Trizzak

https://www.capfriendly.com/browse/free-agents Hall, Pietrangelo, and Holtby are the biggest names in their respective positions. But it doesn't matter... prized free agents don't sign in Montreal.

31 Thoughts podcast: Elliotte Friedman says that IF Petry becomes available, look for Vegas to be very interested in him. Edit: The two teams have a trading history, so the GMs are definitely comfortable hashing out a deal.

The key to that is to instinctually hate everything about the Habs. Just wake up and decide, "Everyone sucks" and you too can find the motivation to be negative in every single thing you post here.

All this shows is how starved Canadiens fans have been for a dynamic offensive forward since Kovalev, and probably even before him. But the best outlook for the future of this team is trading Kovalchuk at the trade deadline (assuming they are still reasonably out of the race by then.)

Drouin is the only one with a clear timeline for returning, and he's not a guarantee for the first game back. Gallagher and Byron are both question marks.

Kulak's goal was changed to Armia, so Joel ties his career high of 13 goals set last season.

Coach's darling. If Lehkonen gets traded Claude might quit and try to follow him.

Fleury froze so hard.

It's the modern hockey strategy. Every team does it now.

Chris Johnston on Saturday Headlines believes that Kovalchuk will be traded at the deadline for a draft pick, and it's really only a question of what round that draft pick will be.

I agree. Even if it's a conditional pick, I think it goes as high as a 2nd rounder. I expect he'll be asked where he wants to go anyway, and I'd very much doubt his answer will be, "I'd rather stay."

Kovalchuk: *signs for peanuts, plays with renewed energy, inspires teammates, scores at a PPG clip* Chris: "#### this waste of space, amirite?"

Yes, but what about all the goals I think he should have scored? Checkmate, atheists.

The powerplay units look lost when they see an aggressive pk.

The comparable that hockey pundits have used is the Jake Muzzin trade from last year which was a 1st round pick, Sean Durzi (2nd round junior prospect), and Carl Grundstrom (2nd round AHL prospect.) Basically a 1st and two 2nds for an ~40 point, #3 defenceman with another year on his deal. That's the base line value for Petry. If Bergevin is offered less than that then there's no point in trading him this year. Winnipeg is almost assuredly on Petry's modified NTC list, but I could see them paying that price (if not a bit more) for Petry at the deadline.