HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #89: 2024-2025 season part II

[FerrisRox]

Fair...I see him more like a 3rd line C rather than a 4th.

Even if his stats regress to 25 to 30 points a year for $4 to $4.5 million a season for a third line centre who penalty kills?

I mean, that's what Christian Dvorak has been doing and people want to pretend he's the worst player in the league and can't wait to get out from under the contract.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I stand firm... Gourde would be a very solid stop gap for us and he would sign to play for the Habs IMO. 2 more years at an AAV less than Evans and it's very possible we can get a late 1st for Evans and only pay a 2nd for Gourde.

Not saying I want Evans gone but if he gives us contract trouble, we can make the flip now and exchange a 2nd for a 1st or we can let Evans walk and sign Gourde to a very good team friendly deal this summer.

Gourde:
* Age 33
* 49 pts with 17 goals ove his last 115 games (0.43 pts/game)
* 6.61 hits/60
* 2.41 blocks/60
* 1.48 giveaways/60
* 2.25 takeaways/60
* 49% corsi with 62.3% Defensive zone starts
* 48.4 Faceoff %

Evans:
* Age 28
* 53 pts with 18 goals ove his last 129 games (0.41 pts/game)
* 4.42 hits/60
* 2.66 blocks/60
* 1.93 giveaways/60
* 0.99 takeaways/60
* 40% corsi with 80.0% Defensive zone starts
* 52.2 Faceoff %

Gourde's takeaways/60 is among the best in the NHL and his faceoffs is not that far off from Evans.

 

[ahmedou]

Trade Proposal: Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers is BFF with Laine. Laine gave him a Habs signed jersey because Ehlers asked it.

There's rumors that say that Ehlers is interested to play with the Canadiens.

Ehlers will be free agent at the end of the season 24/25é

 

[417]

Even if his stats regress to 25 to 30 points a year for $4 to $4.5 million a season for a third line centre who penalty kills?

Well that's a very valuable skill that he does better than most.

Seems fair to me.

I mean, that's what Christian Dvorak has been doing and people want to pretend he's the worst player in the league and can't wait to get out from under the contract.

Dvorak isn't a great penalty killer, also, people complained/complain about Dvorak and his contract under previous salary cap, the cap is increasing.

Dvorak at 4.45M in a salary cap world where your teams' cap is 82 to 88M isn't ideal

Evans at 4.5M in a salary cap world where your teams' cap is 92.5M to 98-100M over the potential length of a perspective deal, is more than digestible.

 

[Hope Of Glory]

Do I think he's a valuable player and a great fourth line centre? Yes.

Do I think he should be paid over $4 million to be a fourth line centre? Absolutely not.

Unless they see him as the 3C, I don't see how it makes sense to give him more than 3.5M unless its really short term (which he likely doesn't want).

And I don't see a team contending with Evans as a 3C, his offense is bound to come back down to earth. And without his unsustainable level of offense, he's a 4C. How many 4th liners make more than 3M?

The wildcard here is how much the cap is going to rise. If it's going up by 20% like it's rumored to, 3M is suddenly 3.6M. So a slight overpay brings us to about 4M. But I still wouldn't be confortable giving him that.

 

[sampollock]

What about Rackell from Pitt?

Trade Proposal: Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers is BFF with Laine. Laine gave him a Habs signed jersey because Ehlers asked it.

There's rumors that say that Ehlers is interested to play with the Canadiens.

Ehlers will be free agent at the end of the season 24/25é

To small
Hurt all the time
This board says injury prone players a huge NO

 

[Ozmodiar]

They can pay Evans like a 3rd line center IF …
Hutson and Laine sign for ~ 8M , AND
The cap keeps going up beyond 92.5, AND
No surprises in the next CBA, AND
they don’t have their sights set on a trade/UFA acquisition at C.

I think this is all possible but there are unknowns and bigger fish to fry.
Keep in mind, the team is entering an era where they’ll have to be careful with bottom 6 contracts. We aren’t used to having talent on the team.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Trade Proposal: Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers is BFF with Laine. Laine gave him a Habs signed jersey because Ehlers asked it.

There's rumors that say that Ehlers is interested to play with the Canadiens.

Ehlers will be free agent at the end of the season 24/25é

Jets won't trade him because they are going on a run. They likely take his cap structure and sign or trade for someone to replace him this summer. Habs should not trade for him at this TDL and spend assets.

Ehlers is rumored to wanting to join Laine in Montreal. This would be a summer signing. However, for as much as I like Ehlers, I am not sure how he fits our forward strategy. He gets injured a lot and is on the smaller side. Hard not to like the skating/skill but his playoff numbers are crap over 37 games.

I'd be interested if both Laine and Ehlers took $7M AAV deals to fit our cap structure and that probably makes Newhook a trade chip because Ehlers replaces his spot.

 

[sampollock]

Rickard Rakell
Right Wing -- shoots R
Born May 5 1993 --Sundbyberg, Sweden
[31 yrs. ago]
Height 6.01 -- Weight 191[185 cm/87 kg]

 

[ML16]

Sure, no problem lol just saying you're admonishing me for using the term "screwed" when you used it first and then edited your post...come on man lol

Anyway.

The Habs aren't up against the cap, there's no reason why they couldn't re-sign him. He's a super valuable player, arguably one if not the top PKer in the NHL, he's home grown too.

You let him go, you're just going to end up spending that same money if not more to replace him. If the Habs were a basement team right now, I might think differently, but they're not and Evans has proven to be a very versatile, reliable and useful player even before he started shooting an unsustainable shooting % this year.

Solution is simple.

Sign him.

With the cap rising around 100M sooner than later, less than 5M AAV devoted to goaltending in the foreseeable future, Dvorak out and Price’s and Gallagher’s contract off the books in a couple of years as well, re-signing Evans around 3-4M AAV to provide a versatile veteran presence to the bottom-6 indeed seems like the solution; Occam’s razor-wise!

 

[sampollock]

Rickard Rakell
Right Wing -- shoots R
Born May 5 1993 --Sundbyberg, Sweden
[31 yrs. ago]
Height 6.01 -- Weight 191[185 cm/87 kg]

We three
Plays centre too.
Not a expensive trade I bet

 

[tazsub3]

Hutson for Seider is a good start but while we're at it, I think we should also do Demivov for Kane straight up. I heard that guy is a beast in the playoffs.

That was 10 years ago you say? Don't care, when they offer you Patty Kane you don't ask for more.

People , Bergevin is unmasked on these boards !!! Now we need to find the rest of the fox hole crew

 

[waitin425]

Depending on what we do this summer, I'd like to explore the idea of signing Max Comtois.

Had a decent season in Anaheim during the lockout and is having a good season in Moscow.

I'd be willing to give him a shot if for some reason we don't sign Armia and somehow unload Gallagher.

Big body, plays with grit.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Depending on what we do this summer, I'd like to explore the idea of signing Max Comtois.

Had a decent season in Anaheim during the lockout and is having a good season in Moscow.

I'd be willing to give him a shot if for some reason we don't sign Armia and somehow unload Gallagher.

Big body, plays with grit.

My questions to this are:

1) Does his skating fit MSL structure and style of play?

2) Who does he replace? Armia?

 

[sampollock]

My questions to this are:

1) Does his skating fit MSL structure and style of play?

2) Who does he replace? Armia?

3) why does no one else want him?

 

[waitin425]

My questions to this are:

1) Does his skating fit MSL structure and style of play?

2) Who does he replace? Armia?

Was skating very slow after the Covid apparently so likely doesn't fit that.

I prefer we keep Armia, but I am always looking and asking in case we don't resign him.

 

[Unclewhalebone]

Look at Jake Evans shooting percentage. It's 23.4 percent. Last year it was 8.6. The year before it was 3.6.

His career best as a regular NHLer is 10.5

Ok, so lets take half (6 of 11) of those goals away and call them lucky. Jake Evans now has 5 goals and 14 assists, placing him second among centres on the Habs for points, plus you still have the penalty killing, puck controlling, constantly improving, best +/- on team, role playing, well respected Jake Evans. That shooting percentage is public information. It is a fool that would over-evaluate Evans based on a few extra lucky goals, but it is also a fool that would hold those "lucky" goals against him.
The guy is a gamer, he competes hard, fills an important role on this team and plays winning hockey. He helps tip the scales in our favour and that has value.
As long as he is signed to a deal that doesn't make him untradable I don't think signing Evans will be regrettable.

 

[Goalfield13]

Actually, it means a ton, because the idea that he is a 3rd line centre rather than a 4th line centre has everything to do with his offensive production this season and it's the primary reason people are suggesting a contract that starts with a 4.

It's Fool's Gold, and a fool is going to be burned by it.

Regardless of his production this year, he is a solid bottom 6 C. Call him what you want. 4th, 3rd. Doesn't matter. Teams that want him now and long-term will see his career stats and judge accordingly. They aren't morons.

Trade Proposal: Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers is BFF with Laine. Laine gave him a Habs signed jersey because Ehlers asked it.

There's rumors that say that Ehlers is interested to play with the Canadiens.

Ehlers will be free agent at the end of the season 24/25é

Where does he play when Demidov comes over?

 

[Treb]

We three
Plays centre too.
Not a expensive trade I bet

Hasn't taken faceoffs regularly in the last 5 years.

Habs don’t need more wingers.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Nelson is one I am interested in if Evans gives us contract fits.
* Nelson is 2 years older than Evans
* Nelson probably is paid $4M more than Evans but worth it. Problem would be term. If he is OK with 5 years, that would be ideal (takes him to 35).
* Nelson can easily push Dach to RW or 3C.

What is the cost to get Nelson? 1st round + for sure. I'd try to see if Newhook and two 2nd rounders would do it. If not, Flames 1st and Newhook and bring Nelson over now vs later. Then we can consider if we want to move Evans or not.

Bad or good move? Contract hits for both Evans and Newhook likely equal Nelson or more when Newhook needs a new deal.

 

[Gaylord Q Tinkledink]

Nelson is one I am interested in if Evans gives us contract fits.
* Nelson is 2 years older than Evans
* Nelson probably is paid $4M more than Evans but worth it. Problem would be term. If he is OK with 5 years, that would be ideal (takes him to 35).
* Nelson can easily push Dach to RW or 3C.

What is the cost to get Nelson? 1st round + for sure. I'd try to see if Newhook and two 2nd rounders would do it. If not, Flames 1st and Newhook and bring Nelson over now vs later. Then we can consider if we want to move Evans or not.

Bad or good move? Contract hits for both Evans and Newhook likely equal Nelson or more when Newhook needs a new deal.

Brock Nelson ?



Chaz Lucius might be a prospect the Habs look to target to get into the fold that isn't going to cost a 1st.

 

[Hannibal]

Ehlers doesnt move the needle for us. Hes not what we miss or need.

 

[ML16]

Jets won't trade him because they are going on a run. They likely take his cap structure and sign or trade for someone to replace him this summer. Habs should not trade for him at this TDL and spend assets.

Ehlers is rumored to wanting to join Laine in Montreal. This would be a summer signing. However, for as much as I like Ehlers, I am not sure how he fits our forward strategy. He gets injured a lot and is on the smaller side. Hard not to like the skating/skill but his playoff numbers are crap over 37 games.

I'd be interested if both Laine and Ehlers took $7M AAV deals to fit our cap structure and that probably makes Newhook a trade chip because Ehlers replaces his spot.

If somehow Ehlers lands in Montreal this offseason, he would likely take up a top-6 LW role; that’s Demidov’s spot, not Newhook…

I really like Ehlers, but for his signing to make sense, the Habs would either have to try out Demidov at C (an intriguing possibility, considering he prefers this position from what I gather) or make a significant move to acquire a potent LHC (Newhook upgrade) who could take Demidov under his wing on a luxury 3rd line.

 

[Habs Halifax]

If somehow Ehlers lands in Montreal this offseason, he would likely take up a top-6 LW role; that’s Demidov’s spot, not Newhook…

I really like Ehlers, but for his signing to make sense, the Habs would either have to try out Demidov at C (an intriguing possibility, considering he prefers this position from what I gather) or make a significant move to acquire a potent LHC (Newhook upgrade) who could take Demidov under his wing on a luxury 3rd line.

Today, I spent a fair amount of time looking for a stop gap center if Evans gives us contract fits. If we are acting like the Habs GM, we need to do this exercise as due diligence... I'm pretty sure Hughes is doing the same thing

First I was looking at Gourde. Then ROR. Now I'm considering B Nelson with extension. Nelson is only 2 year older than Evans. Probably cost $4M more than Evans but worth it! Flames 1st (12-18 range ish) is probably a piece no other contender can touch for Nelson. We would have a good shot at landing him but once again... with conditions he extends (5x $7.5M ish). Then we can either keep Evans and let it expire of trade him for a late 1st or two 2nd's

What does our herd think about this? I like Ehlers but Nelson is a better piece that helps you win games in the playoffs. He easily pushes Dach to RW or 3C and takes a lot of burden of of Suzuki's shoulders

Sign the team friendly deal Evans... if you really do want to stay! We do have other options we can explore

 

[Ozmodiar]

Now I'm considering B Nelson with extension. Nelson is only 2 year older than Evans.

5 years older.