He definitely would be a great add to our forward corp, but I know I don't want to give anything for him, I prefer to see if he really wants to play for the Habs, like he implied many times already, and sign with us as a UFA, or if he's full of shit like many others before him.
He definitely would be a great add to our forward corp, but I know I don't want to give anything for him, I prefer to see if he really wants to play for the Habs, like he implied many times already, and sign with us as a UFA, or if he's full of shit like many others before him.
With the thumbs up on this take, I need to address it.
WTF are you all talking about?
A trade for Dubois would come as a sign and trade. Dubois agreeing to a long term contract with the Habs would not be proof that he really wants to play for the Habs?
Seriously, this is BS as a stance.
Now, I understand that giving up nothing for Dubois and still ending up with him on the roster would be awesome, but MON can still get Dubois without giving up the farm and all of our draft picks for him.
In fact, a deal could well get rid of an unwanted contract with term and free up extra Cap room, after both Dubois and Caufield have been extended.
Yes, trading for Dubois will cost at least one asset we would have preferred to keep and that would have eventually probably played for the Habs, whether it is the FLA 1st round pick or Beck, for example, but, in both cases, the odds of Dubois being superior, if not far superior, to either the player resulting from the FLA pick or Beck is likelier than not.
Dubois is also not an ephemeral addition good for only a couple of years. He's an 8-year add-on, if not 9 years, that will perform throughout his peak/prime years fr the vast majority of that term.
Even with Harris added in the trade, the left side of D is stacked for the Habs, with equal or better prospects than Harris. Beyond that, Harris likely would not be here later, when we are contending, anyhow.
IMO, Guhle, Matheson and Xhekaj are playing on the left side before Harris is over the next three years. Along that time frame, Hutson will be sticking his two cents into that conversation on left D and Engstrom will likely also become a consideration, whether it is on the left side or to play RHD as a lefty on a 3rd pairing.
On his own, IMO, Harris is worth little in a trade, straight up, but as an addition in a package, he might make the trade for Dubois take root.
It's one thing to want it all (Dubois, no payment for the player), but, at the risk of not getting Dubois, or needing to overpay, in Cap impact, when he becomes an UFA, I would rather trade for him.
Placing the onus on a player (and his family) to suffer an extra year in Winnipeg, only to take a serious hometown discount to join MON as an UFA is farcical in terms of expectations and, honestly, sounds like you just don't want Dubois, for whatever reason and don't truly believe he would be a great add to our forward group.
At that point, I'd rather hear/read you say that you think Dubois is a POS (with explanation) than this BS statement about preferring he prove he really wants to be a Hab by waiting until he becomes an UFA.
Bottom line, Dubois, at the stage he is currently at in his career, only at 24 years of age (BTW), is a far superior addition than an undisclosed draft pick anywhere between 14 an 25 in the first round, depending on whether FLA makes the playoffs or not and whether they win a round or not, because, honestly, the pick would need to be top-5 protected to be included in the trade.
It's also a far superior addition to the hope of what beck could ultimately become at the NHL level.
Harris, IMO, is nothing more than a throw-in, as much as I like the kid, because we have more than one or two players, already in the system, that can play in his stead at a similar or better level of play.
Having Dubois immediately (starting next year), can only be beneficial to the development and progression of both Suzuki and Dach, not to forget, Caufield and Slafkovsky.
A top-6, as we wait for other prospects to mature, including the 2023 draft pick with our own pick, of:
Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Slafkovsky - Dubois - Anderson
-OR-
Dubois - Suzuki - Caufield
Slafkovsky - Dach - Anderson
would go along ways towards helping all the younger players not named Dubois or Anderson progress as hockey players, rather than flounder somewhat, or progress more slowly with question marks to complete the top-6 and waiting a couple of years before a solution starts having an impact at the NHL level, something Dubois would bring instantly.
This organic theory of how everything magically falls into place if you just lose and pick at upcoming drafts is seriously faulty, IMO.
For one, the cost on younger players' progression and overall development is vastly under appreciated.
Suzuki and Canfield only reaching 90% of their ceiling as NHLers could be the difference between winning Cup or not in the future, because hockey is a team sport, and maximizing the potential of your assets should be the biggest priority.
