Habs Fan in Edmonton

Florian has had a nice run, 10 goals and 4 assists in that 9 game stretch.

Armia at 50% retention has some value but unless you can get something pretty good then I would prefer to use the retention spot elsewhere. Anderson, you just be patient and hope his game comes around.

True, but a guy like Ott had value as a grinder, King and Martinsen were also big physical guys who had value on the bottom 6. Pearson's value is being a scorer and he has 4 this year. I think he has little value and as CC would say, Benning is no longer around so the right GM might not be available.

Here is a question. Let's say the Flames go on a bit of a run and make the playoffs and maybe win the first round (unlikely but possible) and end up drafting in the 20-22 range. Do you take the pick this year or wait until next year and hope for a better one? Now my first gut reaction is to say wait but if the Flames are rebuilding and draft bottom 10 next year and the Panthers have an excellent year (they are a really good team) and draft outside the bottom 10 then the Habs get the Panthers pick. If they both draft outside the top 10 next year then the Habs get the better of the 2 picks. A lot to think about. Which draft year is stronger? etc. I think waiting is better but it's not a slam dunk.

Agreed, certainly Armia and Anderson have negative worth right now with the extra years on their contracts and Pearson hasn't shown enough to be even worth a 7th round pick right now. Let time waste away some of the negative value, wish Pearson the best in the summer, Armia might be worth something at the deadline next year and hopefully Anderson can get back to being a 20 goal scorer.

And the Sens win, now 1 point ahead of the Habs with 3 games in hand.

You would think so.

Quite the race for the last wild card spot in the west, 5 teams within 3 points of each other. Harder to be a seller when you are that close.

To be honest, at this time of year, with the Habs out of a playoff spot, a loss in regulation doesn't exactly send me to the kleenex box to find a tissue to dry my eyes. Go Sens.

New Jersey not playing like a team desperate to make the playoffs, 5 shots so far?

Is it just coincidence that Allen is playing against a team that is supposedly in the market for a goalie?

I think Cole Eiserman is definitely one of the wild cards in this draft. A year ago he was mentioned as going 1-2 with Celebrini but his stock has fallen a bit. The guy can sure score though and with an Aug 29th birthday he is barely old enough for the draft so he has a little more time to mature and develop. It will be interesting to see where he goes. Cole Eiserman | Cole Eiserman Profile | Cole Eiserman Scouting Report 2024 (mynhldraft.com)

It's hard to put together a 3 way deal so kudos for the effort and thought you put into it. The deadline is fast approaching and keeping 3 goalies is not ideal. Hopefully they can find the right fit for Allen as he is a class act and deserves a good opportunity as his career winds down. Even if they don't get an exciting return for him (unlikely), it would be nice to see him in a good spot like Colorado where he has a legitimate chance in the playoffs.

That is true, but it would be our last slot for this year I believe. Now if they have no intention of trading Savard this year (possible) then that would be fine as I can't think of any other player (Gallagher LOL) that they would use the last retention slot for. Slight possibility of Armia I guess.

That's a good point, other than Hughes the Canucks have to re sign almost the entire defense. If they needed Savard this year then a deal might make a lot of sense.

I am not sure if I like it or don't like it, you obviously put a lot of thought into it, a lot of moving pieces and it's almost too late in the day for me to try and understand it all. LOL So net bottom line we get a 4th rd pick for retaining 25% of Henrique and swap Allen for Johansen. Is that correct? A negative is we use a retention slot for only a 4th round pick. I would rather that slot if there is an opportunity to get a 1st for a David Savard.

Agreed. It's unfortunate but Winnipeg just doesn't have the economic base that other Canadian cities have. It's not cheap to buy season tickets for an NHL team so you need that big corporate base to support it. Winnipeg has great fans and an excellent team but it seems it will always be a struggle to support it.

I agree, Pezetta gets at best a 6th/7th rounder. I think Hughes will trade Savard if he can get a 1st round pick in the equation (likely have to retain 50%) otherwise he will wait until next year to trade him.

A 20 game losing streak might destroy the confidence of some young players so maybe a couple of 8 game losing streaks might do the trick. LOL

That makes sense.

The Habs won't get Celebrini unless they win the lottery (somewhat unrealistic). My hope is that they draft 4-6 (somewhat realistic) and they get Lindstrom. I don't think we need another thread but let's keep hoping for some Ottawa, Buffalo, Columbus wins.

One is a lefty, one is a righty, they might be able to play together on the PP?

Columbus is now only 6 points behind the Habs with 2 games in hand. They play Buffalo tonight. I hope the game goes into overtime.

I prefer Gallagher but let's not split hairs here.