HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #85 - Offseason Editon

[Archijerej]

Yeah, much better to be in no man's land than at the bottom of the standings.

How do you think EP would be acquired? The only valuable prospects the Habs have are blueliners, so the pipeline would look much different after that trade.

As I wrote earlier, the cornerstone of the package would be one of our centers. I think our defence depth should survive the substraction of one prospect not named Guhle, Reinbacher or Hutson.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

In all my years alive I haven’t seen a fanbase as ready to make excuses for their team’s lack of success as Habs fans. Always excuses to be made to defend the Habs from fans who want good things.


You think Dach will get close to adding 62pts to his career high?


With Shea Weber’s leadership and aura, it is bound to happen. If not Beaulieu then Victor Mete.

Don't be ridiculous. Dach should be a 70 pt forward. If he and Suzuki both spend the majority of their time at centre he may not reach his peak. But if he spends some time on Suzuki's wing and is on the 1st pp he should put up at least 70 when the team is filled out.

And fans haven't made excuses. That's Leafs fan. Habs fans lay blame (but maybe not always on the right people).

 

[The Great Weal]

What's with the EP talk? He's going to cost an arm and a leg.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

What's with the EP talk? He's going to cost an arm and a leg.

Exactly. trade wise and dollar wise. And he will never be available unless the owner refuses to meet his contract demands.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Exactly. trade wise and dollar wise. And he will never be available unless the owner refuses to meet his contract demands.

Or he doesn't want to play there, which could indicate he doesn't want to play in Canada.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Or he doesn't want to play there, which could indicate he doesn't want to play in Canada.

True. Unless he wants out because he doesn't think they can build a winner. And if that was the case Habs would be a good destination and hopefully he would be looking for a fair but not exorbitant contract.

 

[Holystik]

Not certainly sure which players will underperform/overperform but one thing I am sure is HFHabs posters are underperforming.

So many crazy takes I've been reading all over our threads this summer. It seems to be getting contagious!

 

[Paddy17]

none
just more PLD maybe's

I'm surprised we haven't had 100 pages of Lafreniere yet...

Sorry, I just started it...

 

[ML16]

I have been wondering, what's the true value of Hoffman? He's a one trick poney. Slow, weak defensively, but can put up 40-ish points with PP time. Questionnable reputation, though did not seem like a cancer on the habs. He's just there.

What you see is what you get, the whole league knows him well. Could he return a 5th in a trade? Would he even be picked for free on waiver? I would gladly pay the 5th we acquired in the Bonino salary retention trade to see him go and give his PP time to others.

I think trying to pump up his value by trade deadline is possible, but not to a very high level. For what, a lottery ticket like Gurianov? A 4th? Trying to get an asset is great, but it sounds like the sunken cost fallacy. And it can backfire like it did with Drouin. I was fine with the salary, but 3 years has always seemed too long at that price for my taste.

Basically, Hoffman’s value is negative. No team would pick him at full salary on waivers, especially in a cap crunch, and the Habs would definitely have to give up a significant incentive to sweeten an eventual deal…

Unless Hoffman’s traded for an even higher AAV expiring UFA, in which case the Habs could likely get an unsignificant asset, not unlike if the Habs burn a retention spot by trading Hoffman with retention.

That said, if the required incentive to move Hoffman without retention could be at most a 3rd + another mid-round pick/B prospect, I’d pull the trigger ASAP and use the roster spot for Ylonen and the cap space for a « Monahan trade » to recoup draft capital.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

I'm surprised we haven't had 100 pages of Lafreniere yet...

Sorry, I just started it...

Why would there be? There has been no indication he is available and it is believed he doesn't want to play for the Habs.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I'm surprised we haven't had 100 pages of Lafreniere yet...

Sorry, I just started it...

All it needs is one of the more high profile insiders saying there's a possibility and we'll get to 100 pages in a hurry, you can bet on that.

 

[Bottle Rocket]

The idea of waiving or trading Hoffman is to free up ice time for deserving youngsters. Making a trade for another problem child elsewhere defeats that purpose, IMO.

Hmm, that's fair. Thanks for the input. Since I don't think anyone would trade for him without sending someone back, unless maybe with full retention which would take one of the 2 remaining retention spots we have, I would simply waive him barring a flurry of injuries at camp. I would not pay much to get rid and if a 3rd is what it takes, like suggested by someone, I bury him.

 

[Paddy17]

Why would there be? There has been no indication he is available and it is believed he doesn't want to play for the Habs.

It was in jest.

 

[Scriptor]

Hmm, that's fair. Thanks for the input. Since I don't think anyone would trade for him without sending someone back, unless maybe with full retention which would take one of the 2 remaining retention spots we have, I would simply waive him barring a flurry of injuries at camp. I would not pay much to get rid and if a 3rd is what it takes, like suggested by someone, I bury him.

I would pay nothing to get rid of Hoffman. He can be around as a 14th forward. His contract disappears by itself at season's end.

I hear Pettersson is being traded to CAR for KK Miami.

 

[smirob]

Maybe I’m too optimistic here…but I think Hoffman could put up 20-25 goals and get us a return if we retain half at the tdl….

Is it worth playing him over an nhl ready prospect….no

 

[Belial]

Not enough Lafreniere talk IMHO!

 

[Heffyhoof]

Not enough Lafreniere talk IMHO!

Maybe we should offer sheet him at 6.4 mil?

 

[crazyd74]

Not enough Lafreniere talk IMHO!

I'm thinking that the Newhook deal was offered to NYR before it was offered to COL.

And if not, I would expect HuGo to pitch a similar offer, then trade Anderson to try to recoup some of the picks and create more wiggle room under the cap. Then proceed to sign Lafreniere to an equivalent deal as Newhook.

What I would dangle is our lowest 1st round pick of 2025 with the 2nd round pick of that same year. As a supplement - because potential/home boy/desire/blablabla - I would put on the table either one of Kidney or Struble as incentives.

NYR are cap squeezed as is, I don't see a roster player involved in the return.

Our top 6 would probably resemble this in 2025-26:

Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Newhook
Caufield - Dach - Lafrenière

 

[Habs Halifax]

What's with the EP talk? He's going to cost an arm and a leg.

I have more of a problem with timing. Even if you get Karlsson with retention and are able to unload a contract like Armia or Dvorak, he comes to our rebuild structure from age 33-36 for 4 years.

What does he do for us in those 4 years? Suzuki is 24-27, Slaf is 19-22, Reinbacher is 18-21.

If Suzuki was 27/28 and Reinbacher was 21/22, picking up a Karlson type at that point in time would make more sense to me.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm thinking that the Newhook deal was offered to NYR before it was offered to COL.

And if not, I would expect HuGo to pitch a similar offer, then trade Anderson to try to recoup some of the picks and create more wiggle room under the cap. Then proceed to sign Lafreniere to an equivalent deal as Newhook.

What I would dangle is our lowest 1st round pick of 2025 with the 2nd round pick of that same year. As a supplement - because potential/home boy/desire/blablabla - I would put on the table either one of Kidney or Struble as incentives.

NYR are cap squeezed as is, I don't see a roster player involved in the return.

Our top 6 would probably resemble this in 2025-26:

Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Newhook
Caufield - Dach - Lafrenière

Rangers have $2.2M in cap space with 22 guys on the roster. IMO, if they trade Lafreneire, they are looking for someone in the NHL either on the ELC or on a good bridge (like RHP).

I'd offer Ylonen to the Jets for our 2nd rounder back. Then offer sheet Lafreniere at $4.2M for 1 or 2 seasons. Would the Jets take Ylonen for the 2nd rounder? I think they consider it for sure. Ylonen was a early 2nd rounder himself who is developing well and NHL ready. Jets would value that.

Or we try Ylonen+ for Lafreniere with the Rangers. Not sure that would work but Rangers are in a tough situation. What pieces do other teams offer to them at a lower cap hit than $2.2M?

 

[Habs Halifax]

Not enough Lafreniere talk IMHO!

It's kind of true. It's definitely a buy low situation like it was with Dach.

Two approaches we can take.
1) Offer Ylonen+ for our 2nd rounder back and offer sheet Lafreniere at $4.2M

2) Offer Ylonen and Harris for Lafreniere. Rangers have $2.2M in cap space with 22 guys signed. If they trade Lafreniere, they are clearly looking for guys on the ELC or on a value bridge. I don't think they are after futures not in the NHL yet.

Rangers could decide to go with a 21 man roster if Lafreneire has to be signed around $3M-$3.5M range. They are not as stuck as we might think.

 

[Scriptor]

I'm thinking that the Newhook deal was offered to NYR before it was offered to COL.

And if not, I would expect HuGo to pitch a similar offer, then trade Anderson to try to recoup some of the picks and create more wiggle room under the cap. Then proceed to sign Lafreniere to an equivalent deal as Newhook.

What I would dangle is our lowest 1st round pick of 2025 with the 2nd round pick of that same year. As a supplement - because potential/home boy/desire/blablabla - I would put on the table either one of Kidney or Struble as incentives.

NYR are cap squeezed as is, I don't see a roster player involved in the return.

Our top 6 would probably resemble this in 2025-26:

Slafkovsky - Suzuki - Newhook
Caufield - Dach - Lafrenière

The only problem here is that neither Kidney nor Struble would be an adequate incentive, if an incentive at all.

Let the Rangers have their pick from a slough of prospects, including one D and one forward.

Let them pick one of the LDs that will ultimately be boxed out of the lineup if all goes to plan. One from:

Harris, Barron, Struble, Trudeau or that Russian overeager we selected in 2023.

At forward, I'm not saying all of these prospects are A-1 incentives to make the trade, but the rangers did choose Balej, one year, for a certain Kovalev, if I recall correctly:

Ylonen, Kidney, Mesar, Rohrer, Kapanen, Tuch

So, Latest 2025 1st round pick from Montreal's or CAL's, 2024 COL 2nd round pick acquired in the trade of Lehkonen (Montreal lost theirs in the trade for Dvorak), one of the Ds listed above (I could see them choose Harris who is signed for two years at only 1.4M per year) and one of the forwards listed (Mesar amounts to another 1st round pick, but Kapanen could be the surprisingly best player of those 6 listed).

IMO, even if the Rangers pick the best of both the Ds and Fs, Montreal has enough depth to still ice an equal or better roster than with those two players.

Losing Harris definitely won't come back to bite us in the arse, but losing one of Cesar, kapanen or Kidney, could.

Yet, you can't give crap for lafrenière, especially since NY sees MON as the local market vying for a local product and must feel like they have leverage.

 

[Scriptor]

It's kind of true. It's definitely a buy low situation like it was with Dach.

Two approaches we can take.
1) Offer Ylonen+ for our 2nd rounder back and offer sheet Lafreniere at $4.2M

2) Offer Ylonen and Harris for Lafreniere. Rangers have $2.2M in cap space with 22 guys signed. If they trade Lafreniere, they are clearly looking for guys on the ELC or on a value bridge. I don't think they are after futures not in the NHL yet.

Rangers could decide to go with a 21 man roster if Lafreneire has to be signed around $3M-$3.5M range. They are not as stuck as we might think.

I think you can pull off a deal if the offer is Ylonen + Harris + a 1st round pick in 2024. Nothing below that, IMO and maybe having to throw in COL's 2nd round pick in 2024 as well, or another forward prospect on the cusp of making the NHL (maybe Mesar, that would be seen as another 1st round pick).

 

[Pietrangelo]

The issue with trying to get rid of Hoffman is that he needs to be playing in the top 6 to put up any sort of numbers that will entice a trade. However he just doesn’t fit in the top 6 when the team is healthy.

 

[WeThreeKings]

I don't really get the obsession with Laf.

If you have 3 full seasons under your belt and your 3rd isn't even any different really than your 1st, I think it screams plateau not hidden potential.