Two years later: Revisiting the Kotkaniemi - Dvorak swap

[Lafleurs Guy]

There is still that spark missing, the game changer with extraordinary skating skills and finishing touch. I know CC skate fast but not like Naslund, Courtnall or Bure. Beck might become the expert defensive center but I doubt he become as good as Carbonneau, Pleks or Danault. Leafs and Oilers have the finest scoring forwards but their team sucks in defense, they need a defensive squad like Danault, or two first lines that does everything 200 feet like Bergeron and Kreji in Boston. Roy might become a winger in that mold but I'm waiting for the center who takes charge of the checking duty. I wanted Gaucher at the time but he was gone when Habs had to pick.

There’s a lot of talent there. And if we could just stop getting injured…

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

There’s a lot of talent there. And if we could just stop getting injured…

Our team is no1 with injury players, sadly.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

Our team is no1 with injury players, sadly.

Happened with both Dach and Newhook just as they were heating up too…. Tragic

I get it though, a superstar center would mean everything to us. That’d mean Suzuki could move down… Dach could be our third or on the wing. We’d be in amazing shape.

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Happened with both Dach and Newhook just as they were heating up too…. Tragic

I get it though, a superstar center would mean everything to us. That’d mean Suzuki could move down… Dach could be our third or on the wing. We’d be in amazing shape.

Kopitar was drafted 11th, Getzlaf 17th, Bergeron second round, Datsyuk (6th round) and Zetterberg (7th round), too bad Timmins never picked one of those. It's not an absolute necessity to draft #1 or 2nd overall. Today Habs are way better developping kids, no more Lefebvre.

 

[yianik]

People should rewatch the year end presser . It was clear as day that Bozovin was not happy with KK.

If that was the case, wouldn’t it have just been wiser to trade him?

I’m pretty sure we could have landed a pretty good player for something like our first round pick + KK.

Yep. Same look with PK, Chucky, Markov, Romanov, Danault. " You are dead to me"

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Yep. Same look with PK, Chucky, Markov, Romanov, Danault. " You are dead to me"

Yep. The shape of this franchise depended on Bergy's mood of the moment, approved by Geoff.
When he didn't like a player, that player was like dead for him.

 

[salbutera]

Kopitar was drafted 11th, Getzlaf 17th, Bergeron second round, Datsyuk (6th round) and Zetterberg (7th round), too bad Timmins never picked one of those. It's not an absolute necessity to draft #1 or 2nd overall. Today Habs are way better developping kids, no more Lefebvre.

Timmins was a scout in the Sens org ..

 

[Catanddogguitarrr]

Timmins was a scout in the Sens org ..

He have a long history of missing key players then.

 

[Doc McKenna]

devos D skills are better than KK, that being said, he's a plug and there are a ton of chris higginses out there.

 

[HuGort]

Is Carolina playing KK on the wing? Or at center? I remember he was bad at faceoffs.

 

[dcyhabs]

The main issues with the trade were the relationships with the players and the asset management. When a management team benches young guys for weird reasons, negotiates in the media, and values GM sound bites over players there is not much hope that the team will be good.

Every move in that offseason was a disaster but the problems that got them there weren’t new.

 

[1909]

KK wanted out of MTL at all cost. Canes' owner wanted his revenge against Bergevin for the Aho's offer sheet. Habs had no cap space anyway to keep KK at 6,1 M $ .

Main mistake was rushing to acquire Dvorak for two very good draft picks. Habs had only Suzuki and Evans as their two top centermen. Danault was gone too.

 

[BJCOLLINS]

no way KK was a better pick than Brady. no way KK was worth 6.1 million. no way Dvo was worth a 1st & 2nd.

it WAS worth it to bounce Bergy & get HuGo.

 

[loadie]

Who would have thought a dumb GM doing dumb stuff….

 

[Garnet76]

The only side that won this whole situation is KK.
The Habs didn't do well with the trade and Carolina has got a player who has stalled in his development on a long contract. Good for KK but I feel both teams lost in the end.

 

[GrandBison]

The only side that won this whole situation is KK.
The Habs didn't do well with the trade and Carolina has got a player who has stalled in his development on a long contract. Good for KK but I feel both teams lost in the end.

They could have retained Trocheck for their Cup window for less than a million more per year.

 

[salbutera]

The only side that won this whole situation is KK.
The Habs didn't do well with the trade and Carolina has got a player who has stalled in his development on a long contract. Good for KK but I feel both teams lost in the end.

Canes have an out…. they can get out of his contract without any cap hit repercussions if they exercise buyout this summer

 

[Garnet76]

Canes have an out…. they can get out of his contract without any cap hit repercussions if they exercise buyout this summer

Thats interesting because I've never heard of a buy out in the NHL with no cap hit. Cap friendly has his cap hit for 6 years after this year but maybe I'm reading it wrong.

 

[GrandBison]

Canes have an out…. they can get out of his contract without any cap hit repercussions if they exercise buyout this summer

Puckpedia has a 840k over 10 years buyout. I'm not sure where that buyout at no cost come from. For players under 26, it's 1/3 of the remaining.

 

[salbutera]

Puckpedia has a 840k over 10 years buyout. I'm not sure where that buyout at no cost come from. For players under 26, it's 1/3 of the remaining.

I’m probably mistaken, thought under 26 rule was 1/3 payout but no cap hit penalty

 

[GrandBison]

I’m probably mistaken, thought under 26 rule was 1/3 payout but no cap hit penalty

Oh, you could be right, it just seems that there is contradicting infos on those more than often reliable sites.

 

[hvac412]

Canes have an out…. they can get out of his contract without any cap hit repercussions if they exercise buyout this summer

Yeah but the owner of that team is just as dumb as Molson and to cheap to pay kk all that money for nothing.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

no way KK was a better pick than Brady. no way KK was worth 6.1 million. no way Dvo was worth a 1st & 2nd.

it WAS worth it to bounce Bergy & get HuGo.

Yeah, definitely worth it to get rid of MB.

 

[MXD]

The problem wasn't so much letting Kotkaniemi go (absolutely not, if anything), but rather giving way, way too much for Dvorak. Kotakaniemi was gone regardless of what would happen, because he was mad at being below two significantly better players on the depth chart.

 

[BLNY]

Too late for the poll. Missed this masochistic thread lol.

Berg did the right thing letting him walk. It was too much, even for one year, and I don't think he'd have extended.

Berg paid too much for Dvorak in the end.