TheDriveFor25

I'm predicting Galchenyuk has a stellar camp and earns the C position.. Pacs - Galchenyuk - Gallagher Kassian - Pleks - Semin DD - Eller - DeLaRose Weise - Malhotra - SmithPelly

Said it many times before... If MB goes into the season with Pleks, DD, and Eller, as his top three centres, he's failed. You aren't winning Stanley with that down the middle, even with the best goalie in the world backing them up.

Pateryn definitely has value... He's a young, tough D with a reasonable cap hit. The fact that Barberio played more games last year doesn't decrease Pateryn's value. I think GP is a staple in the top 7 this year, which unless a trade comes, is likely bad news for Tinordi.

I've stated before.. You have to take advantage of the window given by having Price in net.. so if you need to trade assets that are 2 or 3 years away from being rookies in the NHL (Scherbak, McCarron)... then you do it. Look at the Kessel deal.. Now every sports website has the Pens "going all in" ... We have Price. Why not "go all in" for a couple of years. If you can get a Couture at the cost of Scherbak or McCarron, then why not. In 4 or 5 years when the young forwards are ready to be your star forwards, will Price still be the #1 goalie in the world?

I like the Kassian trade, but so far (and I know it's early)..Bergevin gets an F from me. (Not that the grade will keep him up at night) The biggest weakness on this team is the Centre position. All this talk about Ward and Sharp.. sign one, get both.. who cares.. As long as Pleks, DD, and Eller are your top three centres, your only hope lies in Price being lights out.

I get the need for a RW, but honestly.. if they enter next year with DD, Pleks, and Eller as their top 3 Centres, it'll take another Price miracle to do anything in the playoffs. Name 1 recent Stanley Cup winner with worse players down the middle... you can't do it.

Ek (take that for what it's worth) states Edmonton could be involved in a three for three trade with a team in the East... Eller, Tinordi, and Prospect??/Picks for Yakupov, McCarron, Khaira Just guessing...

Eller, Pateryn, Andy, and a 2nd is an overpayment for Sharp. Maybe Sharp and Shaw. But not Sharp alone. Eliminate Eller from the deal and I think it's enough.

Haven't heard it anywhere... just a thought.. but opinions on Galchenyuk to Arizona for #3 Draft Strome, Marner, or Rantanen

Overpayment for a declining Staal. Maybe three of four years ago, but not now. And I'm not sure why Williams is getting all the love.. another guy who's best days are behind him.

If getting into the playoffs is the goal, then stay the course. But a talent like Price doesn't come along very often, so if you have to mortgage the future a bit to give him a good chance, I'm not sure why you wouldn't. I'd rather win 1 cup and miss the playoffs for 9 years then to be into the playoffs for 10 but never make it to the Finals.

I disagree with the cost of Backes.. He is what he is.. a big 60 point centre.. Pleks, Tinordi, and a 1st gets it done. Maybe add Andrighetto or Hudon. My point is.. World class goalie. A superstar defenceman. MB needs to do whatever it takes to put the Habs in a position to win now. If that means moving a Scherbek or McCarron then you do it. Give Carey a chance to win it all.

Again, the obvious choice is trading DD over Plek, but the return is not great enough. Trade them both.. Plek to get Backes and DD as a throw in for a trade to land Yak.

Too much worry about Kessel having an 8 year contract... You have to look at the window to win a Stanley Cup, and right now, it's wide open for maybe 4 years. If adding Kessel helps you win a cup in those 4 years, then you do it and worry about the last 4 years after. If Toronto eats $1 mil of his salary, his contract isn't as horrible as people think. Is he a $3 million upgrade over PAP? Um, yeah.

If I'm MB, I'm trying to win now. Price is in his prime, PK is a rare talent, Pacs is cheap, Gally and Galchenyuk and Beaulieu are all somewhat inexpensive for now.. You have to go out and make something happen.. if it means emptying the cupboard a little, then so be it. Give this team a chance to win now. Who are untouchable prospects? Scherbek? Mccarron? DeLa Rose? If you have to move one of them to give this team a real hot next year, then you do it.. If you think swapping Galchenyuk and DD in the lineup is the answer, then expect another early exit.. You need to bring in players now.

Get YAK and Backes.. Somehow trade for both and sign Beleskey. (Pleks, PAP, DD obviously gone) Gallagher - Backes - Pacioretty Beleskey - Galchenyuk - YAK DLR - Eller - S.Pelly Prust - Mitchell - Weise

I think there are a few teams out there willing to shake things up, with San Jose and St. Louis being two of them. After another disappointing year, it seems both teams need a bit of a makeover, and with Big Joe and Marleau having NMC, it seems somebody else will need to be moved. I don't think Pleks gets you Pavelski alone, but I think they're willing to listen to offers. Same with St. Louis and Backes. He's available. Not easily obtainable, but available. And if you can take a big step forward offensively and lose a couple steps defensively, then you do it and hope CP31 doesn't let it show.

We have a trade to announce. The Montreal Canadians trade #26, D Jarred Tinordi, D Alexei Emelin, and a 2016 1st round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for the #10. With the 10th pick in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, the Montreal Canadians select Mikko Rantanen, Forward, TPS Turku. ** wakes up from dream and cries ** If they don't trade up, I guess they pick Dergachev

As I said before, Kessel comes with some baggage. -72 over the last few years. Yikes. If they think they'll get for him what they gave Boston, then Kessel will be a Leaf for life.

Player Acquired over Pleks is the reason you trade him. I don't think Pleks is a true #1 centre, he's more of the shut down guy you need as a #2. The Habs issue is scoring and when you have a guy like Price in net, you can sacrifice a better defensive forward (Pleks) for a more offensive talent. Ideally, you could move DD and keep Pleks as your #2 centre, but the return would be too small. The only other option is to move Galchenyuk, which I think most people would have an argument against. So yes, if you can move Pleks for a Pavelski, Nugent Hopkins, or Backes, then I think you do it. They're just a better fit. Just an opinion, but Pavelski on the 1st, Galchenyuk on the 2nd, and Eller on the third is a big improvement over what was iced this year. The defensive upgrade that Pleks has can be masked by DeLa Rose, Eller, and Price in net. And just for the record, I LOVE Pleks. Love him. I get the total package argument. But HABS have to score more.

I don't think any argument can be made that Pleks is more important to the team than Eller and DD.. but the reason why you trade Pleks and keep Eller is the return. If you're expecting to be successful (Stanley Cup successful) next year and you think the Habs can get it done with Pleks, Eller, and DD as your top 3 centres, than you're not being realistic. Habs need to improve their top 6 to give the team a chance to win it all.. So, how do you do that? You move Pleks. The return on DD and Eller wouldn't be big enough .. Top 3 centres of Player Acquired, Galchenyuk, and Eller is a significant upgrade over Pleks, DD, Eller..

I'd offer PAP, Tinordi, Reway, and a 1st in 2016. Get Kessel and they eat a million of his salary every year. Nothing more. Take it or leave it.

Any chance we can trade with St. Louis? What would it cost to bring in Oshie and Backes?

No to St.Louis unless it's on the cheap. He's not a huge upgrade over what we have now. Save the money and bring in a big upgrade.

Not to be the devil's advocate, but I disagree... Toronto absolutely has to deal him. You don't kick off a rebuild by keeping Kessel, you get assets for him now. Too much risk with keeping him and holding out for more. And if they're plan is to absorb bad contracts to gain better assets, then he's too expensive to keep. Again, time will tell. But people are going to be shocked with the return in a Kessel deal.