HF Habs: Trade Proposal Thread: From Here to Free Agency

[JoelWarlord]

I just don't see why the Leafs would trade Knies now unless they are going for a full rebuild to build around McKenna, which would include finding trades for Matthews, Nylander, and Tavares as well, and if they make that decision they need to try damn hard to get their picks back

My best guess is they have an ownership mandate to not tank so they can sign Matthews, and they're looking at that abomination of a blue line thinking their only chance to try and fix things is to trade Knies for a D and some pieces knowing they can still score with Matthews/Nylander/Tavares/McKenna and some good luck on a couple depth signings.

I think it's very dumb but that's the best explanation I can think of. It doesn't really fit with the rumoured deadline trade but that was also Treliving and he's gone now. I assume Chayka probably was hired with an expectation of trying to compete so Matthews doens't leave.

 

[JustStopThePuck]

Where's this myth that McTavish plays physical coming from? Ducks fans described him as incredibly soft this past season

From watching him.

 

[Milhouse40]

Understood. His injuries weren’t related and more a circumstance of bad luck tbh. He showed he was rugged in the playoffs.

Yeah but put your place in their shoes.....would you trade one of your top assets for a guy that is always injured, never really had one healthy season as a main assets?

If that team was forced to trade that player, maybe.....but this is not the case.

 

[EveryDay]

 

[Naslundforever]

Trading Arber would trigger another rebuild for sure.

... For real though in a zone style with a proper vet RHD he would probably look much better. I hope it happens or that he returns something good.

 

[HabsAddict]

When Stumble plays though he plays a regular shift...with Huston our best defenseman!!!! X plays 5 minutes. Are you guys for freaking real?

Struggles is the definition of PeeWee tough guy. Unfortunatly the rest of the league doesn't see him nor is he anything more then average and definitely not a deterrent.

But then, Struggles is also close to senior management and that makes him a nepotistic parasite.

 

[HabsAddict]

You’re crying about a bottom pairing D man being used as a bottom pairing D man.

Nope. Crying about the toughest guy in the league sitting in the stands while Canes flex their tiny muscles and PeeWee surrendering in 4 straight.

At no point can reality be washed over with..."but we played in the quarter finals". We had options, PeeWee sat on his hands...

 

[Habs Halifax]

Trading Arber would trigger another rebuild for sure.

... For real though in a zone style with a proper vet RHD he would probably look much better. I hope it happens or that he returns something good.

Don't worry. Gorton/Hughes knows the value Xhekaj has. He's a late bloomer and he even gained some maturity last season by sitting/watching games.

I thought that last season, he balanced his fighting obsession vs learning how to play effective D better. I have no doubt this was an issue with MSL. Xhekaj is fight triggered and this his is blind spot. Foot speed and D zone awareness should be his primary focus in his development. Not fighting. Fighting is valued but he's valuing it way to much. He needs to go watch some video from Z Chara. Mock his game around that style. Chara was nasty and used his big frame well. Chara only fought when it was required. He didn't go looking for it but if you pissed him off, you found out pretty quickly

I'm a huge Xhekaj fan. This is a piece we keep around and you just watch what he becomes in his later 20's. He's tracking to be a late bloomer. Maturity seems to be growing but a slow process.

 

[Leto]

My best guess is they have an ownership mandate to not tank so they can sign Matthews, and they're looking at that abomination of a blue line thinking their only chance to try and fix things is to trade Knies for a D and some pieces knowing they can still score with Matthews/Nylander/Tavares/McKenna and some good luck on a couple depth signings.

I think it's very dumb but that's the best explanation I can think of. It doesn't really fit with the rumoured deadline trade but that was also Treliving and he's gone now. I assume Chayka probably was hired with an expectation of trying to compete so Matthews doens't leave.

It's the sunk cost fallacy really. Treliving torpedoed the easiest avenue to retool or rebuild by trading 2 consecutive 1st rounder, giving them two options : stay the course and try to run the Matthews era into its logical conclusion, or blow everything up now and suffer for what could be a 10 year rebuild. Matthews has a lot of mileage on his body : multiple wrist surgery, back injury and now a major knee injury. Every metric that have made him an exceptional goal scorer have been declining for the last 4 years.

If that's what Toronto is betting on, I am afraid they have drunk the copium flavored Kool Aid.​

 

[Bolduc of Hazzard]

So who's the Huberdeau on this Habs roster ?
I'll let you guess...

I know who it should be...




Cole "smurf" Caufield

I don't think Cole is an analytics darling. Chayka loves analytical high players.

 

[vokiel]

Sounds like if Gallagher is traded it will be at the end of the summer and it might not even happen.

They should just buy him out, don't keep strings that would prevent you from fixing the roster.

 

[EveryDay]

Sounds like if Gallagher is traded it will be at the end of the summer and it might not even happen.

Hughes won't take that chance imo. If he's not traded by the end of next week, I'm expecting a buyout.

 

[Andy]

Nope. Crying about the toughest guy in the league sitting in the stands while Canes flex their tiny muscles and PeeWee surrendering in 4 straight.

At no point can reality be washed over with..."but we played in the quarter finals". We had options, PeeWee sat on his hands...

The habs still lose 4 straight with Arber in the lineup. Punching faces won't make you feel better.

 

[Habs Halifax]

From watching him.

McTavish is not hit crazy type like Anderson can be but he's very physically strong. Good ability to be a problem along the boards and in front of the net.

Sometimes, all you need is the big body who can win battles. Other fans look at hits. I don't. I look at how they can keep the puck and take it away! That's the most important.

 

[Habs Halifax]

The habs still lose 4 straight with Arber in the lineup. Punching faces won't make you feel better.

MSL is grooming Xhekaj very well. Fans need to let him do his job. Fans have been trying to play I'm a better coach for decades. It's nonsense in Montreal.

 

[Milhouse40]

Nope. Crying about the toughest guy in the league sitting in the stands while Canes flex their tiny muscles and PeeWee surrendering in 4 straight.

At no point can reality be washed over with..."but we played in the quarter finals". We had options, PeeWee sat on his hands...

If toughness is soooo important....then why the Stanley Cup winner sat Deslauriers for the entire PO except for one game ?
Deslauriers might actually be the toughest player in the NHL, tied to Xhekaj.

 

[scrubadam]

I wouldn't trade Guhle for Nemec 1:1 as we don't need anymore offense from our D but not sure who Leafs would value more at this point

Probably Nemec because he has the pedigree of being a 2nd overall pick and has 1st pair "potential" while Ghule is what he is a solid 2nd pair D. If your trading a player like Knies you probably want the guy with the higher ceiling even though Ghule has the higher floor.

 

[DemidovSZN]

If toughness is soooo important....then why the Stanley Cup winner sat Deslauriers for the entire PO except for one game ?
Deslauriers might actually be the toughest player in the NHL, tied to Xhekaj.

Brind’amour is anti-toughness and hates Deslauriers

 

[Jurivan Demidovsky]

Could also say - why not add Tuch instead of knies?

Trouba - won’t move to quebec
DR - it’s a contract year trap. Lots of suitors, big money.

Tuch wants too much money we don't want that. Gotta take a discount to be part of this dynasty.

 

[scrubadam]

My best guess is they have an ownership mandate to not tank so they can sign Matthews, and they're looking at that abomination of a blue line thinking their only chance to try and fix things is to trade Knies for a D and some pieces knowing they can still score with Matthews/Nylander/Tavares/McKenna and some good luck on a couple depth signings.

I think it's very dumb but that's the best explanation I can think of. It doesn't really fit with the rumoured deadline trade but that was also Treliving and he's gone now. I assume Chayka probably was hired with an expectation of trying to compete so Matthews doens't leave.

They literally can't tank for the next 2 years because they will be handing a top 5 pick to Boston and Philly. They were hella lucky they protected this years pick or else Boston would be drafting GM.
I think the mandate is to finish as high as possible the next 2 years and set the deck for GM 3 years from now. So they want to get talent that can be impact players in 3 years. I don't think they bring back the remaining core, they will dump them all because they are massive losers that didn't do anything for a decade. But they can't know because if the team bottoms out they will be handing top prospects to division and conference rivals.

 

[EveryDay]

 

[Jaynki]

Awww f*** i really wanted him, cmon kent ffs someone wake him up

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

It's a valid position you hold -- that MSL should've changed the lineup and tried something else -- but have you considered how humiliating it would've been for this young roster to have the rug pulled out from under their feet in what would've clearly been a losing effort? Is it more important to give some shifts to a useless plug who won't be part of the roster come July or to show trust in his core players if they were going to lose anyway?

Replacing Veleno and Evans by Beck and Florian X is replacing two vets who doesn't figure in future plans by two young guys who figure in future roster.

Leave your humiliating narrative outside and enter in the world of logical/adult world.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Tuch wants too much money we don't want that. Gotta take a discount to be part of this dynasty.

I agree. That was my point - none of these guys are coming, or at least, we can’t plan or rely on them coming.

 

[Ozmodiar]

Hughes won't take that chance imo. If he's not traded by the end of next week, I'm expecting a buyout.

Buyout window til june 30th?

Something will happen by then, before free agency and NHL year begins.