GHT120

Mysterious slide ... or ... TRADE

In your opinion, not everyone's ... but neither side will convince the other ... sooooooooo ... Draft! Draft! Draft! Draft! Lovely Draft! Lovely Draft! Lovely draft! Wonderful draft! Draft dra-a-a-a-a-aft Draft dra-a-a-a-a-aft Draft. Lovely Draft! Lovely Draft! Lovely Draft! Lovely Draft! Draft Draft Draft Draft!

Shows that "fit" is important.

Dach is 7 days older than Newhook ... after being drafted by Chicago, Dach played 152 games (19g, 40) over three seasons ... after being drafted by Colorado Newhook played two seasons at Boston College and then 159 games (27g, 39a) with Colorado, in a lesser role than Dach did in Chicago. I am optimistic.

Until they reach the NHL, we have no idea who the "best player" is ... at this point it is at most just who is evaluated as the most talented/skilled ... Michkov's relative isolation the last couple of seasons does make assessing him as a player somewhat more difficult.

I agree ... 13 NHL contracts (per CapFriendly), including Pitlick and Pezetta ... Newhook, RHP and Ylonen are RFAs and Belzile is a UFA ... I expect Pitlick won't be with the Habs after the end of training camp (traded, waived or in Laval) and that Newhook and RHP will be signed so that is 14 forwards ... full roster, no room for any youngsters or other moves.

Thank you ... shows that you can't always "trust" your fellow GMs to respect your intent in making a trade.

I got the title wrong ... 😞 ... I also don't think I was the only person who expected this. Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes announced today the appointment of Jim Ramsay as Director, Sports Medicine, Performance and Head Athletic Therapist.

I am racking my brain and can't pull out the details, but I recall an eastern NHL team trading a significant-ish player out west and the new team then immediately flipping him back into the east ... can someone help me?

The CBJs chose Torts over PLD and then decided to let Torts walk at the end of the season ... and IMO Dubois is doing better by Winnipeg than "your" big UFA signing did by Calgary last season ... being honest and transparent ... just like Hellebuyck and Scheifele ... PLD just gets more media coverage ... but I don't see either of us convincing the other, so to each his own.

Takes years to know who won a trade ... IMO just get the best assets you can get ... but neither of us will convince the other. Let's hope Anaheim grabs him at #2, or CBJ at #3 or SJS at #4 and render the discussion moot ... at least as regards Michkov.

I agree with Commandant ... in the world of free agency and cap restrictions, you optimize the trade ... cut your market in half and you not only reduce your return but you have no guarantee that the player you are giving up doesn't end up back in your conference in short order anyway.

Agree it is worth considering ... I prefer 7th & 22nd over 9th & 22nd ... a little more control over the uncontrollable ... assuming it is Bedard and then in some order Fantilli, Carlsson and Smith, the Flyers get Michkov and the only wildcard is who Arizona takes at #6.

Montreal ***may*** be the only team willing to make a substantial (but not LAK level) offer without an extension being signed.

I think that is the "glass is empty" perspective on PLD ... IMO he wanted out of Columbus because of John Tortorella ... not the first player with that opinion, and CBJ was so impressed by the rest of that season that they then let JT walk when his contract expired a few months after the trade ... AND ... not certain PLD actually has asked Winnipeg for a trade ... he told them that, like their other pending UFAs, he won't re-sign next summer and the Jets are desperate to optimize their assets ... what I recall hearing from NHL related folks and "real" experts (i.e., not Internet clickbait bloggers) is that PLD is a good teammate, excellent two-way player and hard to play against ... how much he is worth on a long-term deal or in a grade is a separate debate.

We will likely never know officially ... some RESPECTED journalist might get a whisper and share but most of that will be claimed to have been the ask will be clickbait BS.

I suspect he didn't see an NHL future and decided to start getting paid ... but that is just a guess.

Whatever the case, I prefer to give you credit and blame Elon 😃

BTW - if these are posting properly thanks to anything done by HabsWorld, many thanks ... if it is something Twitter did, WTF did idiot Elon do in the first place?

Montreal's pick ... thank you Marc Bergevin and Christian Dvorack

Karlsson, DeBrincat, get paid to take Blake Wheeler, Scheifele ... there are options ... including saving real-world salary $$$ in a rebuild.

AND ... taking back a contract (likely only until it expires July 1st).

I agreed ... they need another year, at least.

Wild Hypotheticals (just for some fun) #5 for #8 and right to swap first-rounders in 2024 and/or 2025 I'd stay away from the Flyers, Briere seems to be on an early "winning streak" #5, #31 and Dvorak for #10, #25, #29, 2024 2nd and Marco Scandella* Edmundson to Laffs for #28 * - Blues apparently want to get rid of Marco ... he is a 2024 UFA and I do seem to recall him playing some right-side when he was here (one-year stop gap) ... Blues reportedly want/need a 3C.

I agree ... I suppose he potentially could block Beck or Mesar if they have an outstanding training camp but get sent back to the OHL because there is no room ... personally I see both back in junior regardless of whether or not Monahan had signed.