Speculation: Who would be a good value 3C or an older 2C

[HabsAddict]

I'm high on Suzuki and now that we have Dvorak, I feel much better about our 2C, however, there is no such thing as too many decent centers.

We know that Bbinz is an absolute miser with his young core which would be......CC, Suzuki, Romanov, Guhle, Harris, Dvorak.

We can assume that Habs 2023 1st, and several regulars not named Savard, Gally, Price and Petry are available. Besides, they would exceed the value of a 3C. So would Toffoli and Anderson.

So for a 1st and/or Drouin, Poehling, Evans, Struble, Chiarot, Edmumdson, Kulak, Lehkonen, Armia, or some combination of, who could be had as a 3C or better?

And remember, we just got young Dvorak for a 1st and a 3rd. Players like Lehky and Armia alone would have the same value as a lesser 3C.

Conditions...he has to be able to play a hard 200ft game and be at least a 30 point center within a reasonable past.

(Since I don't live on the hockey channel, I don't know who would be a decent center. Thus this post.)

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[NotAVacuumSalesman]

Alex Galchenyuk?

 

[HabsAddict]

Alex Galchenyuk?

We don't have the nose for him.....

 

[EdJovanovski]

Ryan Strome?
May be a little less defensively gifted than what you’d be targeting, but probably more offensively gifted too. He does PK tho

 

[HabsAddict]

Ryan Strome?
May be a little less defensively gifted than what you’d be targeting, but probably more offensively gifted too. He does PK tho

Sure, one of the players I thought about, but he's on the last year of his contract and the value would be closer to a rental....unless he could be extended.

Needless to say, Ranger fans will want 23 draft choices but realistically, given what Dv went for, he's closer to a very late 1st.

 

[Captain97]

Honestly Habs should try to sign Bozak cheap. Put up a 35 point pace last year, good defensively, and in the dot.

Another possible is Tierney if Ottawa wants to move on from hi.

I think the Habs only need a stop gap as I think Poehling will be ready for 3C duties as early as next year.

 

[HabsAddict]

Honestly Habs should try to sign Bozak cheap. Put up a 35 point pace last year, good defensively, and in the dot.

Another possible is Tierney if Ottawa wants to move on from hi.

I think the Habs only need a stop gap as I think Poehling will be ready for 3C duties as early as next year.

Can't assume anything with Poehling and Evans is a hit away from a career ender. This is about security.

Tierney, interesting, but is FA next year.

Bozak is too old.

 

[Captain97]

Can't assume anything with Poehling and Evans is a hit away from a career ender. This is about security.

Tierney, interesting, but is FA next year.

Bozak is too old.

Again I want a 1 year stop gap to see if Poehling can come in next year.

Tierney the rental, Bozak was on like a 45 point pace last year.

 

[Souker]

Honestly Habs should try to sign Bozak cheap. Put up a 35 point pace last year, good defensively, and in the dot.

Another possible is Tierney if Ottawa wants to move on from hi.

I think the Habs only need a stop gap as I think Poehling will be ready for 3C duties as early as next year.

I think Bozak brings a lot of the qualities we are looking for our 3C position, including his experience and leadership. Plus, won’t cost us any assets.
That hopefully will also better enable us to focus on acquiring a #5 PMD with our assets (namely with Lehkonen+).

 

[Souker]

Can't assume anything with Poehling and Evans is a hit away from a career ender. This is about security.

Tierney, interesting, but is FA next year.

Bozak is too old.

Who cares, it would be a 1 year deal.
Bozak was actually one of the Blues’ most consistent players last season when he was healthy. He definitely should be our target.

 

[Siludin]

Gotta wait for the season to start and see which teams are slow out the gate.
Maybe Boone Jenner?
Mikael Backlund?
Ryan Getzlaf?

 

[blankall]

If the Flames crash and burn this year, Backlund. Either a great 2C or one of the best 3Cs in the league.

 

[sasha barkov]

Kotkaniemi

 

[trick9]

Lars Eller if the Capitals sink.

 

[HabsAddict]

The problem with "if they sink" is we need someone fairly quickly. Maybe at the most a month into the season. Doesn't help us to be falling behind and then panicking to fill holes.

 

[WhiskeyYerTheDevils]

I'm sure Monahan could be had for relatively cheap.

 

[voyageur]

Gotta wait for the season to start and see which teams are slow out the gate.
Maybe Boone Jenner?
Mikael Backlund?
Ryan Getzlaf?

I was going to say Getzlaf. Perry one year, Getzlaf the next. I have no idea what the Habs are doing now. Maybe they can try Drouin at centre again? Since the wings are stacked. Honestly I could see a Drouin for Kadri trade, if Newhook or Bowers emerge in Colorado.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Who cares, it would be a 1 year deal.
Bozak was actually one of the Blues’ most consistent players last season when he was healthy. He definitely should be our target.

Some interesting context with Bozak last season... his age 34 season.

* Blues used him for 63% of D zone starts and his corsi fell to 40.9%. In seasons prior to that, he was closer to 50/50 starts in both zones and his corsi was above 50%. He's solid on faceoffs which is why he looks attractive to the Habs.

There are reasons why he don't have a contract yet. If the Habs sign Bozak, it's for a 4C role, not for 3C. He had an off year (contract year) at age 34 and it was one of his worse seasons in a while. Trying to pick him up for 3C usage is a reach at this point. 4C is doable.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I was going to say Getzlaf. Perry one year, Getzlaf the next. I have no idea what the Habs are doing now. Maybe they can try Drouin at centre again? Since the wings are stacked. Honestly I could see a Drouin for Kadri trade, if Newhook or Bowers emerge in Colorado.

Habs will go with this... With lots of solid wingers. It's a team strength.

2CA/2CB: Suzuki and Dvorak

3CA: Evans

3CB: One of Paquette, Perreault, Drouin, Poehling.

There is no 1st line or 4th line with the Habs. Ducharme is going to roll lines due to usage. We are not that desperate to add a center at this stage. If Bozak wanted to play on our "4th" line and sign for a 1 year cheap deal, we would be interested in adding more depth. However, I think Bozak is looking for a more stable job

 

[CupInSIX]

I will also say Bozak. Staal hasn't been signed yet either.

Maybe try and pry Nate Bastian out of Seattle.

 

[voyageur]

Habs will go with this... With lots of solid wingers. It's a team strength.

2CA/2CB: Suzuki and Dvorak

3CA: Evans

3CB: One of Paquette, Perreault, Drouin, Poehling.

There is no 1st line or 4th line with the Habs. Ducharme is going to roll lines due to usage. We are not that desperate to add a center at this stage. If Bozak wanted to play on our "4th" line and sign for a 1 year cheap deal, we would be interested in adding more depth. However, I think Bozak is looking for a more stable job

I mean I know Montreal won in 1986 with Bobby Smith, Carbonneau, Skrudland, and Ryan Walter up the middle, and almost again in 1989. And good wingers, especially in 1989. But I don't know about that centre group. What are you looking at Lehkonen-Evans-Gallagher, Drouin-Paquette-Armia as your bottom lines?

Perreault hasn't played centres in ages, and frankly I think he doesn't have the wheels or tenacity to do it late in his career, so it's pretty thin pickens.

4 line hockey can win, especially with fundamental special teams. But I think the centres are missing to generate the offense. So will be watching.

 

[TGWL]

Who cares, it would be a 1 year deal.
Bozak was actually one of the Blues’ most consistent players last season when he was healthy. He definitely should be our target.

What? He was pretty terrible last season.

 

[Baksfamous112]

Why are people counting out Evans like that! Him and Poehling should be able to handle 3c/4c moving forward

 

[Dynamite Time]

Radek Faksa? If Benn does play as a center or Dellandrea steps in Stars could move Faksa.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I mean I know Montreal won in 1986 with Bobby Smith, Carbonneau, Skrudland, and Ryan Walter up the middle, and almost again in 1989. And good wingers, especially in 1989. But I don't know about that centre group. What are you looking at Lehkonen-Evans-Gallagher, Drouin-Paquette-Armia as your bottom lines?

Perreault hasn't played centres in ages, and frankly I think he doesn't have the wheels or tenacity to do it late in his career, so it's pretty thin pickens.

4 line hockey can win, especially with fundamental special teams. But I think the centres are missing to generate the offense. So will be watching.

After the Dvorak trade, I've moved the Habs potential from 10-20 range to 12/13-20 range. We are not cup contenders and we don't pretend to be. We will continue to work on team flaws and roll lines.

A top heavy team can be criticized as well cause they look good in the regular season but struggle in the playoffs. Habs are just trying to be a complete team (without getting desperate) that is defensively sound cause we have that guy in net. The strategy last year in the playoffs was a defensive 1st strategy in front of Price with a good counter attack. Guys like Caufield, Suzuki, Anderson, Toffoli helped.

I have several different variations but this is one of them.

2A: Anderson / Suzuki / Caufield
They take a lot of offensive zone faceoffs and they can take other zone face offs if required

2B: Toffoli / Dvorak / Hoffman
50/50 in offensive zone and defensive zone faceoffs.

3A: Lehkonen / Evans / Gallagher
The new shutdown line taking a lot of defensive zone faceoffs.

3B: Drouin / Perreault or Paquette or Poehling / Armia
No matter who is center, it's an above average 4th line.