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.
You have a pointIt 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.
What 7 or 8 players? You're out to lunch, IMO.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.
i think that Hughes having Gorton looking over his shoulder in this instance, is a good thing.....ala Barron mistake being fixed fairly quickly.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 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.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.
I seriously doubt Anderson and Gallagher get extendedI'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.
Did Carolina come out ahead with the two Rantanen trades?
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'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.
over my dead body seeing back the most overrated 2way center of the leagueWhat if we brought Phil Danault back into the fold?
PROS:
Great Defense/Faceoffs
Just the right age for a stopgap
Contract is a good length (til 2026-27)
Caphit is just 5.5 so cost controlled and even better with the cap rising
Was a great Hab
Suzuki+Danault+Evans+Beck is a very good defensive C line
CONS:
Might be too expensive to trade for
Could decline(though he looks pretty consistent)
Might not be the best C to feed Laine (But maybe not, some people talk about Laine having the best chemistry with more grinding players in his career)
Suzuki+Danault+Evans+Beck is very average in size.
Maybe he doesn't want to come back? (no idea)
CRAZY BLUE SKY IDEAL WORLD MODE:
We get Danault, but also get a 2C and its Suzuki+2C+Danault+Evans could be contender worthy
lets review- we could turnover a goaltender- we are not good enough at the positionWhat 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?
gally and a 3rd to san jose at 50% for futuresThat's just f***ing insane. Gallagher makes his cap hit next year. Dvorak is getting a huge pay cut. He's not getting more than $1.5m on his next contract.
Hopefully, we can move Gallagher at 50%. $3.25m isn't too bad.
i think it makes players harder to trade-a NMC in a manner of speakingWhat's the point of a bag loaded deal?
Bodes well for the summer“If there had been somebody for us to get that could play up the lineup and help, somebody who could’ve played with Newhook and Patrik Laine, that was where we were testing the waters for,” Hughes added. “But to bring in somebody down the lineup when (Canadiens coach) Marty (St. Louis) really liked the composition of his lines and wasn’t going to change them, we’d have just been bringing in injury depth, and the cost for injury depth was really significant.”
- Kent Hughes
Bodes well for the summer
I wanted RD to be the main target but all of a sudden
2C is the problem, fix it HuGo
(They'll draft RD too probably)
I doubt we keep 2 1st round picks by draft day. They're either packaged to draft Desnoyers (or another potential 2C) or packaged for a 2C.They still remain high on Mailloux and Reinbacher is there. Hutson has played exceptionally well on the right. Guhle can flex on the right side as needed. Engstrom has played RD a lot in Sweden. Carrier is there now.
I think the 2C issue is the most massive and glaring.
But yes, I wouldn't be surprised if they grabbed Hensler with their 2nd 1st round pick or grabbed someone like Tretheway in round 2.
I doubt we keep 2 1st round picks by draft day. They're either packaged to draft Desnoyers (or another potential 2C) or packaged for a 2C.
Especially when Hughes is ok with overpaying to get a 2C.