tomh009

Ovechkin is clearly the all-time best scorer ever, as the announcers said. He can even hit an open net from a stick's length away!

Xhekaj is significantly more than just a goon IMHO ...

Hughes hasn't been willing to risk Allen up to now (by putting him on waivers) so I don't see him doing that now, either.

Gallagher is suspended, so maybe they are counting Newhook, then?

Ylonen's qualifying offer is only $813K so I expect they would find a taker for him if he doesn't fit in their plans. But, right now, there is not much scoring talent left so I wouldn't think he would get traded until Hughes has acquired some new talent on F.

I only count 12 forwards on the list. Who is missing?

We'll never know what he would be able to do at centre, if we don't give him a shot there.

I think Hughes is super analytical and calm negotiator. He has a better chance to get the right deal done since ... who? Pollock? Whether he does other things well or not, I have confidence in him as an astute negotiator, rather than a rash or emotional one.

Can't argue with Monty Python! If life seems jolly rotten There's something you've forgotten And that's to laugh and smile and dance and sing When you're feeling in the dumps Don't be silly chumps Just purse your lips and whistle, that's the thing

We lost Monahan but we're getting Newhook (13 points in the first 23 games) back in the lineup sometime very soon, so it's not all doom and gloom. 🙂

I think we're all in agreement: this is the chance for Newhook to show that he can be an effective centre in the NHL. There is no playoff pressure, there is plenty of ice time, over 30 games left in the season--and development support from St-Louis, Nicholas and Ramage. If he's capable of it, we'll know by the end of the season.

Newhook may not be optimal at centre, but it'll be his opportunity, to be sure. And just maybe he can do a credible job there--we'll find out soon enough.

I think people are massively understating the value of the Kuzmenko salary dump...without it, Calgary would not have got the package it did.

From my point of view, I'm happy Hughes made the deal rather than waiting and hoping that someone might pay more, and then potentially not getting a deal at all. Four first-round picks in the next two drafts now. That said, I really liked Monahan as a player. I wish him all the best in the 'peg--and will cling on to the faint hope that he might return as a UFA, as faint as that may be.

That's it. The Kuzmenko salary dump is what got the Flames the rest of the package.

So much will depend on the return, though. A marginal deal, no, but a first and a prospect will probably convince him.

Getting players over from the top European leagues and getting them from the KHL are two totally different kettles of fish.

Sometimes pretenders think they are contenders ...

Brzustewicz has been outstanding for Kitchener in the OHL this year. With Lindholm off the market ... it may also mean that the trade will happen sooner rather than later.

So often people say that teams won't trade within a division--and yet, here we are, the two teams are very much in the same division.

How recent is that? Here is another JFresh summary but from December, before he really picked up steam--and Cooley's card by comparison.

Fifteen years ago Putin wasn't really a factor, and the draft-age Russians were not signing long-term contracts with KHL teams.

I think he's better than Armia, but is he a LOT better? I think Ylonen is/will be better than Armia as well, and he's cheaper--and doesn't cost us any assets. So, it doesn't make a lot of sense to get another player at the Armia/Ylonen level, I think. Or can St-Louis get Kakko to the next level? I'm not sure ...

For comparison, here is Armia, a player we have now, on a roughly similar contract--and who attracts lots of complaints from the Habs fans. His PK is 59% (I don't know how the percentile is determined for PP and PK since not all players play on special teams). Data is from three years ago, though, I can't find a current one.

The trade could happen at any time. As soon as someone makes the right offer to Hughes ...