Around the League Thread: 2017 Season Begins

[Mess]

Matthews pretty easily. Leafs have a #1 Goalie already.

You can win with great players and a good goalie. You can't win with just a great goalie.

If Montreal has Price at $10 mil and Galchenyuk @ $5 mil = $15 mil cap.

If Leafs have Matthews @ $10 mil (in a couple years) and Anderson @ $5 mil = $15 mil.

$15 mil for 2 players verses $15 mil for 2 players cap = same situation.

As far as the Cap goes Leafs and Habs might be in the same boat after Price and Matthews contracts are signed.

 

[Menzinger]

Except Price is a decade older than Matthews and is about to enter an age range where players begin to physically decline. Matthews hasn't even entered his prime yet. Very different situations.

 

[ACC1224]

If Montreal has Price at $10 mil and Galchenyuk @ $5 mil = $15 mil cap.

If Leafs have Matthews @ $10 mil (in a couple years) and Anderson @ $5 mil = $15 mil.

$15 mil for 2 players verses $15 mil for 2 players cap = same situation.

As far as the Cap goes Leafs and Habs might be in the same boat after Price and Matthews contracts are signed.

Exactly, you take Matthews + Andersen everyday in that scenario.

 

[tokyoite]

as expected, Phaneuf refused to waive NMC.

 

[Antropovsky]

I'm expecting, Kovalchuk, Radulov, Yakupov, Dadanov all to Vegas. They will form a Super Russian team in Vegas, along with Shipachyov.

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[SeaOfBlue]

I'm expecting, Kovalchuk, Radulov, Yakupov, Dadanov all to Vegas. They will form a Super Russian team in Vegas, along with Shipachyov.

Give them Soshnikov too

 

[Mess]

I'm expecting, Kovalchuk, Radulov, Yakupov, Dadanov all to Vegas. They will form a Super Russian team in Vegas, along with Shipachyov.

Possible but not likely. IMO

Kovalchuk and Radulov are at an age where winning now seems to be more relevant to money.

Vegas will likely finish 31st next year so $$$ is their only leverage here. Kovalchuk (Atlanta in the past) knows what its like on an expansion team and you'd better like losing a lot.

 

[MJ65]

I'm expecting, Kovalchuk, Radulov, Yakupov, Dadanov all to Vegas. They will form a Super Russian team in Vegas, along with Shipachyov.

No way - Montreal is going to sign him, won't let him walk (even Radulov would prefer Montreal over Vegas) and it's hard to imagine that Kovy is going to sign with expansion team after playing in NHL for so many years

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[phillipmike]

Drouin for Sergachev

 

[FlareKnight]

Well Montreal gets busy.

A bold move to add to their offense which will make them more difficult. Costs them one of their top prospects, but they are in a "win now" kind of mode. So a D-man that might not be an impact player for a while isn't as valuable. While Tampa keeps themselves good now and good for the future.

 

[Terrible GM]

Well Montreal gets busy.

A bold move to add to their offense which will make them more difficult. Costs them one of their top prospects, but they are in a "win now" kind of mode. So a D-man that might not be an impact player for a while isn't as valuable. While Tampa keeps themselves good now and good for the future.

I really like this trade for Montreal, but they just don't have enough quality prospects to trade to become contenders, and also not enough UFA's this year to change them from a playoff team to a cup contending team.

 

[Brown Dog]

I really like this trade for Montreal, but they just don't have enough quality prospects to trade to become contenders, and also not enough UFA's this year to change them from a playoff team to a cup contending team.

I like that deal for Tampa.

 

[NarcoPolo]

More reason for me to hate Drouin as if I already didnt have one

 

[93LEAFS]

I really like this trade for Montreal, but they just don't have enough quality prospects to trade to become contenders, and also not enough UFA's this year to change them from a playoff team to a cup contending team.

I'm waiting til the end of the offseason before I judge this one. They could easily lose Radulov, and they lost their best piece in acquiring a center. If they re-sign Radulov and Drouin, they have significant money locked up in wingers and have to pay Price. It also cost them an expansion spot which probably means Hudon.

It could work out amazing for them, but this is a massive off-season for them. No team wins without a number 1 center these days. The Kings and Pitt have had great center depth, while Chicago had Toews (a legit #1). No team has won without a high-end center in their prime since at least Anaheim (who still had a very good MacDonald and a young Getzlaf breaking out) and prior to that New Jersey, who in all their seasons still had way better center depth than Plekanec and Daneault.

 

[BertCorbeau]

Unless Montreal upgrades at centre they are still hoping Price can carry the team to a cup. Drouin will certainly help their scoring and be an offensive catalyst, but the lack of strength down the middle will ultimately harm them (if not improved)

 

[Keato]

Talking to someone today, and they made a point I hadn't thought of; does acquiring Drouin mean Galchenyuk will also move? Montreal doesn't seem super keen on him, and he's probably their best piece now if they are looking at another trade. Their suggestion was to Anaheim for a defenseman.

At least there was a trade today, makes things more exciting!

 

[Macallan18]

Unless Montreal upgrades at centre they are still hoping Price can carry the team to a cup. Drouin will certainly help their scoring and be an offensive catalyst, but the lack of strength down the middle will ultimately harm them (if not improved)

I expect to see a Drouin at Centre experiment

 

[Gallagbi]

Talking to someone today, and they made a point I hadn't thought of; does acquiring Drouin mean Galchenyuk will also move? Montreal doesn't seem super keen on him, and he's probably their best piece now if they are looking at another trade. Their suggestion was to Anaheim for a defenseman.

At least there was a trade today, makes things more exciting!

There were rumours he was on the block before the trade.

 

[Ari91]

Not sure if this will require the Habs to get creative with their cap situation, but I can understand trading their top prospect for a proven player than can help them win now. The pieces they have are in their prime and will soon move past that point and if there's any time for them to make big moves to get to the next level, that time would be now otherwise they're wasting their current star talent, mostly known as Price.

 

[phillipmike]

I like the trade in a vacuum for MTL as Drouin is the better talent but like many i feel they traded a player who fits a future need for a winger which wasnt a pressing need. Now i am willing to give MB time to see what else he does this off-season. If MTL goes all in and say uses Galchenyuk, their next 2 firsts, Fucale, McCarron, Hudon, Juulson and more to land a centre like Duchene and a defensemen like Brodin/Vatanen/Hammer then i will be impressed. But i dont see how this make their team better especially if they lose Radulov.

 

[Gallagbi]

I like the trade in a vacuum for MTL as Drouin is the better talent but like many i feel they traded a player who fits a future need for a winger which wasnt a pressing need. Now i am willing to give MB time to see what else he does this off-season. If MTL goes all in and say uses Galchenyuk, their next 2 firsts, Fucale, McCarron, Hudon, Juulson and more to land a centre like Duchene and a defensemen like Brodin/Vatanen/Hammer then i will be impressed. But i dont see how this make their team better especially if they lose Radulov.

I don't think there's any question they're a better team today than yeaterday. Long term it can bite them if Seegachev turns out and Drouin is a perimeter player, but they added offense on an offensively deprived team.

Personally, I'd love nothing more than to see this turn out like the Gomez-McDonough trade, but I don't see it happening.

 

[phillipmike]

I don't think there's any question they're a better team today than yeaterday. Long term it can bite them if Seegachev turns out and Drouin is a perimeter player, but they added offense on an offensively deprived team.

Personally, I'd love nothing more than to see this turn out like the Gomez-McDonough trade, but I don't see it happening.

Oh i dont question his talent just the need from Montreal. True they need offense but their centres are awful with Plekanec, Danault, Shaw and Mitchell. And like many said they used their biggest trade chip to land a centre or a defense to land another winger. They got 28 points from Plekanec, 40 from Danault, 29 from Shaw and 17 from Mitchell totaling 115 points. McDavid put up 100 on his own. And of that group they only missed 22 games combined... They had great health from their bad centres - something i dont expect again this season. It is quite remarkable that a team with that centre depth won the division which means Price has to be that good.

It reminds me of the 2013-14 Leafs when we had injuries to Bolland, Bozak and Kadri all at once. Montreal has worse depth and cant afford 1 injury long term at centre as it stands.

No doubt they are better today than yesterday but that hinges on what happens with Radulov and Markov - if both walk then Drouin effectively replaces Radulov and they are back to square one. Drouin is the real deal and a fantastic player - i just question the need and fit. Having Sundin and having to wait 10 years to get lucky again with Matthews we should know what having good centre depth does for a organization.