What will it take to make Habs a better club?

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Only a fool would trade Pleks - or any player, really - just to "get rid of him." The rationale has to be to acquire a prospect who has a reasonable chance of being an impact offensive centreman. I really like the fantasy of packaging Pleks for Yakupov, for example. Easier said than done, of course.

I honestly don't know if we can win the Cup with these guys down the middle. I'm not as certain that it's impossible as Habs30 is. Few would deny that the Rangers are contenders, for instance; and yet, while Stepan and Brassard are probably better than Pleks/DD, they're far from being the huge impact C that everyone is calling for. My inclination is to think that it doesn't really matter which position the goals come from...as long as we get 'em, and as long as our C are not getting eaten alive by their counterparts night after night in the playoffs.

That said, most Cup winner DO have stud C. So I can see either side of the case; but I also know that, as MB argued, we are unlikely to acquire a Getzlaf any time soon, so in a sense we have no choice but to hope that it is possible to win without a Stamkos/Getzlaf/Toews down the middle.

EDIT: a further note here: Desharnais, not Plekanec, is the real weak link at C, at least when it comes to the playoffs. Put Pleks behind Stamkos, say, and presto, you've got a fantastic configuration. Desharnais is admirable during the season but simply not productive enough at playoff time. And THAT is a weakness that absolutely has to be fixed.

[BCHabnut]

I agree on the need to trade DD. I was hoping it would happen last year. Who knows, maybe next season Galchenyuk gets a chip on his shoulder and forces the decision. Galchenyuk (playing like Seguin) with Plek Eller and Mitchell is a damn good Centre group for years to come.

[sbhatt]

Another vote here for moving DD before considering moving Plex.

[hab29RETIRED]

With Chiarelli in Edmonton, I really think a package with plex, would be one that he may be willing to move a Yaakov or driasettl for. Not sure what kind of NTC Plex has, but he may get us an "A" list prospect in a package with fucale and a dman.

I can't see DD bringing much of a return.

Another vote here for moving DD before considering moving Plex.

[ICEWATER77]

If we bought out DD, he'd end up in Europe somewhere. I doubt any team in the league would want a 5'5" third line centerman..I'm afraid we're stuck with him

[Lovett's Magnatones]

I don't think anyone once said that plekanec is as good as Getzlaf or he is all the team needs to win the cup or anything else. I'm just trying (futile attempt I suppose) to point out that he is miss cast. I do not want plek gone at 5 million per year. Plek and DD on the same team creates a balance issue. I've said this numerous times. They both should not be the top two centre's on a good team. But I could do without the constant slagging of plekanec and the endless remarks about lovers and fan boys when people try to point out a few facts. The team has a need for a 1st line Centre. Has for 20 years. Getting rid of the closest thing they have to one before filling the position will not make the team better.

I wouldn't waste your breath. Ignore feature is a must here.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

DD is worth an extended look at wing before we trade him. This team has been weak at wing forever and will be weaker once Galchenyuk completes his mythical quest to center.

[Guest Stogey24]

Desharnais struggled in his own end on wing. Didn't win enough battles against his pointman when the Puck camae round the boards.

[Guest Stogey24]

If we bought out DD, he'd end up in Europe somewhere. I doubt any team in the league would want a 5'5" third line centerman..I'm afraid we're stuck with him

I'd be very interested to see where he ended up

[Habs30/31]

Desharnais struggled in his own end on wing. Didn't win enough battles against his pointman when the Puck camae round the boards.

yep

Yup. Plek is suffering from a case of the Koivu's. Excellent 2nd line center criticized for not producing like a 1st line center.

Team is criticized/hampered for still not having one

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

With Chiarelli in Edmonton, I really think a package with plex, would be one that he may be willing to move a Yaakov or driasettl for. Not sure what kind of NTC Plex has, but he may get us an "A" list prospect in a package with fucale and a dman.

I can't see DD bringing much of a return.

That's why Pleks is, of course, the golden boy of the rumour mill. He'd make a team like Edmonton significantly better right away. And he's 32, in his contract year, etc.. The thought of moving him makes some sense and, yes, DD would not get much back.

However, imagine if the Yakupov rumour materialized. We'd be looking at Yakopuv, DD, and Eller at C. On the face of it that is a MASSIVE downgrade at C - and the franchise would suddenly be gambling everything on a kid with a career high of 33 points, or whatever it is.

That would be crazy, on the face of it. So were we to make this move, we would have to supplement it by going out and getting a serviceable #2 C to protect us from disaster in case Yakupov isn't up to the job. Now we're talking about one move triggering the need for further moves; the kind of thing that keeps a GM up at night with cold sweats. Thus: the more I think about something like this, the less likely it seems. Zoot Suit is MUCH more probably going to try to add some Frolik or Williams-type UFAs to bolster the scoring from the wing and hope for internal improvement.

[hab29RETIRED]

That's why Pleks is, of course, the golden boy of the rumour mill. He'd make a team like Edmonton significantly better right away. And he's 32, in his contract year, etc.. The thought of moving him makes some sense and, yes, DD would not get much back.

However, imagine if the Yakupov rumour materialized. We'd be looking at Yakopuv, DD, and Eller at C. On the face of it that is a MASSIVE downgrade at C - and the franchise would suddenly be gambling everything on a kid with a career high of 33 points, or whatever it is.

That would be crazy, on the face of it. So were we to make this move, we would have to supplement it by going out and getting a serviceable #2 C to protect us from disaster in case Yakupov isn't up to the job. Now we're talking about one move triggering the need for further moves; the kind of thing that keeps a GM up at night with cold sweats. Thus: the more I think about something like this, the less likely it seems. Zoot Suit is MUCH more probably going to try to add some Frolik or Williams-type UFAs to bolster the scoring from the wing and hope for internal improvement.

Yakpov is not a centre, he is a winger and was Galchenyuk's winger in junior. Driastel is the centre. i'd trade Pleks+1st and Fucale for either without blinking.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

Yakpov is not a centre, he is a winger and was Galchenyuk's winger in junior. Driastel is the centre. i'd trade Pleks+1st and Fucale for either without blinking.

They really didn't play that much together due to injuries.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Yakpov is not a centre, he is a winger and was Galchenyuk's winger in junior. Driastel is the centre. i'd trade Pleks+1st and Fucale for either without blinking.

OK, so who are your centres then? Desharnais and Eller???

[hab29RETIRED]

Galchenyuk top line and move DD or make him a winger

OK, so who are your centres then? Desharnais and Eller???

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Galchenyuk top line and move DD or make him a winger

All due respect, you're talking about radical, risky surgery to the lineup - the sort of thing you do when you're a foundering team looking for a reboot. No doubt this all sounds good in theory, but no GM would ever blow up a highly successful roster to bet the entire rebuild on Galy as #1C, when he's shown zero sign of being capable of it, and Yakupov becoming a stud W, which may or may not happen, while removing our best C who eats massive defensive minutes while chipping in 26 goals. Again: the sort of move you make when you have nothing to lose. I don't think Bergevin's assessment will be that we're a team with nothing to lose. Much more likely, he will calculate that we're 1-2 players away from a serious playoff run and try to acquire those players.

[illWill]

The only way trading Plekanec makes sense is if he is packaged along with picks and/or prospects to upgrade the center position for NEXT year, not down the road. A team that is supposedly weak down the middle does not simply trade away it's best center.

[hab29RETIRED]

Which is why I'd try and package please, fucale, emelin and another prospect and picks for both Drausaitk and yakapov.

Yakapov us poised to score over 20 goals next year and WILL be a 30+ goal scorer. Draisaitl's lower ceiling is ROR.

I can see Chiarelli moving either draisaitl or RNJH with McDavid coming in. From his three young wingers (hall, eberle and yakapov), the most likely to be moved is yakapov.

He needs an experienced shutdown centre, a dman and a goaltender to grow with the young nucleus. We have the pieces to get this done.

All due respect, you're talking about radical, risky surgery to the lineup - the sort of thing you do when you're a foundering team looking for a reboot. No doubt this all sounds good in theory, but no GM would ever blow up a highly successful roster to bet the entire rebuild on Galy as #1C, when he's shown zero sign of being capable of it, and Yakupov becoming a stud W, which may or may not happen, while removing our best C who eats massive defensive minutes while chipping in 26 goals. Again: the sort of move you make when you have nothing to lose. I don't think Bergevin's assessment will be that we're a team with nothing to lose. Much more likely, he will calculate that we're 1-2 players away from a serious playoff run and try to acquire those players.

[Machine of Loving Grace]

You should take a minute and think about who will be coaching Edmonton. It's Todd McLellan, who had center depth in San Jose of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. Did he convince Wilson to trade someone? No, he converted Marleau into a winger. Couture played a lot of wing as well. It's far more likely that McLellan goes McDavid/RNH/Draisaitl or converts Draisaitl into a winger than the team just trading a guy. With Yakupov's extension he's likely sticking around too. If the team needs to move a player to acquire a top defenceman, they are gonna target Eberle or Hall.

[dlbalr]

Which is why I'd try and package please, fucale, emelin and another prospect and picks for both Drausaitk and yakapov.

Secondary pieces don't fetch multiple top-5 picks though. Especially not when they have a real GM now in place. Not to mention there's that NTC that is still in play for Emelin.

[Lovett's Magnatones]

What the hell is so great about Draisaitl? He had two frigging goals?!?!?!?

[DON]

What the hell is so great about Draisaitl? He had two frigging goals?!?!?!?

He is a big young centre who scored lots in junior, was WHL playoff MVP and looks to be the big power centre all covet.

[Habs30/31]

All due respect, you're talking about radical, risky surgery to the lineup - the sort of thing you do when you're a foundering team looking for a reboot. No doubt this all sounds good in theory, but no GM would ever blow up a highly successful roster to bet the entire rebuild on Galy as #1C, when he's shown zero sign of being capable of it, and Yakupov becoming a stud W, which may or may not happen, while removing our best C who eats massive defensive minutes while chipping in 26 goals. Again: the sort of move you make when you have nothing to lose. I don't think Bergevin's assessment will be that we're a team with nothing to lose. Much more likely, he will calculate that we're 1-2 players away from a serious playoff run and try to acquire those players.

Two weeks playing center (scoring a hat trick) you call that "showing zero signs of being capable of it" Really? thats Zero ?

What would you call scoring two goals in his last 30 games on wing?

I hear ya, but really come on......the Habs have nothing to lose putting him at center for 40 straight games (or longer). Take the ups and downs and get a good look. Other wise what Gally is "incapable" of remains to be seen.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

OK, move Galy from being a middling 2nd line W who was utterly clueless in the playoffs to our 1st-line C overnight, with no backup or fall-back position other than Desharnais and Eller. Awesome plan. Now, if we have Plekanec, then at least there is some sort of safety cushion. We can explore Galy at C and still have a rock-solid veteran C to fall back on. I'd have no problem with that (as long as the team is willing to retreat from Galy at C if he is getting shredded nightly and having his confidence destroyed).

Habs29's idea is a good one, but ONLY if we're willing to risk taking a potentially massive step backward for the next couple of seasons - like, missing the playoffs - while Yakupov, Draisaitl, and Galchenyuk 'find their way.' It's a recipe for a rebuilding team, not a team that is on the cusp of contention. And hey, maybe swinging for the fences like that is the only way to go. But prima facie this trade makes us very substantially weaker at C barring some explosion from Galchenyuk, without any obvious gain at W, unless, again, Yakupov explodes. Bergy would be run out of town on a rail if he blew up a successful roster like that.

[DON]

Not so sure why Galchenyuk at centre is still being run up the flagpole by most, or he is being slotted as top six centre?

Let the kid play wing and if people want a centre so badly, put Pacioretty there if centre is that important, he is bigger, stronger and better defensively than Galchenyuk.