Butterface Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 Why do people bring up Buffalo, Detroit and Ottawa ? We do not have the same players on our roster. You can never make an equal argument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 Depending on where the Habs are in the standings late next month, I would expect Hughes to extend a player or maybe two, trade a player or maybe two for futures, and maybe keep a player or two as rentals. Trading Evans or Armia would leave an immediate gap, much less so for Savard or Dvorak. Matheson would be very unlikely unless Hughes is offered a king's ransom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 1 hour ago, tomh009 said: Trading Evans or Armia would leave an immediate gap, much less so for Savard or Dvorak. Matheson would be very unlikely unless Hughes is offered a king's ransom. I’d agree on Matheson. Just listening to the English parts of Hughes’ presser, I think Matheson will be around until the summer. I think he could even be around until next TDL too. Definitely Evans, Armia and Dvorak would hurt our PK should they all leave. I think there is interest in Evans if he comes in at the right price. Could Armia be in the picture if we lose both centres ? Maybe if we want to stabilize our PK, but I hope not. Hughes said he understands there is a need for veterans in the line up and said that playing younger players and rookies there would be regression. It did not sound like he wanted much regression and valued veterans in the line-up. Here is an article I just read about the thing we were just talking about above… trading vs keeping expiring contracts at this time. https://montrealhockeynow.com/2025/01/08/montreal-canadiens-in-unique-spot-nhl-trade-deadline/ “Getting the young core a taste of the NHL playoffs would be a bonus, but that shouldn’t come at the expense of their rebuild; a part of their plan GM Kent Hughes has mentioned he wanted to stick to.” Anyway it’s an endless debate on how we would build a Cup winner from where we are now. It will play out to no ones’ preference. Each team has different assets and different rosters and can’t be easily comparable. You have to play the hand you are dealt. I do not see parallels with any other NHL team. We have the best prospects in the NHL and a very young team. We are uniquely situated with plenty of draft equity and plenty of talent in and out of the NHL. We are nothing like any other team at the moment. Everything is in place but a straightforward 2C and confidence in our RHD depth. Our goaltending worry may have just been alleviated. The future is bright. We still have veterans in the line-up up even if we trade Savard, Evans, Armia and Dvorak. Get the assets for them. My biggest fear is from the above quoted article: “Instead, Nashville sought to hold onto their pending free agents, and even add the likes of Anthony Beauvillier and Jason Zucker to their lineup; en route to a 1st-round exit.” Not getting the value for expiring contracts and going out first round is grounds for apocalyptic, media-fueled Armageddon in Montreal. This isn’t Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCHabnut Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 1 hour ago, Butterface said: You can’t have everything, but you have to monetize your expiring assets. The point is you don't have to. If the deal is right, you trade any player on the team. Obviously. Of the expiring contracts, Evans is likely the only one that's going to get you good draft picks. He's also the one that management is probably working to sign. Savard will bring very little. Dvorak nothing. Armia maybe a 2nd? I don't know. I myself would rather keep Armia, Evans and Savard if they are helping the team advance. If one of them was holding back a prospect from coming up, that would be a different story. They are not. At this time, I'd rather have the known Evans, Armia, Savard than a two 2nds and two 3rd round picks. Rushing prospects up to fill their spots is not something I'm interested in. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCHabnut Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 1 hour ago, Butterface said: You can’t have everything, but you have to monetize your expiring assets. The point is you don't have to. If the deal is right, you trade any player on the team. Obviously. Of the expiring contracts, Evans is likely the only one that's going to get you good draft picks. He's also the one that management is probably working to sign. Savard will bring very little. Dvorak nothing. Armia maybe a 2nd? I don't know. I myself would rather keep Armia, Evans and Savard if they are helping the team advance. If one of them was holding back a prospect from coming up, that would be a different story. They are not. At this time, I'd rather have the known Evans, Armia, Savard than a two 2nds and two 3rd round picks. Rushing prospects up to fill their spots is not something I'm interested in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 2 minutes ago, BCHabnut said: At this time, I'd rather have the known Evans, Armia, Savard than a two 2nds and two 3rd round picks. Rushing prospects up to fill their spots is not something I'm interested in. We are different. I don’t see Roy, Beck and Mailloux playing out the last games after the TDL as “rushing”. They look pretty ready to take on the last quarter of the NHL season. If we make the playoffs great, if not they go play the AHL playoffs having learned and played against NHL talent. There is no downside to that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 2 hours ago, Butterface said: Why do people bring up Buffalo, Detroit and Ottawa ? We do not have the same players on our roster. You can never make an equal argument. Why do you bring up Souray? we don't have the same players on our roster as the 2007 team. You can never make an equal argument. It's the same thing you did. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 33 minutes ago, BCHabnut said: At this time, I'd rather have the known Evans, Armia, Savard than a two 2nds and two 3rd round picks. Rushing prospects up to fill their spots is not something I'm interested in. Do you mean from the TDL through the end of the season or do you mean resigned for next season and likely beyond? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 29 minutes ago, Butterface said: We are different. I don’t see Roy, Beck and Mailloux playing out the last games after the TDL as “rushing”. They look pretty ready to take on the last quarter of the NHL season. If we make the playoffs great, if not they go play the AHL playoffs having learned and played against NHL talent. There is no downside to that. Roy Beck and Mailloux have to be on the AHL roster at the trade deadline in order to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. This means at 3:01 pm they need to be (on paper at least) on the Laval roster. Sure you could call them up afterwards. But now you have just used 3 of your 4 post deadline callups. So they are either a post deadline callup (you only get 4) or they are on the team pre-deadline and ineligible for the AHL playoffs. One more consideration that has to go into all of this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 29 minutes ago, Butterface said: We are different. I don’t see Roy, Beck and Mailloux playing out the last games after the TDL as “rushing”. They look pretty ready to take on the last quarter of the NHL season. If we make the playoffs great, if not they go play the AHL playoffs having learned and played against NHL talent. There is no downside to that. A not unreasonable position ... may take a bit of roster manipulation because I believe they have to be on Laval's roster at the TDL to be playoff eligible ... on Roy and Beck I pretty much agree, but Mailloux depends entirely (I-M-O) on whether his defence is judged to ready for that extended stretch in the NHL ... ***NOT*** saying it isn't, just that HuGo et al will have to decide whether his long-term development benefits more from staying in the Laval or finishing in Montréal ... I expect he has progressed enough that it isn't an issue, but it is a factor that they will need to be consider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted January 8 Author Share Posted January 8 2 hours ago, Commandant said: Roy Beck and Mailloux have to be on the AHL roster at the trade deadline in order to be eligible for the AHL playoffs. This means at 3:01 pm they need to be (on paper at least) on the Laval roster. Sure you could call them up afterwards. But now you have just used 3 of your 4 post deadline callups. So they are either a post deadline callup (you only get 4) or they are on the team pre-deadline and ineligible for the AHL playoffs. One more consideration that has to go into all of this. Post deadline. You’d have to assume regression might cause you to slip in NHL standings and not make the playoffs. You’d err on making those guys available to the AHL roster. This would be why you would paper them down or leave them on the AHL roster at the right time. I don’t think that would be too difficult. I am not too concerned about having only 4 call-ups. I’m thinking a deal will get done with Evans and Dvorak will be hard to move. That means 2 call ups used. Savard and Armia gone. I’m banking on the body language of an Alex Burrows interview that Evans will be signed….. the very slimmest of evidence. If we continue to move up or stay where we are in the standings, I think we can fit Evans under the cap for a year longer then previous estimates because our first round pick 2025 won’t cost as much to re-sign after his ELC. If we sign Evans for as much as 4M, the salary cap won’t get messy until 2029-30 (previously 2028-29). That does mean we’d lose Newhook after the 2025-26 season. (That does include signing Dach after the 2027-28 season at 5.5M) Not necessary, but it would be nice to trade out Anderson (with salary retention) after the 2025-26 season as well. (To give a prospect a spot) We will have to trade out a big contract or two going into the 2029-30 season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
huzer Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 The Habs are already the 2nd youngest team in the league. They don't need to get younger after the trade deadline. If the team continues to play well, ride with what you've got, unless they get their socks knocked off with an unbelievable offer. I won't be disappointed if the Habs keep all of their UFAs and miss out on future 3rd and 4th rounders. They've made 30 draft picks in the last three years, have 12 picks in the 2025 draft, and 9 in the 2026. 11 of those picks are 3rd round or better. Hughes commented about the plethora of picks that they already have stockpiled. The Habs wouldn't be selling high value UFAs, and at some point, the experience of battling with the team you played with all season is worth the cost of not acquiring a handful of 3rd round 2027 picks. And yes, I know the point of accumulating draft picks is also for trade flexibility, and not always for selecting a player with a pick. The team also has to balance how many prospects they have, and how many contract slots they have available, too. As far as AHLers getting NHL experience, let them make the team out of camp next year when roster spots are available. I don't believe any current Rocket players are necessarily over performing in the AHL that they require a call up now (or in March). I'm not against any recalls from Laval, I don't think the team needs to make any trades to make room for anyone in Laval. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alfredoh2009 Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 38 minutes ago, huzer said: The Habs are already the 2nd youngest team in the league. They don't need to get younger after the trade deadline. If the team continues to play well, ride with what you've got, unless they get their socks knocked off with an unbelievable offer. I won't be disappointed if the Habs keep all of their UFAs and miss out on future 3rd and 4th rounders. They've made 30 draft picks in the last three years, have 12 picks in the 2025 draft, and 9 in the 2026. 11 of those picks are 3rd round or better. Hughes commented about the plethora of picks that they already have stockpiled. The Habs wouldn't be selling high value UFAs, and at some point, the experience of battling with the team you played with all season is worth the cost of not acquiring a handful of 3rd round 2027 picks. And yes, I know the point of accumulating draft picks is also for trade flexibility, and not always for selecting a player with a pick. The team also has to balance how many prospects they have, and how many contract slots they have available, too. As far as AHLers getting NHL experience, let them make the team out of camp next year when roster spots are available. I don't believe any current Rocket players are necessarily over performing in the AHL that they require a call up now (or in March). I'm not against any recalls from Laval, I don't think the team needs to make any trades to make room for anyone in Laval. I agree, if a 13th forward is needed I would bring up Dauphin before Condotta, but those are the only two I would consider. I love Beck, but he needs to simmer a bit more in the NHL. From the D, Engstrom is the next up if there is an injury. But that is it at this moment IMHO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DON Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 dlbalr noted Engstrom was a healthy scratch the last game. So, more time in Laval likely needed and wont hurt any. Rocket Weekly: Two Straight Wins Over Abbotsford – HabsWorld.net "Final Thought One of the surprise decisions from the coaching staff came on Saturday when they decided to make Adam Engstrom a healthy scratch. The night before, he had assisted on the overtime winner so to see him out of the lineup was something many probably weren’t expecting. But the decision wasn’t without its merits. After a strong start, Engstrom’s play had taken a step back as of late and even with him seeing time on the top power play, he hasn’t been contributing as much on that end as he was earlier on while defensively, he had a few extra slipups. For someone whose game action is usually between 50 and 60 in a season, even giving him a night off here and there from a load management perspective makes some sense although right after a long break generally isn’t the best time for that. Despite the recent setback, it has been a pretty good season for Engstrom overall. He’s doing pretty well in a top-four role and quickly earned special teams minutes as well. All things considered, his stock is trending up so hopefully the unplanned night off is just a small blip in the road." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commandant Posted January 8 Share Posted January 8 If its a Savard trade, the callup is likely a RHD, hence Mailloux. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dlbalr Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 7 hours ago, Butterface said: You can weaponize these picks and move lower in the draft. We don’t need quantity, we need quality. Do not take for granted that our talent pool is good enough. Hughes has a real chance here to add depth to the talent pool that will fuel a longer window. They can try to weaponize those picks but it takes a willing team on the other end to do so. Last draft notwithstanding, moving up in the first round with lower picks is something that doesn't happen as often as it used to. And frankly, several of the picks they'd be getting for the rentals probably won't be high enough to be a needle-mover in terms of moving up in the draft order with a pick of consequence. That isn't to say at least some of the players shouldn't be moved depending on what happens over the next couple of months (and how extension talks go) but there are no premium trade chips here to necessarily get too worried about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCHabnut Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 9 hours ago, GHT120 said: Do you mean from the TDL through the end of the season or do you mean resigned for next season and likely beyond? No just to the end of the season for savard and dvorak. I'd resign Evans and Armia if the terms work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BCHabnut Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 7 hours ago, huzer said: The Habs are already the 2nd youngest team in the league. They don't need to get younger after the trade deadline. If the team continues to play well, ride with what you've got, unless they get their socks knocked off with an unbelievable offer. I won't be disappointed if the Habs keep all of their UFAs and miss out on future 3rd and 4th rounders. They've made 30 draft picks in the last three years, have 12 picks in the 2025 draft, and 9 in the 2026. 11 of those picks are 3rd round or better. Hughes commented about the plethora of picks that they already have stockpiled. The Habs wouldn't be selling high value UFAs, and at some point, the experience of battling with the team you played with all season is worth the cost of not acquiring a handful of 3rd round 2027 picks. And yes, I know the point of accumulating draft picks is also for trade flexibility, and not always for selecting a player with a pick. The team also has to balance how many prospects they have, and how many contract slots they have available, too. As far as AHLers getting NHL experience, let them make the team out of camp next year when roster spots are available. I don't believe any current Rocket players are necessarily over performing in the AHL that they require a call up now (or in March). I'm not against any recalls from Laval, I don't think the team needs to make any trades to make room for anyone in Laval. This is basically what I was getting at. Aside from Evans, who i hope can sign a reasonable contract, the other 3 aren't going to get you much in the way of assets. But they are all part of the current team learning to play the right way. Let Dvorak walk. Resign Evans maybe Armia if the contract is reasonable. Bring Demidov in March and get him a few games with a half competitive team. End the season feeling like you've progressed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted January 9 Author Share Posted January 9 24 minutes ago, BCHabnut said: Let Dvorak walk. Resign Evans maybe Armia if the contract is reasonable. Bring Demidov in March and get him a few games with a half competitive team. End the season feeling like you've progressed. Demidov contract ends May 31st. With Evans you already have 14 forwards. Signing Armia is 15. Contracts you can put back into AHL are Demidov, Kapanen, Beck and Roy. Who are you putting down to AHL and who is riding the pine like Pez ? To make Armia and Evans fit, likely you’d need to trade Newhook… unless you will also trade Price’s contract in the summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalhabs Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 Try hard to resign Evans. Armia and Savard I would concider resigning cheap as well for depth. I dont think Armia will sign for cheap though. Maybe at least 2M. About giving the younger players icetime? Dump Pezetta and wait for the inevitable injuries to free up spots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 I-M-O, the problem with re-signing Armia is that it is a treading water move at best ... assuming he can even continue to play as well as he has and doesn't regress to past levels ... I have some of the same concerns about Evans ... Such analysis/forecasting is why HuGo get the big money and we are but fans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
illWill Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 If this team genuinely has a chance at making the playoffs come the trade deadline, trading the expiring UFAs would absolutely be the wrong message to send. What are we talking about here? Just because a team "isn't going to win the cup this year" doesn't mean you perpetually just keep trading away players for futures. That's how a loser thinks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHT120 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 1 hour ago, illWill said: If this team genuinely has a chance at making the playoffs come the trade deadline, trading the expiring UFAs would absolutely be the wrong message to send. What are we talking about here? Just because a team "isn't going to win the cup this year" doesn't mean you perpetually just keep trading away players for futures. That's how a loser thinks. I would add the caveat "unless the return is substantial" ... ideally an NHL ready/near-ready player ... Evans is the only one of this years' "crop" that might fetch a substantial return ... then it becomes a now versus next-year trade-off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomh009 Posted January 9 Share Posted January 9 6 minutes ago, GHT120 said: Evans is the only one of this years' "crop" that might fetch a substantial return Maybe yes. But Hughes has pulled rabbits out of his hat before and he may be able to do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butterface Posted January 10 Author Share Posted January 10 So I listened to Marinaro and Button have a discussion. Button crapped all over my thoughts about wanting to get something good out of this last draft in 2025 before Montreal begins a campaign of consistent making-the-playoffs years. Button basically said I was an idiot. Which is fine because he only has one more Stanley Cup than I do. And if owners thought he’d be a good GM, he’d be a GM. Button also mentions Gainey and Lamoriello (icons in the industry), but as GMs they have only caught lightening in a bottle with one team each… they haven’t replicated their success at other hockey clubs. Their process hasn’t worked everywhere. Anyway it’s a good listen from 16 to 41 minute mark: The next three paragraphs are from the article below: https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/other/how-hughes-view-of-canadiens-progress-will-influence-next-steps-in-rebuild/ar-BB1r7kNQ “I don’t anticipate allowing the lineup to be flooded with young players, because I think if we did that, I think naturally there would be an element of regression that comes with it,” Hughes said. “Hughes added that he and Gorton wouldn’t block the team’s promising prospects from taking their places if they proved ready to take them, but his emphasis on maintaining that balance to maintain progress and avoid regression only further illuminated how he hopes to navigate the important decisions that lie ahead.” If the Canadiens were to completely divert from the right path over the 22 games they’ll play between now and the deadline, then Hughes would have no choice but to…. be selling, and he said that if he must do that, he’ll try to obtain picks in future years in the hopes they could eventually be repurposed to acquire other players he’d be adding to a winning team. In another article which is also a good read I pulled these four paragraphs: https://thesickpodcast.com/building-for-tomorrow-or-battling-today-habs-path-forward/ The Canadiens’ draft capital already looks promising, with their own pick and one from Calgary (or Florida). Adding another first-round pick or two at the trade deadline would open doors to game-changing opportunities. Packaging multiple picks could allow Montreal to move up in the Draft, targeting a blue-chip prospect to anchor the team’s future. Alternatively, those picks could be used to acquire an established player from a rebuilding team. Imagine adding a proven scorer or a top-pairing defenseman to a roster on the cusp of playoff contention. The right deal could accelerate the Canadiens’ timeline while preserving their long-term vision. The Canadiens are at a crossroads. Every move must balance the excitement of chasing a playoff spot with the discipline required to build a sustainable contender. Trading players like Savard, Matheson, or Evans could yield valuable assets, but retaining them might provide the stability needed for a postseason push. Similarly, stockpiling first-round picks offers tantalizing possibilities, whether through the Draft or the trade market. And with Ivan Demidov set to join the team next season, the future looks bright. With momentum on their side, the Canadiens must tread carefully. The decisions made in the coming weeks will not only define this season but also shape the future of the franchise. For now, one thing is clear: the Habs are ready to make their mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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