That's a lot of youth at center. Sign a skilled veteran with experience to blend with them. A Duchene or Giroux type.
HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #90: 2024-2025 season part III
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HabsWhiteKnightLOL
Registered User
Pretty useless to sign those guys. We need a long term top 6 center who can feed laine and Demidov. Can't wait for Hage if he will get there. We have picks and prospects enough to make that kind of trade. Even if we have to overpay . This team needs help Suzuki can't be the only center to eo everything offensively. He's getting pinned down by all shutdown lines because teams knows we have nothing else.
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Yeah, the timing has me ponding about it. Same with Barron... I think he will become a top 4D but how long will it take? Hopefully Mailloux is ahead of that curve. The skating/size/shot and offensive vision is there.
Who was better in the AHL defensively (D zone ability)? Barron or Mailloux? I have not watched many Laval games.
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
I think we all like Dobson but I keep going back to our D core missing defensive studs (with me, it comes down to Reinbacher or Dobson). Nice to have both but we really do need more defensive studs and we don't have a lot of proven guys defensively yet. That guy is only Guhle right now. Hopefully Xhekaj can improve more... it's been a better year for him this year vs last so I do have faith he develops more and more and is mature come 25+. I like his fighting ability but I prefer and value his physical presence and steady D play more. He has to continue to focus and be hungry to improve in that area.
Dobson is also going to ask for a contract we might not like.
One option which appears not attractive right now is Xhekaj moving to RD to play with Hutson.... When Xhekaj is fully mature. Something to consider later (maybe)
Nemec is very well rounded (I believe anyways). Devils probably are holding onto his #2 OA value so cost may be too high. Lets see how the Devils manage their RD side. I know they want to keep Kova but they might have a Evans situation on their hands... both players looking for their bag of money after being on value contracts at the first half of their career. No doubt in my mind that their agents are advising them to use the UFA card with a much higher cap.
I'm a big fan of McTavish but I just don't see the Ducks trading their physical center. They probably ask for Slaf or have him on the untouchable list.
Habs Halifax
Loyal Habs Fan
Duchene for 2 years might not be a bad play though. That's basically Hage's development time.
Giroux? NO. His skating is not good enough to play center. Duchene can still skate
Brian Wilde talking on Global this morning is talking about our Management now looking at an expedited rebuild. That being said there aren't too many ways to do that without addressing the 2C need. What it doesn't tell us is which assets are expendable. I have my own ideas but they probably don't correspond with many on this board.
eklund the clown
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2010
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LOL like I'm ever shy...
I would move out all moveable assets but if i was to keep one player I'd probably keep Armia for the PK as a cheaper short term option. I believe the PK has always responded when Armia plays well on it. The numbers bear that out our PK was horrendous coming out of Covid ll and only improved last season when Armia found his game again. Note our PK was very good in the SCF run with Armia playing a huge part while Evans was out for almost 3/4's of it. I have never believed Evans role was one that would be hard to replace and my posts have remained consistent to that effect.
OneSharpMarble
Registered User
Not sure why people are so excited to go after Cozens, he makes 7mill and is on pace for 38 points. Oh and is also -17 for the +/- idiots out there.
Start a petition to have +/- removed from all statistical reports so the idiots don't get confused about what it actually means...
Deebs
Take my strong advice, always think twice
- Feb 5, 2014
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I think some of the hype comes from the recent history of some Sabre players leaving and excelling elsewhere. The Sabres have been irrelevant and in purgatory for so long, I think the whole franchise from the top down eats players alive. Is he worth going after, if the price is right possibly but as you say, he does make $7M so caution needs to be exercised.
eklund the clown
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2010
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Well whatever the asking price is it sure has not been met or he would have been traded by now.If he had 1/2 the contract sure take a chance on him.Then again we are talking about the Sabres.They seem to have all the talent in the world for years but players don't seem to thrive there.
Laine will not be here long term. It was never the plan to begin. They acquired him to get more picks just like Monahan.
Deebs
Take my strong advice, always think twice
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Not sure it wasn't the plan if Laine regained his old form and fit in with the club. It was a good trade to make on our behalf because there was no real risk to what the team is trying to build.
eklund the clown
Registered User
- Dec 28, 2010
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Who knows what Hugo are thinking/planning ?They say they are going to stay the course.I think it's time to kick things into gear a bit .Let's take a closer look at this lineup .tradeable players to get that #1 or 2 centre . Suzuki and Caufield i would not move.Slaf well thats another story.He doesn't seem to be progressing and yes i know he's young .Second line.Any of Laine,Dach and Newhook can be traded.Bottom 6 if i could i would sign Evans if the price is right.Armia looks good because his contract is up.Where's he been before this year?Gally buy him out because no team will take him.Anderson doesn't bring much.On Defense Matheson and Savard have to go .Love Guhle but he's not much good injured half the time.Did i miss anyone?Oh Dvorak can leave also and send Pezz back to the dispenser.
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I'm having trouble understanding your reasoning.
"This team needs help. Suzuki can't be the only Center to do everything offensively"
While I agree that Montreal needs a long term 2C (who wouldn't), why can't we sign an UFA like Duchene, at least, who, unlike Giroux who is 37, is 34 and likely still has two seasons of 2C level production in him (he's currently producing at a .925 PPG pace in Dallas on a 3M one-year deal.
I think it would cost more than 3M to sign Duchene -- and more than one year -- but overpaying for two years while we don't need the Cap room yet could buy us a quality stop-gap Center to develop another options like Hage and, perhaps, a C that we draft this year after keeping our assets.
It also wouldn't prevent us from being on the lookout to sign a long term C next year (not aware who will be available as a UFA then), or make a trade for a long term C that might not be available today, but could become available next season.
I'd prefer other, more long term Cs than Duchene like Bennett, who will also become an UFA, for example, but Duchene is not a bad short term fix that doesn't prevent Hughes to be on the lookout for a longer term fix.
The key, IMO, is to have a genuine 2C at the very start of next season in order to properly evaluate Laine and see whether it is worthwhile to extend him or not.
A Laine playing on all cylinders would be useful to any team, but not knowing off wen can get that from him will waste our chance to make an informed decision. A genuine 2C from the get-go would solve that enigma, whether that Center is here long term or shorter term.
8.7M X 2 is pretty expensive to add a 2nd rounder and, what, another 2nd rounder at next year's trade deadline?
sampollock
Registered User
I bet KH is a seller. I foresee couple small moves
or
Evans and Armia traded as a package. My guess
or
Evans and Armia traded as a package. My guess
Nico Cauzuki
Registered User
Curious on a Evans + Armia package we might need to retain on Joel but can both together return a 1st
Deebs
Take my strong advice, always think twice
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Possibly but getting a solid young player may be more beneficial to the team's timeline.
DAChampion
Registered User
- May 28, 2011
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Are we expecting this team to be a contender by bringing in a hoard of youngsters to fill out the ranks once all the so-called riff-raff is jettisoned?
Who will replace the entire bottom-6 once it is thrown out with the bath water?
I would not buy out Gallagher's contract and have contract residue around for four years. Easier to ride out his contract and Anderson's contract for only two more years. Anderson still has value in a bottom-6 role he has seemed to accept and he is a team player other players look up to.
Montreal, even with the addition of a veteran 2C and a top-4 RHD, plus the renewal of Hutson's contract after next year, as well as a potential renewal for Laine's contract at the same time (TBD, IMO),has enough Cap room -- once we don't renew Savard, Armia and Dvorak -- to ride out Anderson and Gallagher's contracts, even if Gallagher becomes the most expensive 13th forward in the league.
Cap will not be an issue before we sign Demidov to his 2nd NHL contract. By then, both Anderson and Gallagher's contracts (12M in Cap space) will be gone to address Demidov's contract extension and the rise in Cap ceiling should keep everyone else happy along the way.
I'd also keep Armia for two or three more years ifwnhe takes less money than the current 3.4M for longer term security and stability staying put in Montreal. Armia at 2.75M would be a Hab for three more years for me.
IMO, in his current role, at 2.75M (50% retained) Anderson would be worth something as early as next year's trade deadline.
I'd rather retain half a contract for the duration of the contract than buy out anyone over twice the term.
We never know how Cap strapped we will be in three or four years if we succeed in assembling talented depth throughout the lineup.
Evans, I'm neither here nor there about keeping him if we can get a late 1st round pick for him at the trade deadline.
However, I really don't think that, from a 'block a prospect' point of view, keeping Evans will be a hindrance if he signs at a reasonable cap hit (around 3M), even long term.
In the worst case scenario, Evans would remain a worthwhile trade asset down the line.
Weltschmerz
Front Running Fan
- Apr 22, 2007
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Is Duchene even playing center for Dallas? They have so many guys listed as C. Guess you can always try, but he seems happy there and I'm not so optimistic about the habs chances in free agency, most players try to sign with contenders and with the new cap numbers there is enough money that the top teams can spend.
You don't take 485 faceoffs in 53 games without playing center.
