xXx..CK..xXx

I kind of want to keep Galchenyuk now that we've made this trade but Duchene being four years older is a weird reason not to make the trade. Just out of curiosity, how much older is Drouin than Sergachev? I now know the answer. 22-18=x It's not that I have a hard on for Duchene but both he and Galchenyuk are solid players. I'd love to see him on the Habs.

If that does end up being the case, then this should be as good a deal as they come. I always had Sergachev slotted in as Markov's replacement and seeing how our record has been over the years without Markov, those were pretty big shoes to fill. I also fully expected Beaulieu to be able to handle top pairing minutes alongside Weber this season though so hopefully my perception is skewed when it comes to defensive prospects. We will need a replacement for Markov though.

It is term. Hopefully they can come to an agreement. As a fan, I want Radulov for the next 6 anyway.

I hope Yzerman was reading my posts about Sergachev when he was pondering what a good return for Drouin would be.

Good thing there were 4 pages to read while I processed this. This trade bothered me when I read the headline but I do like Drouin and I hope he can make me feel fine about the move. I also hope I've been overrating Sergachev in my mind this whole time which would make this a lot easier to swallow. I agree that that we now need to focus on acquiring a puck moving defenseman a la longterm and hopefully it does not come at the cost of Galchenyuk.

Not arguing that I would make the trade out of the blue but when Tampa made the final the other year, Drouin was the best player on the ice for many of their games. Not to mention those games had a lot of star power as they faced Detroit, Montreal, New York and Chicago in the final. He ended with 14 points in 19 games but I remember him standing out. I guess Chucky has been our best player in many games as well though. He had a boat load of game winners this year. I would only trade Galchenyuk for a center coming back but I think the value here isn't bad.

Let's get Staal. I want a big center with skill and I guess both (Anisimov) those players fit that bill but I still think Staal has a higher ceiling. I also suggested Thornton awhile back but I'm not sure what his situation is in more than one way. He wasn't able to score much this season but Pacioretty may pot 80 with him by his side

And Nashville loves bandwagon fans like yourself. Just saying, most people here don't care how Nashville does next season.

Alright, you've convinced me. But why is it clear as day that Galchenyuk's potential is so much higher than Duchene's? Duchene once again produced more than Galchenyuk in their respective first 5 years in the league. It's very possible that Duchene is overhyped seeing as so many people feel that way but I'll be excited to see how he does from here on out. I'm still not sold that Duchene has settled into his potential of 55 points and I would almost want to guarantee that he'll have a 60-70+ point season in his career which is fine in today's NHL and would be especially on the Habs. He wouldn't do it every year. Even the elitest of elite players have their off years but we would love him. I agree that Galchenyuk should be adored by fans as well though. It's funny because I like Galchenyuk but all the while I'm debating this and I wouldn't be in love with trading Gallagher for Duchene, unless we knew for sure he was damaged goods. To each their own, I suppose.

I think either way nobody is wrong. Just because someone is Mike Milbury or Don Cherry, it doesn't prove the point that whoever thinks that way is wrong. The real story is somewhere in between. Long story short, Crosby already wanted to win, but this incident rubbed him the wrong way. I didn't even know Don Cherry or Milbury said that, nor did I start the topic. With that being said, I think it's fair to say that Crosby didn't appreciate the incident, as he shouldn't have. I'm trying to find a way to personally word it without attacking Subban, because truthfully this has nothing to do with him, but If he's going to be praised for getting under the skin and shutting down other players like Toews and Getzlaf, then he deserves to take the heat when the opposing team's top talent raises his game in response to the defenseman he happens to be playing the series against. Especially when one makes comments about them off the ice. I believe Crosby was already motivated as well. I also thought the Pens would have won the cup in 6 games regardless of the comment. So yes, in reality, I don't think overall the comment or situation as a whole changed the outcome of the series. I do see how it would have made him want to perform however and the expression "waking up the bear" isn't actually too far off. Crosby is a different animal than most, I admit but I've played a lot of finals in another sport, and even though I always want to win, there is a difference, at least for me, when it comes to going into the match without any thoughts of hatred towards my opponent compared to when I have something to either prove or some type of motivating thoughts going through my mind. I'm a coach now so I don't get to play many players at my level anymore but when I used to play someone who was better than me and wanted to actually have a chance, I never liked them during the match.

This Vegas thing is really going to shake up the league. Bad timing on trying to go for a 3-peat if you're the Pens, although they'll have their core. Even MAF, coincidently. Who knows where the Pens would have been without him when Murray was injured. I saw a picture of him as the Pens were jumping off the bench when the final buzzer went and he didn't even have a smile on his face. Maybe it was just the timing... But it makes a little sense now.

True, as I'm not sure the comment was even actually ever made. Crosby didn't seem very pleased when asked about it though, stating that Subban "likes attention" and so I agree that he would have used it as motivation to whatever extent that may be. I'm sure Crosby is more worried about the Pittsburgh Penguins rather than any individual on the Preds but if anything, it would have made him bring his "A" game afterward. There's no question he was giving effort beforehand as well but that doesn't mean he couldn't have been woken up either.

It's only stupid to someone who believes there's no such thing as intangibles, a mental aspect to the game, and players who are able to elevate their game based on the situation i.e the playoffs. It's silly to think that someone won't be mentally affected by the comments made just like it's silly to think Johanssen and Kessler didn't have an impact on one another while they verbally jousted in their series. The only thing of consequence is how one responds to such adversity. Johanssen was praised for not shying away and outperformed Kessler just like Crosby apparently responded appropriately as well. Was the listerine comment in the forefront of his mind? Knowing Crosby, probably not. Did it add fuel to the fire? I don't see why not.

Even Getzlaf-Kessler can compete with the leafs and Edmonton duo, an in fact they did with the latter two these playoffs. Kessler is a little bit of a different breed but he's still up there in the league when it comes to centers.

I don't know, look at any list of predictions of top centers prior to last season and while Galchenyuk is higher than some decent centers, Duchene tends to be higher than Galchenyuk every time. http://www.thesportster.com/hockey/ranking-the-nhls-no-1-centers-from-worst-to-best/ https://www.nhl.com/news/fantasy-center-rankings-for-2016-17/c-281554666 He is a great player who would look great in a Habs jersey. I may not trade him straight up for Galchenyuk but it definitely wouldn't be because he's not a great player to have. He'll have a good season next year, just like Iike I expect Chucky to as well.

I was at home but I missed the game. Makes me wonder about Ottawa and how they took the Pens to game 7 double OT.

Yeah it's a shame that Lundqvist exists because otherwise I think we could have argued for 8 million or so. The Rangers overpaid Lundqvist even though I've suggested he's a good goalie in the past, but it hasn't seemed to hurt them all that much. I'm going to go on a limb and say Price takes 8.5 million but any of the above mentioned amounts make sense to me. How about term? 6 years? 8 years?

I'm not saying it was directed at me but I said 60 points in my post although in a perfect world I do believe he could get more. Why is this that much different to when you predicted Radulov would get 76 points this season? (Not an attack, I loved the optimism.) The thought process there is predicated on potential and I'm obviously higher on Duchene than most Habs fans. I don't expect him to get more than 60 points but in an ideal world, I do think it's possible for him to do so. Especially if he gains some chemistry with Pacioretty. Regardless, 55-60 points in a given year is not too shabby in today's NHL. There is a decent argument to be made not to trade the two straight up for one another but as pieces of a bigger trade I look into it or if there's some possibility you lose Galchenyuk to free agency in a year or two and you get that feeling, you might want to think ahead. Duchene accomplished a lot more in his first 5 seasons than Galchenyuk has so I'm still not fully sold that what I'm saying is entirely wrong. If Duchene is over the hill, why won't Galchenyuk be over the hill in 3 years? We'd arguably be trading Galchenyuk while his value isn't great for Duchene when his value is at the lowest it may ever be. With all that in place I personally still don't go out of my way to push for that trade but when you factor in some of the more abstract reasoning, it's certainly debateable in my opinion.

2016: Pierre Luc Dubois 2015: Dylan Strome 2014: Leon Draisaitl 2013: Jonathan Drouin 2012: Alex Galchenyuk 2011: Jonathan Huberdeau 2009: Matt Duchene These were the 3rd overall picks in their respective drafts. Which of those players don't come with some type of hype? Even 8 years later. I'm not sure why Duchene is the only one that's expected to falter. If he's considered old, then it's going to be hard to find that top 6 center. I don't have a specific reason for the way Duchene has produced over the last few years but I do know that Colorado was not being run well and Duchene was being thrown all over th lineup. It really seems similar to the way things have gone with Galchenyuk here and that, along with them both being (along with Drouin) previous 3rd overall picks is probably the main reason the trade rumour has been brought up with these two in mind. There definitely would be risk in the trade but sometimes one has to have some foresight and I don't personally agree that Duchene's potential is 55 points. I put him at 60 when he plays 82 games and he can also be more than that with Pacioretty and Radulov. I dont think this is a trade that manifests itself but like I've said before, Duchene would be on my radar and I would think about it even if that's the only thing they'd take back. It's fine to say let's trade Gallagher and not Galchenyuk but let's not forget that our perception of those two players are different than the manner in which the coach has used them. If we trade Gallagher, we've now lost our top 6 depth at right wing, unless the plan is to ironically spot Galchenyuk there. Galchenyuk wasn't as high on the depth chart as of the end of last season and so we'd actually be trading a more useful player to our lineup *as it stands* even though Galchenyuk has more skill.

Crosby's the best. Other than when he faces the

It's really a hard topic to assess because there are so many vicious cycles spinning around. 1) The Habs need a top 6 center 2) Alex Galchenyuk was drafted to be a top 6 center 3) Alex Galchenyuk is still on the team 4) Many Habs fans think he can play center ----> This can be related to the fact that we need a center 5) Coaches haven't placed him at center consistently even though we need that center I'm not personally arguing that Galchenyuk cannot be a center but the only reason this is a topic in my mind is because we need a top 6 center. If we didn't need one, I would be fine with Galchenyuk playing wing or center. Galchenyuk switched back and forth between wing and center and it was never a huge issue for me. I was happy we drafted a top 3 draft pick who could be used in a versatile way, whether it be at wing or center. The topic only became an issue as recently as these playoffs. We traded away Desharnais who was a viable center and then we moved Galchenyuk to the wing. Habs fans have wanted a great top line center for some time now but with Plekanec, Desharnais, Galchenyuk and Eller, our center depth was never as huge of an issue as it is now. Danault replaced Eller, although it was played out as though he replaced Desharnais, Plekanec regressed, although I think he can be better, Desharnais was traded and Galchenyuk was moved to wing. The question then becomes who is right here and what is the coaching staff's plan for Galchenyuk? We cannot afford to go into next season with the status quo at center. That's arguable even if it's promised that Galchenyuk will play center, let alone if he doesn't. If the plan isn't concrete to play Galchenyuk at center then I believe that Galchenyuk becomes more expendable than he should be if the return is a quality center like a Duchene. The final point here is that regardless of who is "right", I believe there are certain Habs fans out there who are willing to slot Galchenyuk at center because we need a center. When thought of in that manner, I don't really think that's a solid enough argument. From my positive perspective, I haven't seen these extreme deficiencies in Galchenyuk's defensive play but the coaching staff's opinion matter more than me and I'd rather not have to discuss this topic of uncertainty when it comes to Galchenyuk if it's an issue for them moving forward. It can even become a distraction to the team.

I'm not sure what to say other than I think people are under appreciating Duchene's ability. He's made team Canada which is a tough roster to crack. I made a post prior to the playoffs which stated that I was hoping Pacioretty-Galchenyuk-Radulov would be our first line somewhere down the road in the playoffs. It never came to fruition even when the organization had a void at the position. On a personal level, I'm fine with Galchenyuk at center in the top 6 and in fact regardless of what team he is on, I think it's where he should play. That doesn't mean it's as easy to do as it is to say that he should magically be slotted into the position at the beginning of next season when he wasn't being played there in the final games of this season. If someone were to tell me that there's no guarantee that Duchene would play center on our team if we made the trade, then I could see the argument of it being a dumb move. That being said, if we were to trade for him, I'm sure it WILL have been because the plan was not to play Galchenyuk at center and as a result, I feel as though that argument goes out the window. We can complain about the coaches and management and how "silly" they were not to play Galchenyuk at center in such a scenario but that wouldn't change the reality. With that in place, as to the question that CC and I have brought up: IF this were the only move made to acquire a top 6 center in the off season AND there is doubt about where Galchenyuk should play within the organization, then I would make the trade. And yes, hopefully it does involve some other pieces and perhaps even the Avs retaining some salary. If there were a way to acquire Duchene without having to move Galchenyuk, even better. I would first look at signing a free agent center, if there are any good ones out there but this move would be on my radar. I like Galchenyuk but I think Duchene would be a great Hab and even potentially top 5 best forwards in the past decade for us.

If Duchene is a center and Galchenyuk is a winger on the Habs, it's not the worst deal in the world. The biggest concern is that it is a trade that stems from considering Galchenyuk a weak link and so his value isn't as high as it could be. It's not a trade I jump at but it is a trade I make if we have no other decent options at acquiring a center this off season and Gachenyuk isn't considered one by the internal trust. Because we need a center. Duchene is miles ahead of Danault and arguably better than Galchenyuk right now. If Galchenyuk plays center next year, it's probably not a trade you need to make. The "if" is the only reason you consider the trade. His salary is high but maybe Colorado can retain some and then again Galchenyuk will be making close to the same thing. It's a change of scenery trade. The real question is whether or not the scenery needs to be changed.

I know the article wasn't saying it explicitly but I was one of the few who would have been okay with seeing Galchenyuk included in a trade for Duchene as long as, for whatever reason, the plan is more concrete to have him play at center than it has been for Galchenyuk. I personally don't believe Galchenyuk will be moved though and I don't specifically want to see him get moved. I like Duchene more than most though. I think he can be a threat to any team in a playoff series.

Martinsen isn't like Staubitz, Brown or Drewiske. Staubitz and Brown are fighters who average(d) over 2 penalty minutes a game throughout their careers. Drewiske is a defenseman. Martinsen averages less than a minute a game. The main thing similar between the players are their salaries, size as well as in some cases their point totals in the NHL. Their style of play is different though. For those of you who don't remember him that well as has been claimed the thing he brings to the table that those players didn't, along with his physicality, is his speed. Everyone talks about how important speed is in today's NHL and for a big guy, he can skate pretty well for a 4th liner with size. Not a big deal either way but I'm fine with it. Martinsen was on a terribly managed Colorado team so there's a little bit of hope (as far as hope goes for a 4th liner) if he really is a Julien type player. In 2014-15, he was also the 16th leading scorer in the DEL with 41 points in 50 games, tied with former Hab, Glen Metropolit.