GHT120

Habs are currently over the $82.5M cap ceiling ... This season Gallagher's contract pretty much guarantees that, absent trades/waiver-losses, Price has to go on LTIR ... that means that any of the $4.21M in potential bonuses for this season that are earned would carry-over and count against next season's cap, that the Habs cannot accrue any cap space to potentially use at the deadline and that roster/cap management is more complicated throughout the season (e.g., have to pretty much be at $93M in total AAV to start the season to maximize Price's LTIR). Going forward it restricts what HuGo could potentially spend on UFAs. A bad contract is always a bad contract ... Gallagher has to (a) stay healthy and (b) get back to at least 20 goals and 60 points to change that (IMO).

Commandant already reminded us of this projection.

Alzner was a consummate pro and a good teammate who was great for the youngsters in Laval ... I just cannot imagine Hoffman doing the same ... I expect HuGo will sweeten a deal and get rid of MH, or hope he becomes tradeable sans-sweetener and ditch him ASAP ... the possibility for an actual return is the slimmest of hopes, stick-figure slim.

Although RHP's numbers last season project to 34 goals in a full season, I don't expect that from him ... but based on what I have seen, I expect RHP to be a solid 3rd liner who can fill a Top 6 role if a winger is injured ... based on what I've seen I don't see Ylonen as a Top 9 player, nor do I see in him the grit of a 4th liner. But only time will tell which of us is right.

In a hypothetical universe I agree about RHP; but not about Ylonen (we disagree on him, which is fine) ... since it is unlikely anyone trades for either Hoffman or Armia it means saddling Laval with an unhappy veteran (two under your scenario) ... AND ... it means giving HUGO the reputation of demoting established NHL veterans, which may not work in their favour if/when it is time to sign UFAs.

I expected a 2-way deal ... but I am not as high on Ylonen as many.

AHL $200K ... guaranteed minimum of $275K

AND expectations higher.

Do we know that for certain YET? Nobody is walking away from millions of dollars ... there are also questions of whether you want Hoffman with the youngsters in Laval (I see Armia as too quiet to be disruptive) and whether you want to bury an established veteran when the team is potentially looking to sign free agents next summer.

I don't expect an all-star season but I do expect progression.

Every time I watched him play, I wondered what might have been if the Habs had drafted him instead of Cory Urquhart. Congrats to Patrice on a great career.

Muzzin's $5.625M takes care of a chunk going on LTIR ... since being traded to TO he has missed 17 games, 35 and all 78 after the first 3.5 games of last season ... so $9.25645 left of the (per CapFriendly) overage of $12,381,450. Matt Murray could be bought out if he is healthy, but only saves the Laffs $3.125M as Ottawa retained some salary in that trade ... with a $666,667 hit in 24/25 Brodie is another rumoured buyout ($5M contract) ... because of the salary structure in his deal, it would save the full $5M this season but cost $2.5M in 24/25. Buying out Brodie and trading Murray would clear $9.6875M ... but trading Murray will cost some prime picks/prospects. It will be fun to watch.

Time will tell.

Winning a Cup can make a re-tool/rebuild more tolerable when the weather is that nice.

I am not as convinced as some that Ylonen would be claimed on waivers, or that it would be terrible if he was ... they are crowded up front this season and have prospects in the pipeline for next season and beyond ... just don't see Ylonen in the rebuild mix.

At the time Karlsson went to SJS on the WEST coast (😉) the team had had 98-99-100 points the previous three seasons, made the playoffs 13 out of the previous 14 seasons, were two seasons removed from the Finals ... it was not unreasonable to think that adding Karlsson would make them serious Cup contenders ... but then Karlsson started to have injury issues.

But the addiction ***could*** be the cause of the behaviour ... it will be interesting. I am not certain how/whether AZ employment and human rights laws apply if the situation is covered by the league-wide collective bargaining agreement that applies across the USA, and Canada..

LOW calibre, but calibre.

DEEP into wild rumour territory ... from your link (for those too lazy to click) TVA Sports, Nicolas Cloutier, managed to join the staff of Kloten, the club in which evolves the hope of the Canadian. According to them, the rumors would therefore be false: “I spoke with his trainer in Switzerland, who has him in contact with Doctor de Kloten, who has been following Reinbacher for him all year. It wasn’t just ‘no’, it was a definite ‘no’ of ‘no, it’s absolutely not la maladie d’Osgood-Schlatter]”

Maybe a "tepid topic".

Or to not try to return if you left after overstaying your visa.

There was a time when nutrition and weight training were considered "quackery".

Even if he does ... the NHL/NHLPA Assistance Program may be a means to circumvent it ... ironically (at least by Alanis Morrissette standards), in cap terms the Coyotes likely wouldn't mind having his contract count if they are unable to terminate the contract successfully.

Some context(?): It has been a challenging year for Galchenyuk, who was the third overall pick in the 2012 draft by the Montreal Canadiens but has since become a journeyman. After being selected to represent Team USA at the 2022 IIHF Men's World Championship in Finland, Galchenyuk was given bad advice that his then-fiancée (now-wife), a Canadian citizen, could travel with him despite the fact that she had overstayed her American visa, according to sources. When the couple arrived back in the United States, she was deported back to Canada. According to sources close to Galchenyuk, he was devastated and felt personally responsible. The couple has not been able to live together for over a year, and Galchenyuk was hopeful that his new contract with the Coyotes would allow for the couple to begin planning their life together in the U.S. - www.ESPN.com

The Habs may well end up with a Top 10 pick next June but this will not be a TANK season ... that requires management to intentionally dispose of assets that would help the team win games in order to reduce their chances of winning games ... HuGo have not IMO actually tanked since taking over ... the closest to a tank might be trading Toffoli a month before the 2022 trade deadline, ...but even that I think was roster management, not tanking since they weren't winning anyway (10 straight losses before the trade) ... what they have done is not make "short-term" roster moves for a few more wins ... but that IMO is not tanking.