tomh009

I expect this would be the primary focus as most 18yo D-men are still multiple eyars away from the NHL.

I'm not rooting for Roy. While he was a superb player for the Habs, ultimately he put himself ahead of the team and left. It wasn't all him, but the decision was his. Had he stayed, we might have won another Cup. I understand the situation, so I'm not holding a grudge, but neither am I going to root for him.

Both Kovacevic and Barron are affordable RD choices. And neither one is old, especially for D--Kovacevic is still only 26. I think either one could be a fit for the Habs' D corps, but probably not both. The decision between the two will depend not only on their skills but also on which style (offensive or defensive) is a better fit--and which of the two will have better trade value. But, yes, I agree that both can be credible NHL D-men, although probably not both of them in Montreal.

Sounds like Prosvetov may need to start game 2 ...

Price is on LTIR so trading him would not actually provide additional cap space, just flexibility in cap management.

I was off by one point, and the correct number of points for Suzuki! 😮 But not quite close enough!

I suspect Kovacevic will be worth more to the Habs than in a trade.

Also, Hughes's definition of "crown jewel" may be different than out definition; he has access to much more data and assessments (and plans!) than we do, so he may determine that "crown jewel 1" is critical while "crown jewel 2" can be traded because there is someone else that will be able to fill that role.

I think Hughes will be looking for the advantage, for another GM that values one of our D higher than he does. And maybe has a F that he is giving up on. I'm 90% sure the actual F/D trade, if it happens, will be for a forward we never predicted. Like Dach. Like Newhook.

The reality is that an AHL team is never in full control of its roster, the parent club manages it to (1) develop prospects and (2) provide depth in case of injuries. Further, as much as the Rocket had some good prospects in its lineup this year, the most successful AHL teams tend to be stronger on veteran players and lighter in promising teenagers. So, I doubt that the Habs’ management team had any expectations of a long Rocket playoff run this year.

Maybe the Rocket would have made it into the playoffs?

I think PMK's point is that he was underappreciated when he played for the Habs. Sixth in TOI with Ducharme.

I also like Hughes' drafting logic: not drafting the best player today, but the one that will be the best in five years' time. So far, this looks to be working out with Slafkovsky.

Another statistical tidbit: only five Habs regulars with a positive +/- rating: Savard/Evans were next at -1. Matheson and Gallagher ended the year tied at -24.

Also there is Engstrom on the left. And Harris can play left or right--maybe Guhle in the future as well. That flexibility is very helpful when the inevitable injuries hit.