average roster, possibly a bottom3rd roster in the NHL
2) there will be at least 2, possibly up to 7 or 8 new faces next year. Meaning 10-30% of the roster will be different
3) there are big holes in big-TOI roles, so whoever comes in will be a high-impact player and have a big impact in the new roster

the upside I can think of is the team culture continues to be reinforced. I hope it does.

What 7 or 8 players? You're out to lunch, IMO.

With Anderson and Gallagher, plus Evans being extended, the fourth (or third) line is set.

With Heineman and Beck, there is one spot to attribute from the 3rd line and, even if, somehow, Dach or Newhook are the 3rd line C, there's still only one spot to fill.

The second line needs a C and, with Caufield, Slafkovsky and Demidov, there is only one winger spot available.

All of these spots can be filled from within -- Laine, Dach, Newhook, Roy -- but the 2C will probably still need to be filled.

IMO, a top-6 C and a mid-6 winger or two, at best, will be the spots available up front.

On the back end, there could be as many as two new RHDs as available spots, with matheson likely getting traded by the trade deadline next season.

At most, five spots. Likely, four.

Seven or Eight? Really?

 

[le_sean]

Would have been nice to put in a claim for Fabbro AND traded for Carrier

Man is Trotz ever dumb

 

[BLONG7]

Dach is not a 200 ft player and doesn’t seem to have the IQ for center.

Assuming the above is an accurate assessment, we already know how most teams will value a big-sized, young player.

I’m curious as to how objectively detached Hughes will be in trading away players he has acquired and/or Quartexx clients. If they don’t work out or don’t fit, I want to see him not give them extra rope on account of a personal connection.

I don’t want to experience again the type of misguided decision-making that led to Bergevin’s bloated contract doled out to Gallagher in his declining years. By the same token, I would be repulsed at the idea of Hughes being overly patient or excessively compensating players because of some personal connection. I trust Hughes to know better.

i think that Hughes having Gorton looking over his shoulder in this instance, is a good thing.....ala Barron mistake being fixed fairly quickly.

 

[ReHabs]

What 7 or 8 players? You're out to lunch, IMO.

With Anderson and Gallagher, plus Evans being extended, the fourth (or third) line is set.

With Heineman and Beck, there is one spot to attribute from the 3rd line and, even if, somehow, Dach or Newhook are the 3rd line C, there's still only one spot to fill.

The second line needs a C and, with Caufield, Slafkovsky and Demidov, there is only one winger spot available.

All of these spots can be filled from within -- Laine, Dach, Newhook, Roy -- but the 2C will probably still need to be filled.

IMO, a top-6 C and a mid-6 winger or two, at best, will be the spots available up front.

On the back end, there could be as many as two new RHDs as available spots, with matheson likely getting traded by the trade deadline next season.

At most, five spots. Likely, four.

Seven or Eight? Really?

I don't think Laine, Xhekaj, Matheson, Anderson, and/or Gallagher are 100% certain to be Habs next season. Then there's Pezz, RHP, and Roy who are not NHLers in any meaningful sense.

It implies a lot of potential turnover.

 

[DAChampion]

I don't think Laine, Xhekaj, Matheson, Anderson, and/or Gallagher are 100% certain to be Habs next season. Then there's Pezz, RHP, and Roy who are not NHLers in any meaningful sense.

It implies a lot of potential turnover.

I'll be very disappointed if Anderson, Gallagher, and Matheson are all extended. There's a good argument to extend none, but maybe the Habs will keep one.

 

[Victoire HuGo]

I'll be very disappointed if Anderson, Gallagher, and Matheson are all extended. There's a good argument to extend none, but maybe the Habs will keep one.

I seriously doubt Anderson and Gallagher get extended

 

[DAChampion]

Did Carolina come out ahead with the two Rantanen trades?

 

[WeThreeKings]

I think the nuance that kind of happened at the trade deadline was that they started out completely cold. Went red hot and got themselves back in the picture.. then went ice cold again to head into the 4 nations.

Suzuki last deadline was adamant they didn't want to be in a position to be sellers again next year. They were coming out of the break, so they went hot and got themselves back in the conversation.

The mercurial nature of their play all year long basically meant to management that paying assets, especially in a sellers market, for help, was not on the table. The team didn't earn the right to have additions made in short term interest for this year. But their winning ways got them back to a place where Hughes acquiesced and let this current group fight it out.

TL;DR they played well enough to stay in tact.. they did not play well enough all season to warrant additions.

 

[lamp9post]

Did Carolina come out ahead with the two Rantanen trades?

It depends on how you value Stankoven, but trading one of your best players (and leading scorer at the time) for a 5'8" rookie winger and 2 late 1sts doesn't look good to me when you're trying to contend for a cup.

 

[ReHabs]

I'll be very disappointed if Anderson, Gallagher, and Matheson are all extended. There's a good argument to extend none, but maybe the Habs will keep one.

Well their deals are not expiring this summer but I still think there is a non-zero chance they won’t be in Habs colours next season.

I think the powers that be won’t make too many changes (in order to retain the Culture) but I don’t like to think they are particularly enamoured with this roster and player mix that has not yet even finished above 0.500 and spent over 1/3rd of the year playing like garbage. I hope to see Hughes make some roster changes to make spot upgrades.

Improving from Gallagher would be a big change, improving on Dach and Newhook on the scoring lines, etc.

If we can’t easily get more talented then at least we have to get faster, stronger, and more athletic. Am getting sick of seeing Gallagher and Savard out there… at least brittle Laine is super skilled!