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Distraction Thread - Next Year's Starting Lineup


zumpano21

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Matteau must almost be one bad play from exile isn't he? And Hudon seems a better option of the two.

I remember Bergevin saying on the trade deadline episode of 24 CH that Matteau was someone they had been trying to get since September. I suspect then that they'll be patient with him. Hudon is waiver exempt but Matteau isn't so that may hurt Hudon's chances if those two are going for the same spot.

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I'm fine with Matteau in the AHL. There's absolutely no reason he should be on our lineup come October, even as a 14th forward. The guy needs ice time in the AHL.

Believe me, I'm of the same mindset. But when I heard that he had been a target for a while, I have a harder time believing that they'll waive him after 12 regular season and a handful of preseason games. There's no doubt he'd benefit from being down there though.

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Guest Stogey24

Matteau was so bad man. I know people on here like Danault too, but I don't think he's more than an ahl'er either

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How are the Habs going to move those four without taking any salary back?

All are tradeable, except for Desharnais. Probably have to eat 1 - 1.5 million of his salary to move him.

Plekanec and Emelin have decent value. Possibly Eller too

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All are tradeable, except for Desharnais. Probably have to eat 1 - 1.5 million of his salary to move him.

Plekanec and Emelin have decent value. Possibly Eller too

They're all overpaid, though, except Pleks - and even he comes with an asterisk due to his advancing age. They have value in hockey terms, but whether other teams want their contracts is another question. Otherwise put, the exact same reason that every fan fantasizes about getting rid of them is what makes them hard to move.

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All are tradeable, except for Desharnais. Probably have to eat 1 - 1.5 million of his salary to move him.

Plekanec and Emelin have decent value. Possibly Eller too

I'm not saying they're not tradeable. But we live in a cap world where a lot of teams are going to be up against the cap. To move those contracts, some money in the form of other players has to go the other way (or retention as you note). No team is offloading over $17 million in cap hits this offseason through trades without taking any money back in the process.

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Free Agent in 2017- Galchenyuk, Beaulieu, Markov, Desharnais

2018- Price, Plekanec, Eller, Emelin

Galchenyuk and Beaulieu likely getting good raises.

Can Price avoid his injury trend and play a full season or two?

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So if MB does nothing, our lineup (fully healthy) looks like this:

Pacioretty - Galchenyuk - Gallagher

Carr - Pleks - Andrighetto

Eller - Desharnais - Danault

Flynn - Mitchell - Byron

Matteau

Beaulieu - Subban

Markov - Petry

Pateryn - Emelin

Barbeiro

Price

Condon

.... Yikes...

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So if MB does nothing, our lineup (fully healthy) looks like this:

Pacioretty - Galchenyuk - Gallagher

Carr - Pleks - Andrighetto

Eller - Desharnais - Danault

Flynn - Mitchell - Byron

Matteau

Beaulieu - Subban

Markov - Petry

Pateryn - Emelin

Barbeiro

Price

Condon

.... Yikes...

And that lineup will have about 6-7 million in cap space... what are the chances he does nothing?

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Best case scenario he signs Okposo. Worst case scenario he signs Vrbata and Hudler for cheap.

As bad as that sounds, it also sounds pretty good because it actually helps.

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And that lineup will have about 6-7 million in cap space... what are the chances he does nothing?

That's just it. At worst, the Habs ice that lineup. MB keeps saying how hard it is to make trades. As for signing UFA's, he says it's dangerous, but I believe he signs two forwards. At best, 2 new forwards get added to the top 6.

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Kyle Okposo has been one of the best right wingers in the NHL (top five, six at worst) since he came into the league and he never gets the credit because so many assume he's a product of Tavares. But when Tavares went down hurt from the Olympics, Okposo was able to score at close to a PPG rate.

If we want to bring in a guy who will solidify our right side for the next 5+ years with Gallagher, Okposo is the answer.

I would be willing to spend every dime of that free cap space on him and then figure out ways to move those guys out to free up space in other departments.

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I agree big time with your last 2 posts MoLG, well said.

Okposo would definitely be who I would go after as UFA.

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I guess it depends how much Okposo will want. I definitely think presenting him with the option to play with Patches and Galchenyuk would be enticing, it still comes down to money and term. I agree with other posts above: sign him for 5 years / $25M if that's what it takes.

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Any high-profile UFA will get more money and term than we would like.

Fans need to accept that inescapable reality.

I don't care, myself. This team is in its Cup window and signing 1-2 top-6 FWs is critical to making the jump. Cap be damned.

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