HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #88: 2024 Off-Season Thread

[EveryDay]

We are getting little hints of who they value on D.

I think Harris and/or Struble are likely trade chips.

Future will be a combination of....

Hutson - Rein
Guhle - Mailloux
Xhekaj - Barron

5 former first rounders. Very nice.

4 1st rounder

 

[Dichow Stopper]

So… did we finally get our Québécois Pur Laine?

 

[sampollock]

So… did we finally get our Québécois Pur Laine?

Not yet...still time

 

[themilosh]

What are you talking about? McGroarty has done nothing and Newhook already looks like at least a 50 pt forward.

Newhook is the "prototypical" Habs forward for the past 30 years. Sub 6'0" small-forward with skill. What do people not understand? It's irrelevant how many points he gets, our 2nd line must produce a difference to the top 6, so playing against (and studying CH) becomes difficult..
If all you can say (positive) about Newhook is that he might get 50 pts, then we've already lost the battle.. it's not about points, but hits, confusion and difficulty. 2nd line pts are expected, as a 2nd line.. not rewarded..

Newhook is as vanilla as it comes, along with CC.. so predictable.

 

[Rapala]

It’s sad but the more and more people who say CBJ and Habs are closing in on a deal for Laine, the more I think it’s. It going to happen.

LOL
I'm the exact opposite the more we hear it's going to happen the less I believe it will.
Gee where have we seen this movie before...

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Newhook is the "prototypical" Habs forward for the past 30 years. Sub 6'0" small-forward with skill. What do people not understand? It's irrelevant how many points he gets, our 2nd line must produce a difference to the top 6, so playing against (and studying CH) becomes difficult..
If all you can say (positive) about Newhook is that he might get 50 pts, then we've already lost the battle.. it's not about points, but hits, confusion and difficulty. 2nd line pts are expected, as a 2nd line.. not rewarded..

Newhook is as vanilla as it comes, along with CC.. so predictable.

He is not "small". He is close to 200 lbs. And the 2nd line has to be too good for the other teams checking lines to handle. They don't have to be different. A Dach - Newhook- Roy line might not have enough power to make it difficult but a power type forward with Dach and Newhook would be dangerous.

 

[Habby4Life]

Newhook is the "prototypical" Habs forward for the past 30 years. Sub 6'0" small-forward with skill. What do people not understand? It's irrelevant how many points he gets, our 2nd line must produce a difference to the top 6, so playing against (and studying CH) becomes difficult..
If all you can say (positive) about Newhook is that he might get 50 pts, then we've already lost the battle.. it's not about points, but hits, confusion and difficulty. 2nd line pts are expected, as a 2nd line.. not rewarded..

Newhook is as vanilla as it comes, along with CC.. so predictable.

Newhook is a complimentary piece, vanilla perfectly describes him.

 

[The Real Timo]

I shit you not… do we still have Pearson?

 

[vokiel]

So… did we finally get our Québécois Pur Laine?

Nah, Columbus is now looking for a king's ransom.

 

[sampollock]

I shit you not… do we still have Pearson?

Good point I don't think so I think he was a UFA

Newhook is a complimentary piece, vanilla perfectly describes him.

He's got to start coming out of this shell and play better

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

Newhook is a complimentary piece, vanilla perfectly describes him.

Ridiculous. Need to see him in a full season to know what we have. Hughes would not have traded for him if he was nothing special.

 

[Habby4Life]

Ridiculous. Need to see him in a full season to know what we have. Hughes would not have traded for him if he was nothing special.

I said complimentary piece. Good 3rd liner.

 

[Treb]

I shit you not… do we still have Pearson?

Good point I don't think so I think he was a UFA


He's got to start coming out of this shell and play better

Pearson is currently UFA.

I assume he'll get a PTO to try to stick as extra forwards for some teams.

Current FA forwards that probably get PTOs somewhere include: JVR, Tyler Johnson, Mike Hoffman,Pacioretty, Okposo, Wheeler, Michael McLeod, Yamamoto, Kubalik, Cousins, Pearson, Barabanov, Katchouk, Carpenter, Tierney, Labanc, Blais, Vrana, Erne, Colin White, Byron Froese.

Unless they make some trade for a forward, I expect a few of these guys to come to the Habs camp on PTO and try to win a spot.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Newhook is the "prototypical" Habs forward for the past 30 years. Sub 6'0" small-forward with skill.

Except they would use Newhook on the first line because we didn't have anyone better. That's not the case now. This is not a Sergei Samsonov situation.

What do people not understand? It's irrelevant how many points he gets, our 2nd line must produce a difference to the top 6, so playing against (and studying CH) becomes difficult..
If all you can say (positive) about Newhook is that he might get 50 pts, then we've already lost the battle.. it's not about points, but hits, confusion and difficulty. 2nd line pts are expected, as a 2nd line.. not rewarded..

What is it that you expect a 2nd line player to do? 50 points is solid. His skating is awesome. He's not a defensive liability... he can play 2nd line all day long. So he's not Wendel Clark... you shouldn't expect that quality player on the 2nd line.

Pairing him with a guy like Dach who can do heavy lifting on two way play should work really well.

Newhook is as vanilla as it comes, along with CC.. so predictable.

Strongly disagree with you on CC. He'd have been 50 goals easy last year if healthy. Shoulder injury took away his best weapon - his shot. 48 in his first 82 under MSL is insanely good for a player just breaking into the league.

Now... if that injury limits him for the rest of his career (it shouldn't) then it's a different story. But if he returns to form, he'll be our best goal scorer since Lafleur (and that includes Stephane Richer.) He still has superstar potential. If he gets his shot back, he's going to be a perpetual 40-50 goal scorer.

 

[Saundies]

I said complimentary piece. Good 3rd liner.

You seem to have an awfully finite opinion of Newhook for only seeing him play 55 games last season.

Personally, I thought he was better than I expected. Definitely has a nicer shot and hit a good amount of posts. Some puck luck and he may have hit 20 in the games he managed to play in.

No one here is penciling Newhook in on the second line indefinitely in the future, but right now, he deserves the longest look there next to Dach until proven otherwise.

 

[jaffy27]

This is also the 2nd team he's asked for a trade from.

Winnipeg and Columbus…..Geez, I wonder why …….

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

You seem to have an awfully finite opinion of Newhook for only seeing him play 55 games last season.

Personally, I thought he was better than I expected. Definitely has a nicer shot and hit a good amount of posts. Some puck luck and he may have hit 20 in the games he managed to play in.

No one here is penciling Newhook in on the second line indefinitely in the future, but right now, he deserves the longest look there next to Dach until proven otherwise.

He's what you can expect a second liner to be. 50 points, secondary scoring, not a gamebreaker but can chip in some goals. He's not the best second liner but he's far from the worst.

I don't think people understand what other teams' second lines look like.

 

[Habby4Life]

You seem to have an awfully finite opinion of Newhook for only seeing him play 55 games last season.

Personally, I thought he was better than I expected. Definitely has a nicer shot and hit a good amount of posts. Some puck luck and he may have hit 20 in the games he managed to play in.

No one here is penciling Newhook in on the second line indefinitely in the future, but right now, he deserves the longest look there next to Dach until proven otherwise.

Just see him as a tweener, 3rd liner, move up the lineup when injuries happen, nothing wrong with that. He skilled, but he’s not big, isn’t physical, does a lot of things well but nothing exceptional.

He will get his look, he is much better than the rest of the forward group. They have no depth so that’s a lock.

If KH trades for a legit top 6, which I think he will. In 2025, he will have to take the spot of one of CC, Slaf, Suz, Dach, Demidov, and whoever KH gets. Don’t see that happening but he will be very productive in the top 9, moving up the lineup when needed, and on the PP. Don’t see him in the top 6 but he is the definite #7

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Since we pick up UFAs all the time... we happen have enough space to get a big UFA even with Laine on board. We don't have enough space to pick up two big UFAs without buying out Anderson and/or Gallagher but I don't think it's a reasonable scenario to position against tbh.

Good teams have various options and give TOI and prime opportunities to the best perceived option. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the Habs having scoring depth. And if it ever seems like the Habs have simply too many productive forwards -- by God, I reckon one of them could be traded away.

In the case that he performs well it seems like a very good problem to have, no? Gamble paid off, player performed beyond expectations, team enjoyed his company and contribution, etc. What exactly is the issue? If Hughes wants to keep him, he'll keep him. If Hughes wants to move on, he'll move on.

Laine will be a ancient and decrepit 28 years old when his contract expires. If he pursues a 8 year deal, that takes him to the ripe old age of 36. Practically a mummy.

If you don't like signing 28 year olds who (in this scenario) score close to or over 40 goals to 8 year deals, lemme tell you: you won't like the contract any big player the Habs would sign next year in the offseason either.

I get the sarcasm, but in sports being 36 and a player who seems to get hurt once a year isn't good.

He's scored 40 goals a grand total of once in his career. He's scored over 30, or more 3 times. That came in his first 3 seasons and he's either missed too many games, or just hasn't been good enough.

You're acquiring a dude who might get you 25 goals.

Yes, having options is a good thing, except with how Cole struggled. Maybe having someone else take that spot so he's not squeezing that proverbial stick would help him get his goal scoring touch back quicker and help the team. I'll give you that one.

Im not saying the Habs are good at ufas, but Kent is clearing reading from the Bergevin playback and hoping for that.

Remember, Bergevin was hoping for Tavares, or Duchene to come here. Tavares wouldn't even meet with him/thr Habs and Duchene chose Nashville, which saved Bergevin from himself. Though, Duchene seems to have rebounded.

So far for pro Laine you have scoring depth in the probable 60ish games he plays. And an outside chance Anderson/Gallagher goes the other way in a trade.

I'm sure you'll have a response and I'll be able to dissect that one easily, too.

There's not a whole lot here. I don't really like Necas, but I'd prefer the Habs paying a ransom to acquire him than acquire Laine.

If the Habs do go and acquire Laine and Laine scores 35, or even 40 goals I'll gladly eat the crow cold. Hell, I'll even eat some if he goes to another team and gets that.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Winnipeg and Columbus…..Geez, I wonder why …….

Also where PLD wanted out of, but he's a pos for it ?

Asking for a trade because you're not getting the ice time, or you're getting f***ed around like say Robertson sort of is in Toronto, that makes sense. Laine and PLD just don't want to be in certain places for different reasons, but wanting out of 2 different placed is kind of a red flag on Laine's part (cbus he may want out because of something there triggered why he entered into the player's assistance program. Can't remember if it was for anxiety, or OCD, or something like that.

 

[Habby4Life]

Also where PLD wanted out of, but he's a pos for it ?

Asking for a trade because you're not getting the ice time, or you're getting f***ed around like say Robertson sort of is in Toronto, that makes sense. Laine and PLD just don't want to be in certain places for different reasons, but wanting out of 2 different placed is kind of a red flag on Laine's part (cbus he may want out because of something there triggered why he entered into the player's assistance program. Can't remember if it was for anxiety, or OCD, or something like that.

The reports out of CBJ is Laine was well liked by his teammates. PLD quite middle of a game, and LA dumped him after one 1 into his 8 yr contracted, they could not wait to get rid of him.

PLD and PL are very different scenarios.

 

[Boss Man Hughes]

The reports out of CBJ is Laine was well liked by his teammates. PLD quite middle of a game, and LA dumped him after one 1 into his 8 yr contracted, they could not wait to get rid of him.

PLD and PL are very different scenarios.

True. I'd far rather take a flyer on Laine and pay a reasonable amount for him (even if the term was the same).. Dubois was a cap dump by LA and presumably Hughes had no interest.

 

[themilosh]

Newhook is a complimentary piece, vanilla perfectly describes him.

Yeah I think his game is all about his athleticism.. i actually like his play, reminds me of Lehks a bit. Like you know what they are going to do, but they do it well, vanilla..

 

[Habby4Life]

Yeah I think his game is all about his athleticism.. i actually like his play, reminds me of Lehks a bit. Like you know what they are going to do, but they do it well, vanilla..

Lehk comparison is bang on, Newhook does a lot of things very well. It’s no knock on him but I want better than very well in the top 6. We have had very well for 30 yrs, enough. With CC, NS, Slaf, Dach, and Demi they have 5 guys who are/can be better than very well, get the 6th.

After 30 yrs and at this stage of the rebuild this organization has to be aggressive and finally make bold statement. They have the picks, cap space, and the prospects to do so.

Fans have been patient but we are in year 4 of the rebuild and 3 decades in of mediocrity. I’d like to see some progress, forget culture, forget organically grow, bring some excitement back, score some goals, start winning. If Hugo don’t like Laine, then go get someone else, it’s time. If not now, when, next summer, of the one after that.

I’m sick of average or good enough for now, make a big move, and turn the corner.

Sorry for the rant.

 

[ReHabs]

I'm sure you'll have a response and I'll be able to dissect that one easily, too.

I missed your dissection.

You said if Laine succeeds that it is bad for the Habs because we’ll have to re-sign him. I mean, what are we even talking about here?