Habs need to contend a top pair LHD, upgrade on the 2nd line center and another gamebreaking winger
Rebuild: trade Weber or Petry + 2 of Byron, Tatar, Shaw. The plan is to tank this year and to contend 3 or 4 years from now when Kotkaniemi, Suzuki, Poehling, Brook, the LHD in the Petry or Weber trade and this year pick will be near impact players with Drouin, Domi, Gallagher, Lehkonen, Juulsen and Weber and Price still effective.
A rebuild or a re-tool seems unlikely if the Habs are in a playoff spot at the deadline. But the Rivet trade and the Tatar trade make you dream of what the return could be for Petry this year. Plus with the expansion draft coming soon it would make sense to trade Weber or Petry when Juulsen and Brook are our best d-men prospects.
In a Weber or Petry trade you get your potential top pair LHD + pick in a Tatar, Byron or Shaw trade you get 1 or 2nd round pick + prospect.
You hope that next year Brook can de a 2nd pair d-man and Suzuki can be a top nine winger. With the money save you can sign a top UFA d-man or forward. But usally UFA Don't sign on a re-tooling team unless it's the best offer they can get.
Contend in the next 3 years with Petry and Weber: You trade for a LHD and a game Breaking winger with 2 + years left on their contract. 1st round pick, Mete, one of Byron, Lehkonen or Suzuki or Poehling and 2nd round pick are your trade chips.
It could work but the Habs would be 1 injury away (Price, Weber, Domi, the top pair LHD) to have emptied the prospect pool for Nothing.
The rebuild might be the safest option bit it won't happen if the Habs are in a playoff spot. I think we will trade Mete a 2nd round pick + Lehkonen to get Weber a Partner.