HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #86: 2023-2024 Season

[BLONG7]

Big difference between skating back and being efficient at doing it

But yes didn’t watch many games in 2024

I have watched quite a few, he has been great without the puck............this has been backed, by his coach.
Nice to see offensive players, chipping in to the game, even when they don't score.
My words, but also paraphrasing his coach....

 

[Ranger12]

Zegras …

He’s talented, no doubt, but is he a #1 center? Perhaps not. Keep in mind, the Ducks picked 3 centers in the first round since Zegras was drafted.

However, because he can play center and wing, I’m intrigued considering:
- Dach injury
- Demidov

Zegras provides the backup to Dach without having to do so in the draft. (Newhook isn’t the answer). This leaves the Habs free to draft Demidov.

Imagine this top 9:
Slaf - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Zegras - Dach
Newhook - Beck - Mesar

Man, that's a small top 9. I'd rather they target someone else than Zegras unless they end up with Lindstrom with their 1st pick. Less flash, more size and grit.

 

[HuGort]

Should make these trades get a player back. Conroy seems to be surviving good. Traded Toffoli and Lindholm. Got a player back. His team never slide back still acquired draft picks and prospect

 

[Captain Mountain]

Zegras …

He’s talented, no doubt, but is he a #1 center? Perhaps not. Keep in mind, the Ducks picked 3 centers in the first round since Zegras was drafted.

However, because he can play center and wing, I’m intrigued considering:
- Dach injury
- Demidov

Zegras provides the backup to Dach without having to do so in the draft. (Newhook isn’t the answer). This leaves the Habs free to draft Demidov.

Imagine this top 9:
Slaf - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Zegras - Dach
Newhook - Beck - Mesar

I think Zegras is as much of a center as Newhook, just better. If Newhook isn't the answer at center, Zegras probably isn't either.

 

[salbutera]

No world where they would.. they don't like Zegras style players.

MSL coached him at MidFairfield, & Hughes knows him well

I assume that a deal would only happens because both are familiar with the player

 

[Benstheman]

If Hugues can’t make a trade for a young top 6 forward this summer, would you guys want to sign Toffoli for a couple of years?

 

[WeThreeKings]

If Hugues can’t make a trade for a young top 6 forward this summer, would you guys want to sign Toffoli for a couple of years?

No - doesn't make any sense.

 

[Benstheman]

No - doesn't make any sense.

Why not?

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

MSL coached him at MidFairfield, & Hughes knows him well

I assume that a deal would only happens because both are familiar with the player

Exactly. They favor players they know that also play the right way since most of their acquisitions seem to. So they would only be interested if they believe he will have the right attitude and attempt to become a complete player.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Why not?

He won't wanna come to a rebuilding team in his final productive years. We've already moved on and you are beginning to graduate forward prospects like Farrell, Heineman, Beck, Roy, Mesar, 2024 1st in the near future and it doesn't make sense to block their way into the line-up with an aging Toffoli,

 

[Egresch]

Imagine this top 9:
Slaf - Suzuki - Demidov
Caufield - Zegras - Dach
Newhook - Beck - Mesar

Roy will be there as well. Only Slaf and Dach have size. That is the reason why I would rather aim for Kakko than Zegras.

 

[sampollock]

No - doesn't make any sense.

agreed, habs have did and done that.. next

 

[Beendair Donedat]

Z is a better player then Caufield always has been and Mailloux aint a A level prospect

Pretty sure he is, he’s on pace to break the AHL rookie goal scoring record for defensemen. He’s currently 2nd in total points from a rookie Dman (behind Brandt Clarke), and 9 overall among all defensemen. He’s a big guy, plays a physical game and a right handed shot to boot.

I don’t know what more you could want from a rookie prospect.

 

[sampollock]

Pretty sure he is, he’s on pace to break the AHL rookie goal scoring record for defensemen. He’s currently 2nd in total points from a rookie Dman (behind Brandt Clarke), and 9 overall among all defensemen. He’s a big guy, plays a physical game and a right handed shot to boot.

I don’t know what more you could want from a rookie prospect.

only to get better and man the blue line in MTL

 

[salbutera]

Z is a better player then Caufield always has been and Mailloux aint a A level prospect

Define A level D prospect? Hedman, Makar? No he ain’t that, no one trades those types

 

[HabsForHire]

Roy will be there as well. Only Slaf and Dach have size. That is the reason why I would rather aim for Kakko than Zegras.

I know people have been down on zegras lately but kakko over him lmfao absolutely not.

 

[LaP]

If Hugues can’t make a trade for a young top 6 forward this summer, would you guys want to sign Toffoli for a couple of years?

No as he'll be 32 and is not the type of guys to remain effective into his mid 30ies.

 

[LaP]

Define A level D prospect? Hedman, Makar? No he ain’t that, no one trades those types

Zegras ain't an elite player either. You don't get a grade A prospect for Zegras. Anyone expecting the return for Zegras to be a Hedman level prospect is living in la la land. Mailloux and a 1st is a solid offer if they like Mailloux as a prospect.

When ROR was 23 he was traded along with McGinn (a solid 26 years old 3rd line player) for Zadorov, Compher and Grigorenko and a 2nd round pick. McGinn alone was easily worth the 2nd round pick.

- Compher value was probably a high 2nd round pick. He had just been drafted 35 overall and i doubt his value was higher than that.
- Grigo value a mid to low 1st round pick at the best at this point but not sure his stock was falling quickly.

So the return was the equivalent of Zadorov, a mid to low 1st and a high 2nd. Zadorov was not a better prospect than Mailloux. So Mailloux and a low 1st for Zegras is certainly not a terrible offer. Surely have to add to bit but not that much. It's a good starting point.

 

[The Great Weal]

Sabres are just wasting Thompson's career, hopefully he wants out. He's exactly what we could use.

 

[Tyson]

Sabres are just wasting Thompson's career, hopefully he wants out. He's exactly what we could use.

Kinda like how the Habs wasted Price's career?

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Pretty sure he is, he’s on pace to break the AHL rookie goal scoring record for defensemen. He’s currently 2nd in total points from a rookie Dman (behind Brandt Clarke), and 9 overall among all defensemen. He’s a big guy, plays a physical game and a right handed shot to boot.

I don’t know what more you could want from a rookie prospect.

He also basically missed almost 2 seasons of development and only played 31 games in 20/21 and 21/22. Since then, he put up 33 goals in 80 OHL games and is now he's on pace to finish with close to 20 goals in his first AHL season.

 

[Sorinth]

Z is a better player then Caufield always has been and Mailloux aint a A level prospect

If Caufield puts up 22 points in his next 27 games which seems quite likely he would be tied with Zegras in points with the same number of NHL games.

So to say Zegras is the better player is very dubious. And that's just points, goals it's Caufield, defensive play it's also Caufield. And Caufield has shown he can step up in the playoffs too. I find it very doubtful that GMs around the league would pay more for Zegras then they would Caufield without even getting into the whole possible poor attitude.

Look I'm all for going after Zegras if we think the attitude issues are overblown (Which they probably are) but let's not pretend he's more then he is.

 

[Miller Time]

If Hugues can’t make a trade for a young top 6 forward this summer, would you guys want to sign Toffoli for a couple of years?

I could see that as a fall back option if KH misses on his primary & secondary targets and Toffoli is still unsigned by late July... Kind of like Tarasenko circling back to the Send later in the summer.

His familiarity & fit with the room/city, and his team-first attitude are pros, but his skating isn't a great fit for how MSL wants the team to play.

2yrs @~5M/per as a late summer signing I could get behind.

If the team is going to take a step forward, we'll need a net addition of top 6 production (on top of a healthy Dach), expecting Heineman or Roy to provide that is wishful thinking at best

 

[calder candidate]

Why? They're 3 points out of playoff spot and they're not planning to rebuild. They have cap space, a lot of decent veterans, and a number of interesting young guys.They will also likely have an arsenal of picks and prospects to make trades if they want to.

There 3 pts off but there also 3 team in front of them and they are currently 10th… they moved Lindholm, they will sell a couple of other player.
The don’t have many interesting prospects… I be happy if they aren’t but if I’m them losing my pick I prefer to keep a near top 10 pick and give us Florida pick instead also better to start tanking for 2026 and grab what might be the best player since McDavid.

 

[Miller Time]

Zegras ain't an elite player either. You don't get a grade A prospect for Zegras.

This may not be so true if MB succeeds Blake as in LA lol

Zegras is not so dissimilar to Drouin when he traded Sergachev for him. Zegras is a bitore accomplished, points-wise, and while Sergachev wasn't a "Hedman" level blue chip prospect, he was certainly a top tier prospect (not sure what ppl define as "blue chip" vs "A" vs "B"... )

I could see a GM offering up a Sergachev level prospect for Zegras, but not that +... Especially not coming off an injury-plagued season where he struggled to produce under a new coach that required him to play a more responsible game (vs the free for all Eakins allowed that fed his back to back 60pt seasons).

Late 1st & a solid prospect, or a very good prospect that isn't in the blue-chip category... +/- a bit... That's about as much value as I see them finding.