HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread #90: 2024-2025 season part III

Cozens is an overpaid borderline 2nd line player. We already have Slaf for that role, I have no idea why we'd want Cozens let alone giving up any assets for him?? 0 chance we give up LM, they'd have to give us a draft pick to take on his salary.
Possibly because of the narrative that everyone who departs that tire fire of an organization suddenly rediscovers their game and improves their performance markedly.
 
There is an alternate reality where our defense looks something like this:

Hutson - Sergachev
Romanov - Guhle
McDonagh - Carrier
Xhekaj
I have some concerns about whether Hughes really knows what it takes to build a solid defense

Romanov, Edmundson, Kovacevic, Kulak, Chiarot, Petry all shipped out and replaced with Matheson, Carrier, and Hutson. He hasn’t actually added a solid defense first guy in his tenure. If we didn’t swap Barron for Carrier it’s even worse
 
I have some concerns about whether Hughes really knows what it takes to build a solid defense

Romanov, Edmundson, Kovacevic, Kulak, Petry all shipped out and replaced with Matheson, Carrier, and Hutson. He hasn’t actually added a solid defense first guy in his tenure
I agree, the defense is a concern. When he came in him and Gorton talked a lot about adding skill, agility and speed. But I still think we need big steady and/or mobile defenseman on the blueline. A reason why I feel that is that I think the Weber, Petry, Edmunson, Chiarot top 4 played a big part in Habs cinderella run in 2021. Add to that 6'2 Kulak and bulldog Romanov on the bottom pairing. Or Gustafsson. Did we even had a sub 6'1 defenseman that playoff?
 
I agree, the defense is a concern. When he came in him and Gorton talked a lot about adding skill, agility and speed. But I still think we need big steady and/or mobile defenseman on the blueline. A reason why I feel that is that I think the Weber, Petry, Edmunson, Chiarot top 4 played a big part in Habs cinderella run in 2021. Add to that 6'2 Kulak and bulldog Romanov on the bottom pairing. Or Gustafsson. Did we even add a sub 6 defenseman that playoff?
That top-4 was a huge part of our success, that D was built for the playoffs
 
Instead of staying grounded in reality I'm just going to live in fantasy world for a while.

What if we offer Rantanen 14 million, then if he accepts and Buffalo's looking for a shake up then we try something around Dach+Caufield+ whatever other futures it takes to get Thompson from Buffalo.

Then we could run something like Slaf-Thompson-Rantanen and Demidov-Suzuki-Laine as the top 6.
 
Instead of staying grounded in reality I'm just going to live in fantasy world for a while.

What if we offer Rantanen 14 million, then if he accepts and Buffalo's looking for a shake up then we try something around Dach+Caufield+ whatever other futures it takes to get Thompson from Buffalo.

Then we could run something like Slaf-Thompson-Rantanen and Demidov-Suzuki-Laine as the top 6.
I think you might be able to get Rantanen at least than that if he keeps sulking in Carolina. Words will start to be that he was a product of Mackinnon.
 
I agree, the defense is a concern. When he came in him and Gorton talked a lot about adding skill, agility and speed. But I still think we need big steady and/or mobile defenseman on the blueline. A reason why I feel that is that I think the Weber, Petry, Edmunson, Chiarot top 4 played a big part in Habs cinderella run in 2021. Add to that 6'2 Kulak and bulldog Romanov on the bottom pairing. Or Gustafsson. Did we even had a sub 6'1 defenseman that playoff?
Not to worry, Jamie Oleksiak to the Habs is an e4.

But seriously, let's hope Reinbacher makes the team sooner than later.
 
That top-4 was a huge part of our success, that D was built for the playoffs
That team was built for the playoffs and is very underrated by some Habs fans and the troll army on the main board.

1) very big and physical D
2) great C depth with Danault and that possession line with Gallagher and lehkonen
3) add Suzuki and caufield for young blood
4) Kotkaniemi and Anderson on that 3rd line
4) and a terrific 4th which just ground teams down with Armia, Perry and Staal.

5 ) and CP31 playing out of his mind.

Habs continue to forget the need for size and nasty to go far in the playoffs. These team is sorely lacking in it
 
Possibly because of the narrative that everyone who departs that tire fire of an organization suddenly rediscovers their game and improves their performance markedly.

That's not entirely true, as ROR, Reinhart, Eichel & Rodrigues all played well for Buffalo. They were all top line players for them, except for Rodrigues, and added high end depth to already good teams.

Cozens is not playing well for them & is not a top line player. He's middle 6.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Fuonki and mdk
We don’t have a second line.

We barely have a third line.

We have a first line of two small guys and Baby Huey that can be red hot or ice cold and there’s no inbetween.

And we have an excellent fourth line. Two thirds of which we will likely trade at the deadline.

Adding a middle 6 player, if they can jumpstart the second line into any kind of regular production is a massive win.
It doesn’t have to be Dylan Cozens, but I think he’d be an improvement over Dach.

A big left shooting center would be ideal. Obviously there aren’t many available. But after this last stretch of games, I’m firmly in the trade Dach/put him back as a winger and find a real second line center camp.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Levard
I agree, the defense is a concern. When he came in him and Gorton talked a lot about adding skill, agility and speed. But I still think we need big steady and/or mobile defenseman on the blueline. A reason why I feel that is that I think the Weber, Petry, Edmunson, Chiarot top 4 played a big part in Habs cinderella run in 2021. Add to that 6'2 Kulak and bulldog Romanov on the bottom pairing. Or Gustafsson. Did we even had a sub 6'1 defenseman that playoff?
at the same time that dogshit roster was not even making the playoffs in a normal season. They were like 19-20th. It was just a special season due to covid. They entered the playoffs 24-32 for god sake. I remember if CGY didnt throw that game at the end of that season we were actually missing the playoffs.

Then cinderella happened , then reality
 
at the same time that dogshit roster was not even making the playoffs in a normal season. They were like 19-20th. It was just a special season due to covid. They entered the playoffs 24-32 for god sake. I remember if CGY didnt throw that game at the end of that season we were actually missing the playoffs.

Then cinderella happened , then reality
What is even more shit is that this team won't finish top 8 in the east again for 8 consecutive seasons.
 
It was half a joke but also I am very very high on Michael Misa and despite the gap in where they are developmentally it's difficult for me to see slaf having as big of an impact on a team as a player like Misa will. Also in my head I have us following that up with signing rantanen😂
Well damnn... i didnt know we were getting Misa AND Rantannen.. if getting those two was guaranteed id say it's a wash. Yeah, im that high on Slaf. He's still a kid at 20yo and has shown maturity throughout. Dude parks himself infront of goalies and is a headache to move from opposition (already).. while he may sacrifice points for his linemates, this can't be understated - right now i think MSL is teaching him everything and Slaf is constantly showing new looks.

Maybe he wont be that PPG player but in 2 yrs, he is going to be a beast, and belongs on the Habs! I predict he will become a modern day version of Big John LeClaire, and we all know what happened when we gave up too early. Big guys take much (much) longer to develop.
 
Last edited:
To be honest Romanov might have been enough stabilization to prevent us from getting Demidov. I think we're at the stage where we can't look back too much on the years before the last draft because Demidov is the only 1st overall talent we have.

We definitely need better defensive dmen though. Who knew we'd end up with a Hutson level PMD though.
 
  • Like
Reactions: electron58
At this point, I think you have to trade Dvo, and Savard for whatever you can get. Make space for youngsters to come in before the end of the season.

Second tier is Evans and Armia depending on what you’d get for them and what it would cost to resign them. Wouldn’t mind bringing them both back with the right contracts as they’re both useful 4th liners and PKers.
 
I don’t see Casey Mittelstadt mentionned here. 2nd line center who can reach 60pts/year. Reasonable contract for 2 years after this one. We can probably get him for a combination of Evans and either some other ufa players like Armia or Savard and prospect.

Switch Dach to the wing and with the arrival of Demidov next year and Beck staying in the lineup, we get deeper and better upfront.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad