Permanent Trade Proposal Thread

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

46 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

Pettersson has recovered much of his game and would make a fantastic second-line C for us. A long term fix.

 

Problem is, paying $11.6 for a second-line C is insane. 

 

It is insane, you are creating problems down the road anytime you pay a player more than he is worth. Hughes has done a fantastic job with contracts and has the Habs positioned well. He is not going to mess it up by taking on a contract like this. If he was making 7-8million I would be more excited but then the cost to get him would be much greater. 

[GNick]

On 12/7/2025 at 12:45 PM, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

Pettersson has recovered much of his game and would make a fantastic second-line C for us. A long term fix.

 

Problem is, paying $11.6 for a second-line C is insane. 

Zegras is guy you should have acquired. He mixes well with Caufield. Hughes almost traded for him at draft. He must have liked Zegras. I don't know why he never went after him

[BCHabnut]

3 hours ago, GNick said:

Zegras is guy you should have acquired. He mixes well with Caufield. Hughes almost traded for him at draft. He must have liked Zegras. I don't know why he never went after him

Team balance. Demidov, Caufield, Zegras on the top 6 could mean getting pushed around pretty bad during playoffs.  

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

4 hours ago, GNick said:

Zegras is guy you should have acquired. He mixes well with Caufield. Hughes almost traded for him at draft. He must have liked Zegras. I don't know why he never went after him

 

Do we know that he ‘never went after him?’

 

1 hour ago, BCHabnut said:

Team balance. Demidov, Caufield, Zegras on the top 6 could mean getting pushed around pretty bad during playoffs.  

 

You look at the Dach trade and the (questionable) Slaf pick, it’s pretty clear Hughes wants size. Finding it is another question. 

[BCHabnut]

8 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Do we know that he ‘never went after him?’

 

 

You look at the Dach trade and the (questionable) Slaf pick, it’s pretty clear Hughes wants size. Finding it is another question. 

The Slaf pick is not questionable to me. At all.  I watch every game. He is getting so much confidence. I disagree with habs29 as well. He is great on the 2nd line. His puck protection and control has been top notch for 20 games or so. I expect the points to follow. Cooley would have probably been the 1st overall in a redraft, but for team balance, im liking slaf's development so far.

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

4 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:

The Slaf pick is not questionable to me. At all.  I watch every game. He is getting so much confidence. I disagree with habs29 as well. He is great on the 2nd line. His puck protection and control has been top notch for 20 games or so. I expect the points to follow. Cooley would have probably been the 1st overall in a redraft, but for team balance, im liking slaf's development so far.

 

Like you, I definitely want him on the second line. In that role, he steps up and drives play rather than deferring to CC and Slick Nick all the time. I hated how he framed his game as a supporting player on that line.

 

I understand that he does a lot of great things and that his underlying numbers are strong. At the same time, he is on a 48-point pace and this will be the third straight season in which he flatlines at exactly that level of offence. That’s second or third tier production. I’m sorry, and I get that he may yet ‘put it all together’ and become an actual star player, but I want more than that from a #1 overall pick. Period.

 

 

[Commandant]

Zegras is not a centre.  As well as hes playing, its on the wing.

 

And even in Montreal the chances he plays with Caufield are slim.  Suzuki-Caufield is a proven combo, especially with a third person with size on the line and thats not Zegras.  I dont know why you'd break up a combo that works in the NHL for something that was a line with the USNTDP when they were 16 and 17 years old, nearly a decade ago.

[BCHabnut]

6 hours ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Like you, I definitely want him on the second line. In that role, he steps up and drives play rather than deferring to CC and Slick Nick all the time. I hated how he framed his game as a supporting player on that line.

 

I understand that he does a lot of great things and that his underlying numbers are strong. At the same time, he is on a 48-point pace and this will be the third straight season in which he flatlines at exactly that level of offence. That’s second or third tier production. I’m sorry, and I get that he may yet ‘put it all together’ and become an actual star player, but I want more than that from a #1 overall pick. Period.

 

 

Ya. I get the concern on the points. I just feel like he spent 3 seasons learning the nhl. If can be a 60-70 point possession dominator, I think it’s probably top 3 of his draft year. And fills a need with size and strength in the top 6.

[titanfan]

Fowler 

Laine

1st in 27

 

Bennington

2nd 27

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, titanfan said:

Fowler 

Laine

1st in 27

 

Bennington

2nd 27

 

 

 

Analyzing it as an actual trade proposal ... (1) Fowler and first MIGHT get STL's attention for Binnington but given the lack of goalies on the trade market somebody likely offers more (I wouldn't but some GM probably would) ... AND ... the Habs will have to P-A-Y to dump Laine ... (2) W-T-F would the Habs want Binnington

[Commandant]

10 hours ago, titanfan said:

Fowler 

Laine

1st in 27

 

Bennington

2nd 27

 

Hell no

 

Hell hell no

 

In Goals Saved Above Expected, Binnigton is -18.5 this season, the absolute worst in the NHL.

 

He has an .871 save percentage.

 

He ####ing stinks.

 

[titanfan]

49 minutes ago, Commandant said:

 

Hell no

 

Hell hell no

 

In Goals Saved Above Expected, Binnigton is -18.5 this season, the absolute worst in the NHL.

 

He has an .871 save percentage.

 

He ####ing stinks.

 

And our goalies are setting the league on fire?

 

Taking the blinders off - our goaltender suck!  This isn't just a 'I wish we had Price/Roy/Dryden comment - although I'd take Jeff Hackett right now.

 

This is reality.  Fowler and Dobes aren't ready.  I'm not sure either ever will be.  

 

Montembeault never was elite.

 

Cournoyer or Vecvanegs are not going to win us any games, ever...

 

Bennington's numbers are not great now.  No argument.  But he has at least shown HE CAN win big games.

 

He is way better than anything we've got.

 

Don't like him?  Find another option.

 

Because with everything the Habs have done right during this rebuild - if they cant find a guy who can stop pucks this is as good as it ever gets!

[tomh009]

11 minutes ago, titanfan said:

Bennington's numbers are not great now.  No argument.  But he has at least shown HE CAN win big games.

 

He is way better than anything we've got.

Is he really? Let's look at GSAx:

 

This year: Binnington -18.5, Montembeault -6.0

2024-25: Binnington +5.3, Montembeault +24.6

2023-24: Binnington +16.5, Montembeault +3.5

2023-24: Binnington -9.2, Montembeault +11.8

 

He had one better season two years ago, but neither this season nor the other two has he been even close to Montembeault. Montembeault has been a solid starter for three of the four seasons, Binnington only twice.

 

And giving up Fowler, who may still be an NHL starter in the future, though clearly his not there yet? No way.  

[The Chicoutimi Cucumber]

Binnington has a rep, perhaps well-founded, as a guy who comes up big when it counts - but he is also wildly inconsistent and cannot be relied upon to make the saves game in and game out. Exactly like our guys. So he makes absolutely zero sense.

 

Heck, I'd prefer that we go after Kevin Lankinen (Van) who at least can provide a middling-level steady hand - a reasonably stable platform allowing Fowler/Dobes some breathing room to develop. Much like Monty was supposed to do. 

[Commandant]

3 hours ago, titanfan said:

And our goalies are setting the league on fire?

 

Taking the blinders off - our goaltender suck!  This isn't just a 'I wish we had Price/Roy/Dryden comment - although I'd take Jeff Hackett right now.

 

This is reality.  Fowler and Dobes aren't ready.  I'm not sure either ever will be.  

 

Montembeault never was elite.

 

Cournoyer or Vecvanegs are not going to win us any games, ever...

 

Bennington's numbers are not great now.  No argument.  But he has at least shown HE CAN win big games.

 

He is way better than anything we've got.

 

Don't like him?  Find another option.

 

Because with everything the Habs have done right during this rebuild - if they cant find a guy who can stop pucks this is as good as it ever gets!

 

Who said this team has to win the Stanley Cup this season?

 

The guy who is likely to be the starter when we are in the final stage of the rebuild is Fowler and Im not giving him up for Binnington who has done next to nothing other than one miracle run when he was a rookie.

 

The guy is Cam Ward 2.0.  Great season and has coasted on that cup win ever since.

[TheDriveFor25]

Moving Fowler for Binnington is top 3 worst trade proposals in this 581 page thread.

[PMAC]

17 hours ago, titanfan said:

Fowler 

Laine

1st in 27

 

Bennington

2nd 27

Possibly the worst trade proposal that I have ever seen on this board. Why would the Habs take the older, inconsistent and much more expensive goalie in exchange for a top prospect and then give up a first round pick for the privilege of solving one of the Blues’ problems. 

No, no! A thousand times no! This proposal gives me flashbacks to Houle’s rein of error. It’s so bad, that Doug Armstrong , waking up from a very pleasant dream with a smile, would chuckle and say” what a beautiful dream! I’ll have to tell Kent about that one “ 

[Habs Fan in Edmonton]

18 hours ago, titanfan said:

Fowler 

Laine

1st in 27

 

Bennington

2nd 27

 

I will respectfully say no thank you. 

[Helmethead]

Alright don’t shoot me but….how would a David Reinbacher for Alexis Lafrenière go over with you guys?

 

The thought alone makes my stomach churn which means it might be an even trade.

[illWill]

7 minutes ago, Helmethead said:

Alright don’t shoot me but….how would a David Reinbacher for Alexis Lafrenière go over with you guys?

 

The thought alone makes my stomach churn which means it might be an even trade.

 

Impressive, two of the worst proposals I've seen in a long time within a few days! I'm only kidding

 

I often see Reinbacher's name in trade proposals and I can't understand for the life of me why. Unless we are trading him for another RHD with more proven experience, we are just going to need to fill that hole eventually down the road. I admit that I haven't been following his progress, but I do know that he's missed significant development time and we should be patient with our 5th overall, 1st defenseman selected in the draft. I believe that he has a chance to be a perfect compliment to our existing D core, if he works out imagine this for the foreseeable future:

 

Matheson - Dobson

Hutson - Reinbacher

Guhle - Xhekaj

 

I am however intrigued about acquiring Lafreniere, but his salary is currently outweighing his performance. I do think that he hasn't been utilized correctly in New York. He started off his career behind Panarin and Kreider on LW, and they have been a dumpster fire the last couple of seasons. It would definitely be a gamble to bring him in and I'm unsure how this would affect our cap structure moving forward. 

[GHT120]

1 hour ago, Helmethead said:

Alright don’t shoot me but….how would a David Reinbacher for Alexis Lafrenière go over with you guys?

 

The thought alone makes my stomach churn which means it might be an even trade.

Shooting you would be against the law ... and very difficult as I neither own a gun or know where you live ... so your terms are accepted. 😉

It depends on how you see the players ... in his 6th NHL season, Lafreniere is pretty much established as a 17-18 goals, 20-21 assists per 82 games player (the 28 goal season an aberration) ... Reinbacher is hopefully a Top Pairing quality defender ... that trade would only (IMO) make sense if one assumes Reinbacher will not reach his potential or that Lafreniere would have a miraculous career turn under MSL ... I wouldn't make it ... if NYRs were looking to dump Lafreniere I might consider a different trade on the hope that MSL could unlock what was perceived as his potential.

[DON]

Reinbacher has just 62 AHL games under his belt, i surely hope he isnt dealt before he even plays an NHL game.

 

[Prime Minister Koivu]

I don’t want to trade Reinbacher right now either. My preference would be to add a RD - physical, net presence, net clearing beast of a RD

[Helmethead]

42 minutes ago, GHT120 said:

Shooting you would be against the law ... and very difficult as I neither own a gun or know where you live ... so your terms are accepted. 😉

It depends on how you see the players ... in his 6th NHL season, Lafreniere is pretty much established as a 17-18 goals, 20-21 assists per 82 games player (the 28 goal season an aberration) ... Reinbacher is hopefully a Top Pairing quality defender ... that trade would only (IMO) make sense if one assumes Reinbacher will not reach his potential or that Lafreniere would have a miraculous career turn under MSL ... I wouldn't make it ... if NYRs were looking to dump Lafreniere I might consider a different trade on the hope that MSL could unlock what was perceived as his potential.

I also don’t want to make that trade as I think another top pairing RHD is integral for the next stage of the rebuild. 
 

I would much rather prefer a package of sorts in order to acquire Lafrenière but Drury might get hung for that. 
 

I think he’s a good player and the tire fire that the rangers have been surely hasn’t helping his growth or psyche. 
 

But in my half century on this globe I have yet to see a top level Québécois come in and play to the level he was projected to. 
 

I might have been more interested in his if he wasn’t from Quebec. 
 

But his playoff numbers from a couple of years ago are not to be sneezed at. 

[dlbalr]

34 minutes ago, Helmethead said:

I would much rather prefer a package of sorts in order to acquire Lafrenière but Drury might get hung for that. 

 

Considering the two organizations aren't on speaking terms and there's a lot of bad blood between Gorton and Rangers ownership, Drury would probably get hung for merely discussing any trade with the Habs let alone making one.