HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #87: 2024 Season Finale

[EveryDay]

Flyers let go of 6 players before last season: Hayes, JVR, provorov, DeAngelo, Braun, Allison + lost Hart so used different goalies.

Habs will go with pretty much same goalies (Allen played 21), same 8 dmen (maybe 1 of Mailloux-Hutson-Reinbacher sticks), same fwds minus Monahan?

Same players mean same results. Maybe Suzuki gets injured instead of Dach… Maybe Montambeault goes down then what…

What a dump post, congratulations.

Do you have a cristal ball to find out what's going to happen this summer? Do you think 21-22 years old are at their best and stop progressing all the sudden? Do you know that Suzuki haven't miss a game so far for injuries in his NHL career?

Same players, same results, I guess the Panthers will lose in the final again this year since the team is pretty much the same as last year,...

What a waster of time.

 

[Vachon23]

I won't unequivocally declare that the Habs are gonna make the playoffs before even knowing what the team will look like next season. That would be setting myself up to potentially look very dumb in a year's time.

I'm just saying it's not impossible. And i'm not talking about competing for the Cup.

People being tired of losing means that they will make real efforts to improve the team. Not just being content of tanking or letting the young guys develop and see where it goes.
They could potentially add a whole second line compared to last season and push down all the other forwards into a chair that is more appropriate for them.
That'd make a huge difference.

We'll see...

When I’m saying competing, I’m talking about the Stanley Cup not for a wildcard spot

 

[Miller Time]

Which is true for any team and is basically irrelevant to consider when comparing teams during the offseason. Players getting injured, having career years, going cold for long stretches, etc... how it all breaks good and bad will determine who ultimately makes the playoffs. But in the offseason all you have is the on paper comparison and today using that comparison we are in the mix with those bubble eastern conference teams. Once the games are actually played results tend to differ from what they were on paper, sometimes exceeding expectations and sometimes coming in well below, there's no way of knowing which it will be in the offseason because much of it is luck.

Not really... Some rosters are predictably more able to navigate injuries to key players and remain solid playoff bets.

Heck, Vegas (& Tampa before them)basically counted on injuries to key, high cap hit core players just to fit under the cap.

Contenders are contenders not just because of their high end talent, but also their depth.

Your description fits middle of the pack rosters, whereas some rosters are locks to miss the playoffs even without major injuries (like the sharks last year).

That's how I'd describe it... Imo, Habs were in the bottom end of the middle of the pack rosters, and had a far better shot at POs than most expected going into the season. That we finished 5th last was as much a reflection of again being one of the most injured teams in the league than anything else (3rd in man games lost I believe). Pair that with zero moves made to improve the roster while trading away a top 3-4 forward, and voila.

Next year, even without any roster additions, I bet we'll see a roster that is a bit more resilient and probably more middle of the pack (of the middle pack)...

Even higher if KH finds a dance partner he likes and pulls the trigger on some futures for a "now" talent upgrade

 

[jrom]

I too dream about what we could acquire but I realize I'm more hoping that HuGo can move out some of the deadwood still aboard. I don't like that we're retaining 2yrs on Petry but that's what it took to get rid of Hoffman.

Getting some value for PowerDonkey without retaining would be the trade of the summer.

 

[Habricot]

A lot depends on goaltending and team defense, where getting rid of Allen is probably addition by subtraction. Then factor in a year of Dach, who's been snakebitten, and hopefully a PP uptick if Hutson sticks. Hopefully that maps to fewer 1-goal losses and a bit more belief.

Assuming we can avoid injury bug which mean a full year of Dach, Newhook and Ghule! Landscape migth be a lot different towards the end of the season. And all of this is without any substantial addition.

 

[Mario Lemieux fan 66]

Believing in an healthy Dach is like believing in Santa Claus at some point that need to stop. Habs need to add 2 or 3 top 6 forward if they want to be competitive in the future and not waste entirely the prime of Suzuki.

 

[Deus ex machina]

They can be tired of losing but they are not in the same level of talent of the top teams in the league. Not saying they will still finish bottom 5, they will improve but they won’t be in the playoff next year

When I’m saying competing, I’m talking about the Stanley Cup not for a wildcard spot

They won't make the Playoffs or they won't compete for the Stanley Cup?
Your take seems to change with every post.

 

[Vachon23]

They won't make the Playoffs or they won't compete for the Stanley Cup?
Your take seems to change with every post.

I was saying that they won’t compete for the Stanley Cup, but I don’t think they will make the playoff either, all though I think they will be in the team battling for a WC Spot until the last month

 

[Rapala]

I too dream about what we could acquire but I realize I'm more hoping that HuGo can move out some of the deadwood still aboard. I don't like that we're retaining 2yrs on Petry but that's what it took to get rid of Hoffman.

Getting some value for PowerDonkey without retaining would be the trade of the summer.

Not only do we have to get rid of Power Donkey we have to find a replacement who can do the job he was supposed to do.
20 to 25 goals skates like the wind hits like a truck and drops 'em when necessary.
We know exactly what kind of player is missing in our top 6 the one that Anderson was supposed to be.
But hey there is always Zegras or Laine who can take up that mantle.

 

[Rapala]

I was saying that they won’t compete for the Stanley Cup, but I don’t think they will make the playoff either, all though I think they will be in the team battling for a WC Spot until the last month

We won't be in a wildcard position anyways unless we make some serious headway with our bottom nine.

 

[Miller Time]

Not only do we have to get rid of Power Donkey we have to find a replacement who can do the job he was supposed to do.
20 to 25 goals skates like the wind hits like a truck and drops 'em when necessary.
We know exactly what kind of player is missing in our top 6 the one that Anderson was supposed to be.
But hey there is always Zegras or Laine who can take up that mantle.

Got anyone in mind?

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Not only do we have to get rid of Power Donkey we have to find a replacement who can do the job he was supposed to do.
20 to 25 goals skates like the wind hits like a truck and drops 'em when necessary.
We know exactly what kind of player is missing in our top 6 the one that Anderson was supposed to be.
But hey there is always Zegras or Laine who can take up that mantle.

Yeah a 9 goals lazy bum will be pretty easy to replace , putt Roy and he will probably bring us more

 

[themilosh]

Would you trade Cole Hutson to draft Dickinson?

 

[Whalers Fan]

Would you trade Cole Hutson to draft Dickinson?

Sure, but the Habs don't currently have Cole Hutson to trade. Maybe they could use the their 1st round pick from the Jets to draft him, then trade him to whichever team picks Dickinson.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Would you trade Cole Hutson to draft Dickinson?

What even is the point to make that kind of trade

 

[Galchenyuk15]

I would try to begin to build the bottom 6 slowly but surely if not they will need to do everything at the same time in a couple of years. We need to target players who are hard to play against, good on board and who can play some hockey. At the moment, we have player with commitment but not the size or the strength, they are nothing special!

Watching the playoffs, I can't figure how people think we will became a contender with Newhook-Beck-Roy has a third line, good hockey players but way too soft for playoff hockey and we already have RHP, Evans and Pezzetta! Thing will need to change a lot on that part!

My main target would be Martin Pospisil to became a full-time winger, I like the edge he have on his game, a kind of a mean streak and with Slaf they will fight like Spartan to achieve what they want. With the numbers of picks we have and young defenseman like Harris, Struble or Barron, it can be pretty easy to find a deal with Calgary. My other target would be Olivier, can skate, can fight, can play some hockey, good shot! It would be a very nice upgrade on Pezzetta!

3rd line : Players like Pospisil, Voronkov, Marchment, Amadio etc...
4th line : Players like Kolesar, Olivier, Stenlund, Carrier etc...

In 2 years, my bottom 6 lineup would look at something like that!
Pospisil-Beck-Roy
???-Evans-???
Xhekaj/Heineman/Tuch/Olivier/RHP to fullfill the roster!
PS : Probably Kapanen, not Evans and I doubt RHP would still be here ...

Like Colorado, I'm not sold on Newhook but I'm ready to give him the chance to become a valuable part of this team but 1 year ago he was not good enough for a center role, they have obtain Johansen, Colton, Mittelstadt and Trenin over the year and Drouin, Tatar, Parise and Duhaime has wingers because they bring something Newhook can't; size, strength, experience, offensive mind, energy, special unit PP/PK!

When was the last time a contender team have let go a young valuable asset with no money issue in the window they compete? I can't remember one ... You have two kind of players, those who are good in season and those who are good in playoffs! I don't even know if he fit the first category but if not the guy you wanted on your third line on a playoff run at the moment!

A mix between Chris Higgins and Andrew Cogliano, speed like demon, very nice skill but like the others 2, the puck seem to fumble on his stick, thing always seem to go too fast for him. He need to bring something more becoming a beast on 200 feeths or a great penalty killer because he will never be a good offensive player enough to compensate what he can't do. If he still the same, a good player who skates like the wind, we would have the same issues with him then Colorado have in the past! In win mode, he is not a keeper at the moment and they will target players with more specific attributes on the bottom 6 like Colorado have do!

And dont be fool by his numbers last year, without a lot of injury or a plane crash, he will never play on the top 6 or the 1st PP unit on a good team! The only valuable production we have from last year was Slaf, Suzuki, Caufield and Guhle, all the others one has been used in the wrong chair over the year way too many times to put some values in these numbers like the 14 goals of RHP 2 years ago.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I want my third line to have at least two players who are second line calibre.

Just like I want four first liners.

I think the top 9 talk will pick up over the next few years. Some fans still thinking the old way of top 6/bottom 6. The game has gotten tougher and you need a good top 4D with a good top 9F and a goalie. Winning with top 6 and a week bottom 6 is just not a good strategy anymore.

 

[Egresch]

Watching the playoffs, I can't figure how people think we will became a contender with Newhook-Beck-Roy has a third line, good hockey players but way too soft for playoff hockey

Well, maybe you just need to change one player based on your need and replace him with some tough guy. Something like McCarthy-Draper-Maltby line from Detroit which was the best 3rd line in the league and they were not super tough. Tough guy- Beck- Roy/Newhook line who could shut down opponents 1st line.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Starting July 1st, Anderson's NTC list goes from 8 to 5 teams.

Devils are rumored to be in on Anderson from before and their GM did say he would like to add a big skating forward to their mix. Of course they have seen his meh season this past year but I would say that player they liked is still there.

50% retention brings it down to $2.75M for 3 years. Regardless of how inconsistent he is, that's going to draw a lot of attention for those teams who are thinking about his game in the playoffs and a team like the Devils that need to add muscle. They fill a need but also add two 1st's in the process. Jets 1st is 26th but the Flames/Panthers 1st might be 10-20 range.

Anderson (at $2.75M), Jets 1st, & Flames/Panthers 1st
for
10th OA.

 

[Naslundforever]

Keep Pezz. The man has no fear and will do anything for the team at league minimum. He keeps everyone loose, and is physical out there. You need a good solider like the Pezz man. Ylonen is as milquetoast or vanilla as it gets, I don’t think he’s a big loss at all… he’s not a top 6 talent and not a fourth line style of player. Cut bait and move on.

Pezz is the most vanilla and soft goon I’ve seen as a hab; I’m done with their absolute crap bottom 6 for a long time now.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I too dream about what we could acquire but I realize I'm more hoping that HuGo can move out some of the deadwood still aboard. I don't like that we're retaining 2yrs on Petry but that's what it took to get rid of Hoffman.

Getting some value for PowerDonkey without retaining would be the trade of the summer.

What does this provide for you? Getting rid of deadwood when we have loads of cap space? Who are you moving up that is ready? There is already room for Roy and we don't have any other forward we would be blocking.

I'm sure we are open to moveing guys like Gallagher, Anderson, Dvorak, Armia but I don't think we are going to be desperate to do this.

Do you think it's smart to trade Anderson for anything when he is at his low point? We bought high and it's been a up/down stock since. At least sell it when it rebounds a bit. Please don't tell me it's impossible for Anderson to have rebound season like Armia had this past year.

 

[Sorinth]

I would try to begin to build the bottom 6 slowly but surely if not they will need to do everything at the same time in a couple of years. We need to target players who are hard to play against, good on board and who can play some hockey. At the moment, we have player with commitment but not the size or the strength, they are nothing special!

So basically a repeat of the Bergevin strategy of constantly trying to find the right mix in the bottom six and then hope that anything can happen in the playoffs?

It makes little to no sense to start with the bottom-6 because it changes so frequently. Bottom-6 players that do very well and bring it will quickly price themselves out of the bottom six and guys who don't bring it you want to move on from anyways. The bottom six is the last piece of the puzzle when building a contender.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

So basically a repeat of the Bergevin strategy of constantly trying to find the right mix in the bottom six and then hope that anything can happen in the playoffs?

It makes little to no sense to start with the bottom-6 because it changes so frequently. Bottom-6 players that do very well and bring it will quickly price themselves out of the bottom six and guys who don't bring it you want to move on from anyways. The bottom six is the last piece of the puzzle when building a contender.

Agreed, adding to your top six bumps guys down in the lineup and improves your bottom six.

A perfect example was the one time Bergevin actually added a legit top six winger in Vanek. It bumped Gionta down to the 3rd line and Briere to the 4th line which gave the Habs 4 lines that could chip in offensively in the 2013-2014 playoffs.

Instead of doing something similar in subsequent years and adding offense when Price was unbeatable, he thought it was a better idea to add 4th liners like Mitchell, Flynn, Ott, King, Martinsen etc

 

[Rapala]

Got anyone in mind?

Not really. I always said our top 6 will be hard to fill.
I'd pay Joshua the money to fill that role and not be CHEAP about it.

 

[JRichard]

What a dump post, congratulations.

Do you have a cristal ball to find out what's going to happen this summer? Do you think 21-22 years old are at their best and stop progressing all the sudden? Do you know that Suzuki haven't miss a game so far for injuries in his NHL career?

Same players, same results, I guess the Panthers will lose in the final again this year since the team is pretty much the same as last year,...

What a waster of time.

Jesus someone had a bad day.
As of today we can expect 1-2 new faces. Right?


So as of today i do not expect to be in the race till March.

Sure they can add more. Will they?