Habs Fan in Edmonton

Wayne Simmonds? All 184 lbs of him. He was certainly willing but didn't put the fear of god into anybody. Having some toughness doesn't guarantee a cup win but not having any can make it difficult.

Really? I am willing to bet that the next time someone takes a run at Marner or Mathews that there will be some "policing" done. Toronto got pushed around by Florida last year and I think Treliving recognized that. Not sure Reaves alone will solve that problem but the Leafs needed more grit. I think Xhekaj got into a lot of fights last year because he was a newbie and guys were testing him. Of course he wasn't going to back down. Kassian clearly started that fight.

What do you think would be gained by banning fighting from the NHL? I don't think some self policing by players is always a bad thing.

I don't disagree, teams spend a lot of time looking at stats plus the salary cap has made teams think twice about wasting cap space on a guy who can only fight.

I don't have a problem eliminating it from the junior leagues as it can get out of control there, don't think it is necessary to remove it from the NHL.

I found this site, doesn't have the last couple of years but the trend is obvious, .19 fights per game is 1 fight every 5 games. It has dropped drastically over the years. I think the NHL has done a good job of getting rid of fighting without officially eliminating it. Hockey fight statistics

I agree with much of your post but if the goal is to get rid of concussions then maybe they should ban body checking? I don't think there is nearly as much fighting in the NHL as there used to be. You don't see nearly as much of the premeditated stuff. I don't think fighting is a big problem in the NHL. There aren't nearly as many goons (ie, guy's that can fight and do nothing else), Reaves is a bit of a unicorn now. Fighting does keep guys accountable, I have no doubt that you will see a lot more ugly stickwork if you eliminate fighting. I do see both sides of this debate.

Too early to tell. Has there ever been a 20-year-old defenseman that didn't need to work on the defensive side of his game? That's what the AHL is for. There is no question about his offensive abilities.

He may, he may not, anything can happen in one fight as I remember Lucic getting crushed by Colton Orr in one fight. I actually hope Arber doesn't waste a lot of time fighting goons like Reaves or Lucic who are there for only 1 thing. Arber can be a much more complete hockey player. Just need him to stand up when his teammates need it.

The fact he hurt his shoulder in a fight was more a fluke than anything, but when you fight these things can happen. He is way tougher and twice the fighter than Komisarek ever was. Lucic toyed with Komisarek, he won't toy with Xhekaj.

I agree 100%, I think what Xhekaj bring to the table is undervalued by many here and he will bring far more offense than Gill ever did. (I assume you mean Hal not Todd LOL)

I have a feeling Petry starts the year in Montreal but Hughes seems to be a busy guy, he might have something up his sleeve. I agree with Arber as a partner, think they would be a great fit. One guy to move the puck and the other to look after the physical stuff.

I agree, retaining 50% makes him a lot easier to move. It depends whether Hughes minds having 2.34 million in dead cap space for a couple years. It might be better just to play him for a while and hopefully his value increases.

Agreed, it takes a little less pressure off the young defensemen. I think he will be easier to unload next year.

I like the trade too but we got the 2nd round pick basically to take on the 2nd year of Petry's contract. If he only had 1 year left then it would be a much better deal but you have to pay to gain cap space and that's what Pittsburgh did. I can only imagine what Montreal would have to give up to get rid of Gallagher's contract. If Petry plays well in Montreal than his value will go up and it could turn out to be a great trade. I like the fact the 2nd round pick is 2025 as I heard an analyst say the 2025 draft will be much better than 2024 but it's really too early to say that I think.

I think it depends on whether the Habs retain salary. Without salary retention they couldn't give him away. If the Habs retained 50% then maybe a 2nd or 3rd? I am just guessing here. I think he needs to play well in Mtl for a while to convince other teams that last year was an anomaly.

I think so. Petry's market value is pretty much close to the bottom right now. He always liked MSL so maybe he can turn it around. Of course Hughes might have other plans.

That guy in Colorado has done OK as GM.

I don't think he got taken to the cleaners. He did get a 1st round pick and got rid of a monster contract for 4 years, only having to eat 1.5 million/year. He cleared 10 million in cap space after 2 years as Hoffman will only be on the books for a year if not less while Granlund and Rutta have 2 left and they might be tradeable at some point. How many teams can take on that kind of contract? The market was very small for Karlsson and I think Grier did the best he could.

Good point, Savard had a solid season last year, has a reasonable cap hit, younger than Petry and I think is well respected around the league. I think he is pretty marketable. Perhaps easier to trade than Petry.

Like another poster said, took me a while to digest. Pittsburgh had an aging core and they had to go hard or rebuild. They went hard to win it now and don't blame them for going after Karlsson. I like Montreal opened up a little room up front and a 2nd round pick is very useful. The cap room for Hoffman and Petry (Penguins retain 25%) is a wash but Petry has 1 more year. Perhaps a deadline deal if he regains his form this year or next. So I guess it's basically a 2nd round pick for an extra year of Petry's contract. I am ok with it, could be a big win if Petry can regain his form and he likes playing for Marty.

Agreed, Roy is much better off spending a year in the AHL. Ylonen and RHP have paid their dues there, time to find out if they can become regular full time NHL'ers and they need ice time to do that.

I don't think it's hate, it shouldn't be hate as he is a guy who gives 100% all the time as you mentioned. I think it's more frustration that a good chunk of our cap space is being used up by a guy past his prime. Hopefully he can stay healthy, score 20 goals and it won't seem quite as bad. I think that is the best we can hope for as he is untradeable without a lot of sweeteners. Maybe that is wishful thinking.

That is my thought. Only 1 year left, retain 50% and get whatever you can at the deadline. If he creates a problem then you can sit him in the pressbox and play some of the kids.

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