HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #85 - Offseason Editon

[WeThreeKings]

I'm not sure what will happen with Harris but I'll be disappointed if he's still in my starting lineup three years from now.

I'm not sure I get that sentiment, we are in a salary cap world, we can't have a top 4 defenseman on every pairing.

 

[Rapala]

I'm not sure I get that sentiment, we are in a salary cap world, we can't have a top 4 defenseman on every pairing.

None of our Dmen are likely to pull in super heavy salaries. Harris is a 7th at best if we are to be any good at all. Just my opinion.

 

[DAChampion]

None of our Dmen are likely to pull in super heavy salaries. Harris is a 7th at best if we are to be any good at all. Just my opinion.

Harris looked pretty smart and effective as a rookie last year, I don't see why he can't be a good third pairing damn.

 

[Ezpz]

None of our Dmen are likely to pull in super heavy salaries. Harris is a 7th at best if we are to be any good at all. Just my opinion.

I can understand your opinion but I don't agree. I see Harris playing a role similar to Alec Martinez in that he will never be the most important piece, but he could be a key piece on a cup winner. Just a smart minute eater.

 

[Rapala]

Harris looked pretty smart and effective as a rookie last year, I don't see why he can't be a good third pairing damn.

It's possible I'm projecting too far into the future but for me Xhekaj will be the ideal third pairing guy. Harris is not a second or top pairing guy over Ghule or Matheson now and I believe Engstrom will be better in the not too distant future. We haven't even mentioned Hutson. I do agree however that I don't think a trade is imminent.

 

[BaseballCoach]

At this point in time, merit can be based on much more than just play on the ice for this team. Young guys love him and, while he may be overpaid by 1M, the team isn't strapped for cash and is not focusing on winning.

Why put him on waivers for someone who doesn't have a future with the team anyway?

I actually don't much care about the $1M overpayment. Every team has some rich contracts, and this one is not as bad as Gallagher's for example, or maybe even Dvorak's. Jake's cap hit will be gone in two years, I'm pretty sure.

But PLAYING is a whole other matter.

First, Primeau should definitely have a future with the team. He's too young to give up on and just had two good years in Laval. If he shows well in camp, he needs to be kept somehow. No one will claim Allen so he can be paper-waived but kept with the Habs afterwards.

DeSmith may just be the best of all of our goalies. Statistically over three years, he has been. He is only 32 yo, not old for a goalie and does not have a lot of miles on him. Rarely injured. He can be traded for value, or given a chance at camp to make the team.

However, all this being said, we just can't analyze anything at all if the premise is that the club doesn't care about winning.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Lots of talk about Harris being traded ,,,

 

[HuGort]

A lot of people are gonna be surprised when Harris is one of the few who stay around.

He'll always be a cost controlled asset who has more value on ice than he gets paid.

I think Harris be around this season but not long term. Him and Hutson on same side? I want more size

 

[calder candidate]

If there is log a jam and there probably will be with Matheson, Ghule, Xhekaj, Hutson, Harris, Engstrom, Struble, Savard, Barron, Mailloux Kovacevic and Lidstrom.
Make sense that Harris would be the odd man out since he is the best player / more proven but still he isn’t garantie a to beat out anyone to be in the top 4 unless it is on the right side.

 

[DAChampion]

If there is log a jam and there probably will be with Matheson, Ghule, Xhekaj, Hutson, Harris, Engstrom, Struble, Savard, Barron, Mailloux Kovacevic and Lidstrom.
Make sense that Harris would be the odd man out since he is the best player / more proven but still he isn’t garantie a to beat out anyone to be in the top 4 unless it is on the right side.

There probably will be a logjam, but there's no reason for Hughes to worry about that now.

Reinbacher, Engstrom, Hutson aren't even with Montreal or Laval yet, Mailloux and Struble are Laval bound, and Kovacevic and Lindstrom are irrelevant. There's plenty of ice time to go around and the team usually needs 8 dmen or more due to injuries.

 

[BLONG7]

I can understand your opinion but I don't agree. I see Harris playing a role similar to Alec Martinez in that he will never be the most important piece, but he could be a key piece on a cup winner. Just a smart minute eater.

Last year, Harris and Kovacevic were both those guys............and got very little credit.

 

[BargainBinSpecial]

If there is log a jam and there probably will be with Matheson, Ghule, Xhekaj, Hutson, Harris, Engstrom, Struble, Savard, Barron, Mailloux Kovacevic and Lidstrom.
Make sense that Harris would be the odd man out since he is the best player / more proven but still he isn’t garantie a to beat out anyone to be in the top 4 unless it is on the right side.

Lindström starts in Laval, he's so terrible he can't even make it on a depleted Habs roster. Savard gets traded before Hutson gets a spot. Struble, Engstrom and Mailloux are long shots.

 

[The Great Weal]

I actually don't see Harris being here long term.

 

[salbutera]

I actually don't see Harris being here long term.

Agree - This will be an important year for Harris IMO - he needs to establish an identity, if he’s simply going to be a better skating version of Josh Gorges, he will have greater value in the open market vs being a 6/7th Dman for Habs.

 

[NewDef]

Why would you move the guy who can play 3rd pair and also 2nd pair and be cost effective to do so?

You can't pay Mailloux what his offensive production would cost to play 3rd pairing minutes.

It's far more likely the other guys are moved depending on which cream rises to the top.

Harris will remain cost-effective throughout his career. The Johnny Oduya type that Chicago had.

Yes but Oduya is one big tough dude, Harris is not. He would have to take a big step production-wise to hold on the 2nd pair and i would like a 3rd pair of Oduya type guys like Xhekaj/Kovacevic.

Sure could be a great 7th D but I feel he'd be worth more than that thus why he may be traded as a smart stop-gap for a team in need, in due time, for the right piece. It would not be a dump move, i like the guy a lot but he does get pushed around and we have so may D in the mold for playoffs. At 6'2 he'd be a keeper as he's reading the play well and seem to make the right move most of the time but I don't see him as a long term piece if he can't apply the move effectively due to size.

But yeah, he'll be an nhl player for a nice long career me think.

 

[Scriptor]

Yes but Oduya is one big tough dude, Harris is not. He would have to take a big step production-wise to hold on the 2nd pair and i would like a 3rd pair of Oduya type guys like Xhekaj/Kovacevic.

Sure could be a great 7th D but I feel he'd be worth more than that thus why he may be traded as a smart stop-gap for a team in need, in due time, for the right piece. It would not be a dump move, i like the guy a lot but he does get pushed around and we have so may D in the mold for playoffs. At 6'2 he'd be a keeper as he's reading the play well and seem to make the right move most of the time but I don't see him as a long term piece if he can't apply the move effectively due to size.

But yeah, he'll be an nhl player for a nice long career me think.

I don't know there will be enough time for 'In due time', personally?

How long will it take for Harris to develop enough to have an identity and any value in a trade? At this point, the besting going for him is the contract at 1.4M for this season and next season and the refreshing interviews that he gives. Beyond that, he's nothing special... yet.

Harris needs to play to build value in a trade.

This year, he will have to beat out Matheson, Guhle and Xhekaj on the left side -- and that's the easiest time he'll have getting a spoon the left side, meaning, outside of injuries, Harris is not landing a full time spot on the left side in the next two years.

Two years from now gets even more complicated for Harrison the left side asHutson, by then, should also playing in Laval (if he doesn't come straight to Montreal), trying to work his way into the Habs' lineup as well. Matheson, Guhle, Hutson and Xhekaj battling it out with Harris for a spot on the left side.

Who knows if it's that year, or the one after, but Engstrom will also need be factored as a possible left D. At least, Engstrom plays the right side.

Wait, that's also competition forharris at that point since the right side is the only real shot he has at making the lineup full time, or close to it.

This year, Harris needs to beat out Savard, Barron, Kovacevic or Lindstrom. It's not a cakewalk, but it's a much easier proposition than the left side for Harris this season.

Next year, however, starts getting complicated as Mailloux will now have a full season experience as a pro and possibly have had a taste the NHL this season? He'll be added toSavard, Barron, Kovacevic and Lindstrom as competition for Harris when it comes to TOI on the right side of D.

I'm not even sure if, next year, management won't be giving Reinbacher every chance to make the Habs' lineup either, after a year in Switzerland this year?

Plus, Xhekaj might also be auditioning for a spot on the right side as he gets squeezed out from the left side with Matheson, Guhle, Hutson and, possibly, Engstrom, vying for a spot there by then.

I'm just saying that the future is coming much sooner than we think and that I'm not sure we will have all that much time develop and establish a value for our strength at D before needing to move them to make room for those we intend to keep.

Our D may end unjust being complementary pieces in a trade package and not really what drives the size of the return in a trade, unless we intend token cheaper D like Harris and move a higher profile prospect with higher upside, like Mailloux, or Hutson, for a bigger return at another position in the lineup.

What if Hutson burns up the AHL in two years? Do we trade him for an NHL-ready, bluechip prospect on the wing that projects be a 30+ goal scorer?

Do we go with a bigger D-Corps the likes of:

Guhle (6'2", 200 lbs) - Reinbacher (6'2", 185lbs)
Engstrom (6'2", 190 lbs) - Mailloux (6'3", 212lbs)
Xhekaj (6'4", 238lbs) - Barron (6'2", 190lbs)

With Harris (5'11", 189lbs) as the only D under 6'2", our 7th D?
Harris.

Yeah, it sucks not to have Hutson and hoping he can play like he did in the NCAA at the NHL level, but if we get a 30+ goal scoring winger out of it, is it worth it, considering the remaining quality of the D we still have for the long haul? It's not like we will be able to pay all of Guhle, Reinbacher, Hutson and Mailloux the big bucks if they all pan out. we might have to settle a shutdown D like Engstrom who can bring more physicality and complement Mailloux properly?

Caufield - Suzuki - Roy
Newhook - Dach - Sniper in return for Hutson
Farrell - Beck - Heineman
RHP - Davidson - Ylonen
Xhekaj

Guhle - Reinbacher
Engstrom - Mailloux
Xhekaj - Barron
Harris

 

[26Mats]

I can understand your opinion but I don't agree. I see Harris playing a role similar to Alec Martinez in that he will never be the most important piece, but he could be a key piece on a cup winner. Just a smart minute eater.

Last year, Harris and Kovacevic were both those guys............and got very little credit.

Harris is smart and poised. But big dmen really clogg up passing lanes with their reach and take away time and space, in addition to being able to box out and separate a player from the puck.

Poise and smarts can only do so much in those aspects of the D game.

 

[DAChampion]

I don't know there will be enough time for 'In due time', personally?

How long will it take for Harris to develop

Harris has all of this season.
No Reinbacher, no Hutson, no Mailloux, no Struble, no Engstrom.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Harris has all of this season.
No Reinbacher, no Hutson, no Mailloux, no Struble, no Engstrom.

Hutson and Engstrom are not signed yet, Mailloux and Struble will likely start in Laval, and Reinbacher is a real unknown.

Last year, Harris and Kovacevic were both those guys............and got very little credit.

Very different players. Kovacevic is much more vulnerable to dump-ins with speed and pressure.

 

[Scriptor]

Harris has all of this season.
No Reinbacher, no Hutson, no Mailloux, no Struble, no Engstrom.

He will stil have to play on his off side, unless they feel they know what they have in Xhekaj and play HIM on his off side. Is that enough to gain real value in a trade for Harris, or would there still be some upside left we hadn't tapped into before trading him?

 

[DAChampion]

He will stil have to play on his off side, unless they feel they know what they have in Xhekaj and play HIM on his off side. Is that enough to gain real value in a trade for Harris, or would there still be some upside left we hadn't tapped into before trading him?

The priority should not be to raise Harris' trade value to that of a third round pick, but to evaluate if he has a long term role on the Habs. If he does not, trade him, and the better player that will take his place will be more meaningful than an 87th overall draft choice.

 

[Rapala]

The priority should not be to raise Harris' trade value to that of a third round pick, but to evaluate if he has a long term role on the Habs. If he does not, trade him, and the better player that will take his place will be more meaningful than an 87th overall draft choice.

True his versatility alone puts him above just about anyone else as a #7. If we do move him it would be as a member of our war chest and part of a package in a trade designed to bring in some higher end talent on the wings. I don't see the value of moving any our younger players for picks unless we've truly turned the page on them and want to graduate someone else.

 

[sampollock]

Harris has all of this season.
No Reinbacher, no Hutson, no Mailloux, no Struble, no Engstrom.

yup
as Hudson is small.. so Harris needs to show this year is stuff

 

[Sterling Archer]

Harris, Kovy and Barron are the most likely of the kids to get traded IMO. Savard and Lidstrom most likely vets to eventually get moved. Matheson isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Guhle, Xhekaj, Reinbacher, Hutson, Mailloux, Engstrom are the future for now and aren’t going anywhere.

 

[TT1]

I really like Harris but if we can add something to him (i'd prefer to move Barron tho) to fetch Pinto i'd be all over that.