HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #85 - Offseason Editon

[Garry Valk]

I suspect Laf would thrive here with Suzuki and Caufield. I hope this management team has the guts to try it.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

The issue there is the retention. Anderson at 50% is straight up more valuable than Lafreniere. Gambling on potential upside is worth considering, but for all his flaws Anderson is one of a few true power forwards in the league and if Montreal was to make the decision to offer him at 50% (which is incredibly unlikely) for 4 seasons, then his value would be massive.

I’d have done Anderson for Laf a year ago. Now? I think we go elsewhere. Not worth the downside.

 

[DAChampion]

Tage Thompson was like Lafreniere a few years ago -- a bust.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

I just get the sense that Laf would come here and be the new whipping boy. LafatSlaf would become the new term here as both guys would get ripped

To be fair to Laf he isn't our 1st overall pick.

I think there's something there for laf to be a solid 3rd liner, maybe a 2nd liner.

He had a solid playoffs for the Rangers 2 years ago.

Yeah, 2 goals, 9 points on 20 games, but he was effective with his play, too.

He's a player that can get 15 + goals a season.

As long as people don't associate with acquiring solely because he's "un gar de chez nous" fans could like him. He's physical but skilled.

Coming here could be a good thing, or it could be worse than staying in New York. Any other team it's pretty much a good thing.

Maybe he and Slaf divide the attention and they both can deal a little better.

Depending on the cost, I'd say it's worth the cost.

 

[Captain Mountain]

It is somewhat but it wont make them bulge. Lafreniere had more points than Anderson. And Anderson doesnt bring much more than tunnel vision speed and leadership.

I would go as cheap as possible for the gamble. Just dont think picks are enough. They need a RW, they have 3 LW and Laf is the 3rd one.

Other thing that could happen is to grad a RW for them in a 3 way.
Grab Boeser than ship them at 50%

I don't particularly care if they buldge or not, I don't want Lafreniere that badly. Montreal also still needs to focus on Slaf's development. Anderson brings speed, size and decent hands. Montreal never had a fit for him as a player from existing personnel, but he's still a rare player. Lafreniere is also pretty unspectacular in most areas. Tying up salary to that degree and adding a 1st just isn't a trade that makes sense for Montreal if the player targeted is Lafreniere. Status quo or another target is better.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Tage Thompson was like Lafreniere a few years ago -- a bust.

Tage Thompson is a different scenario.

Lafreniere was at his NHL height and weight, coordinated and fully developed when he came into the league.

It's why big players take a lot longer to grow because coordination, strength, etc. come a lot later to them.

Unless the belief is that Lafreniere's confidence has been shot since day 1 in the NHL, there still has not been a reasonable argument made to acquire him and bet on his talent. It's just that he was selected 1 OA.. that's great but it didn't help Stefan or Yakupov. Sometimes those guys meet challenges that they can't overcome in the NHL and that's that.

Laf hit his ceiling early.

 

[A55P2]

I suspect Laf would thrive here with Suzuki and Caufield. I hope this management team has the guts to try it.

I remember him being so good at the WJC, I have to believe there's more in him.

 

[VVV]

I'd take a flyer on Laf for a B or C prospect +2nd because i still believe he can become a regular 25-25-50pts guy but that's about it

Anything costlier and I'd let another team roll the dice on him

 

[TomKosto]

I remember him being so good at the WJC, I have to believe there's more in him.

The guy never develop since his junior days. Lots of talk about bad work ethics. I'm not sure they gonna sell him for cheap and prefer not to pay too much for a guy like him. If his name was Lafrenov, nobody would care.

 

[WeThreeKings]

The guy never develop since his junior days. Lots of talk about bad work ethics. I'm not sure they gonna sell him for cheap and prefer not to pay too much for a guy like him. If his name was Lafrenov, nobody would care.

I think it's more the pedigree than that.. obviously we all heard about him prior to his draft year and then he was massive for the WJC.

That type of hype sticks with people but the truth is, as much as I would have drafted him 1OA like everyone else in his draft year, he hasn't shown that he can create advantages with his smarts or skills in the NHL and he hasn't shown any growth in his game.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Tage Thompson was like Lafreniere a few years ago -- a bust.

Lafreniere isn't a bust, he's a disappointment. Thompson was legitimately trending towards bust (as in, out of the NHL), before he figured it out. Tage Thompson is also pretty unique when it comes to development paths. How many guys figure it out mid-20s after shifting from wing to center? Plus, Thompson and Lafreniere were really different prospects and are very different players.

I'm definitely game on taking a chance on Lafreniere, but I don't see a deal that makes sense for both the Habs and the Rangers.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

give me Kakko instead

 

[the]

I would do Anderson for Lafreniere but I'm not retaining any salary on the Donkey.

 

[sampollock]

I suspect Laf would thrive here with Suzuki and Caufield. I hope this management team has the guts to try it.

OR the city eat him alive like JD.
he better have a backbone

 

[Xirik]

I mean at that price I would be interested we need another potential top 6. I don’t think jersey would be though. There going for it we’re not

I think Mercer will eventually take Holtz's spot on the top line and force him to play on the 3rd line and he just doesn't play a 3rd line grinder style. He might be work keeping this year for "depth" but it seems like a waste.


I don't know why people want Laf, He's shown no specific high end talent and looks like a young guy who grew up before everyone and dominated his fellow teenagers.

Holtz at least has a 2nd line upside even with his flaws, Laf seem like he'll always be a 3rd line grinder.

 

[Captain Mountain]

Would the Habs have any interest in Holtz?

It's currently looking like he'll start the season with Hischier and Meier. That means he can't just be good he has to be great in order for him being on that line to be making any sense. Especially when Mercer has already proven he can hang with the big boys and be adaptable and still succeed on the 3rd line.

It feels like he's just a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. His hockey IQ isn't high enough to figure out where Jack hughes wants him to be and he's not a heavy enough forechecker to hang with Hischier.

Habs playstyle seems to fit Holtz more and him being on a Slaf/Dach line where those two do the heavy lifting and the puck is on Holtz stick the least amount of time sounds pretty good to me.

Thoughts on the price would be between the Calgary 2025 1st round pick or montreals 2025 2nd +3rd or 4th.

Slaf isn't ready to do "heavy lifting" yet. I'd probably do Montreal's 2025 2nd + a 3rd though. Although ideally Montreal moves a guy like Farrell if they're adding another young forward to the roster, since there'd be no real path for him to make the team.

 

[Dichow Stopper]

I would do Anderson for Lafreniere but I'm not retaining any salary on the Donkey.

Same here, but it just doesn’t fit capwise for the Rangers.

 

[Sterling Archer]

Tage Thompson was like Lafreniere a few years ago -- a bust.

So was Dach.

 

[Nico Cauzuki]

So was Dach.

not really Dach showed promise in the bubble for the Hawks but that big wrist injury slowed him down

 

[salbutera]

Tage Thompson was like Lafreniere a few years ago -- a bust.

There’s also the expectations factor - Lafreniere was expected to be a game changing 1OA, Tage Thompson was not. Sure Buf wanted to show they received something of equivalent value back in ROR trade but there wasn’t this hockey-wide expectation that he was crowned a game changer.

If expectations were managed, and Lafreniere was looked at from the prism of ceiling being a good player w size & skill that would be another matter IMO…which is how Slaf should also be looked at

 

[DAChampion]

There’s also the expectations factor - Lafreniere was expected to be a game changing 1OA, Tage Thompson was not. Sure Buf wanted to show they received something of equivalent value back in ROR trade but there wasn’t this hockey-wide expectation that he was crowned a game changer.

If expectations were managed, and Lafreniere was looked at from the prism of ceiling being a good player w size & skill that would be another matter IMO…which is how Slaf should also be looked at

So, how much would you trade to acquire another Slaf,?

 

[Beendair Donedat]

We have the habit to overate our players. Anderson is not more than a 3rd liner in any team that want to be serious. Mid to late 1st picks as well.

Lets funnel the age and let them grow together.
Lafreniere is confused, like Caufield was with Ducharme.

He’s “confused” under two coaches now, and he’s dogging it even more frequently. And I’d much rather have Anderson, who is a vastly more valuable player right now and fills a need, than giving up solid assets for magic beans. We’ve finally got rid of the last guy we did that with, no need to take that same road again.

 

[salbutera]

So, how much would you trade to acquire another Slaf,?

Harris + 2nd

 

[DAChampion]

Harris + 2nd

Didn't know you held Slaf in low regard.

 

[salbutera]

Didn't know you held Slaf in low regard.

Slaf is entering yr 2 ELC, Lafreniere is exiting ELC and closer to UFA - market value is predicated on contract status + production - growth trend