Speculation: Artturi Lehkonen for a defenseman

[Blitz]

Sounds like Brandon Montour is EXACTLY what you're looking for... Top-4 dman, RH shot, pending UFA - and he's available.

To
W Artturi Lehkonen ($2.4M RFA)

To
D Brandon Montour ($3.85M @ $1.5M retained = $2.35M UFA)

 

[glenbuis]

One of the best forecheckers in the game.

Creates lots of chances too. If he had an ounce of finish he'd be a 20 goal scorer.

As a Habs fan, I think it would be a mistake to move him when his value is at it's lowest. Especially because the return is likely a bottom pair 6/7 D kinda thing.

2.4 million in cap space . He is replaceable

 

[Captain97]

Sounds like Brandon Montour is EXACTLY what you're looking for... Top-4 dman, RH shot, pending UFA - and he's available.

To
W Artturi Lehkonen ($2.4M RFA)

To
D Brandon Montour ($3.85M @ $1.5M retained = $2.35M UFA)

I know he has played the left how does he at doing so?

 

[glenbuis]

Sounds like Brandon Montour is EXACTLY what you're looking for... Top-4 dman, RH shot, pending UFA - and he's available.

To
W Artturi Lehkonen ($2.4M RFA)

To
D Brandon Montour ($3.85M @ $1.5M retained = $2.35M UFA)

What about the same retention on Miller instead ? Two years of Miller retained for 1 year of rfa lehkonen .

 

[The Devilish Buffoon]

Price will waive
We protect Allen.

Only viable player will be Byron or Chiarot, considering they won't take a 22yo #6th dman who's 5'8 and hasn't played all year.

You’re operating under at least 3 or 4 false premises

 

[glenbuis]

You’re operating under at least 3 or 4 false premises

I think so to . If they were somehow forced to take Byron they probalbly forfeit the pick .

 

[Mersss]

You’re operating under at least 3 or 4 false premises

How so?

 

[Mackinn on your girl]

I’d give Jacob MacDonald for him. Straight up. Just need Byram and Makar back in the lineup. Maybe later this week.

I don't think this is a good idea. MacDonald has been pretty great for us and where does Lehkonen fit in the lineup that is a huge upgrade? Having capable defense in case of injuries is huge for us. Grabbing a 4th line winger off of our taxi squad is pretty easy and doesn't make us much worse. Digging even deeper into our defensive depth would make us worse.

 

[howkie]

Price will waive
We protect Allen.

Only viable player will be Byron or Chiarot, considering they won't take a 22yo #6th dman who's 5'8 and hasn't played all year.

So you protect Weber Petry and Fleury? otherwise they grab him, or AHL depth like Vejdemo to just skip the cap alltogheter

Other option is to try and sign Danualt or Armia.

 

[Richard88]

I don't think this is a good idea. MacDonald has been pretty great for us and where does Lehkonen fit in the lineup that is a huge upgrade? Having capable defense in case of injuries is huge for us. Grabbing a 4th line winger off of our taxi squad is pretty easy and doesn't make us much worse. Digging even deeper into our defensive depth would make us worse.

If Avs add a bottom 4 shutdown RHD at the deadline as well a move like that could make sense. Lehkonen would be a nice fit in Colorado even though he's admittedly a bit redundant right now.

 

[yianik]

If we are moving Lehks for a D , we better be putting him in a package for a PMD that can play with Weber, otherwise its a pointless trade.

 

[Mersss]

So you protect Weber Petry and Fleury? otherwise they grab him, or AHL depth like Vejdemo to just skip the cap alltogheter

Other option is to try and sign Danualt or Armia.

Petry, Weber, Edmundson or Fleury

If they want to waste a pick on Vejdemo, that'd be actually great. Habs keep their depth, SEA gets nothing from MTL. Doesn't change the fact the only NHL caliber player exposed would be Byron and Chiarot and maybe Edmundson.

Get handshake deals w/ Danault - Tatar - Armia to sign post ED, and have SEA pick their poison between Chiarot and Byron or an AHL player with no real future / no real upside

 

[DFF]

Kylington?

 

[howkie]

Petry, Weber, Edmundson or Fleury

If they want to waste a pick on Vejdemo, that'd be actually great. Habs keep their depth, SEA gets nothing from MTL. Doesn't change the fact the only NHL caliber player exposed would be Byron and Chiarot and maybe Edmundson.

Get handshake deals w/ Danault - Tatar - Armia to sign post ED, and have SEA pick their poison between Chiarot and Byron or an AHL player with no real future / no real upside

So either they can pick Edmundson or Fleury if they want a D-man

Since Danault had said no to a 5*5 or 6*5 (rumor) Im pretty sure he will not do a handshake deal, if Seattle offer him a top-6 role and a 6*6 or something.

 

[glenbuis]

Petry, Weber, Edmundson or Fleury

If they want to waste a pick on Vejdemo, that'd be actually great. Habs keep their depth, SEA gets nothing from MTL. Doesn't change the fact the only NHL caliber player exposed would be Byron and Chiarot and maybe Edmundson.

Get handshake deals w/ Danault - Tatar - Armia to sign post ED, and have SEA pick their poison between Chiarot and Byron or an AHL player with no real future / no real upside

Why wouldn’t they take mete over chariot or Byron

 

[glenbuis]

So either they can pick Edmundson or Fleury if they want a D-man

Since Danault had said no to a 5*5 or 6*5 (rumor) Im pretty sure he will not do a handshake deal, if Seattle offer him a top-6 role and a 6*6 or something.

Edmundson or fleury ? That’s a tough call . One can’t get in the lineup for a game and the other leads the league in plus/minus and is half of our best pair .

 

[Jeune Poulet]

Why wouldn’t they take mete over chariot or Byron

If this was a question without a question mark: Because Mete is soft and useless.

 

[tellermine]

Lehkonen is weird case.
He seems to have right tools and headset for a better and more productive player.

I do hope he gets a go in another enviroment. It might just light him.

 

[Richard88]

Lehkonen is weird case.
He seems to have right tools and headset for a better and more productive player.

I do hope he gets a go in another enviroment. It might just light him.

Could it be the style that Montreal play that conflicts with how he wants to play? Montreal are built to play a very heavy big-bodied possession game, whereas Lehkonen might be more suited to a fast transition team.

 

[Mersss]

So either they can pick Edmundson or Fleury if they want a D-man

Since Danault had said no to a 5*5 or 6*5 (rumor) Im pretty sure he will not do a handshake deal, if Seattle offer him a top-6 role and a 6*6 or something.

If they offer him 6*6, it instantly becomes one of the worst contract in the NHL, so, Good ridance I guess...

 

[Mersss]

Why wouldn’t they take mete over chariot or Byron

Cause Mete is barely a NHL caliber player

 

[Edgy]

Could it be the style that Montreal play that conflicts with how he wants to play? Montreal are built to play a very heavy big-bodied possession game, whereas Lehkonen might be more suited to a fast transition team.

We're not really a heavy big-bodied style team. At least not anymore, that was more Julien's bump and bruise playbook that never meshed well. Ducharme is trying to make us a possession and skating transition team as opposed to dump and chase that relies on heavy checking and board battles, with mixed success.

Lehkonen, like most of the team, can't string it together consistently this year. He shows flashes of skill and good play making then goes and drops the ball and looks awkward out there. It might be an adjustment issue to transition from how he was told to play under Claude to the current style or it could be one of those guys that keeps swinging back and forth between good and bad.

 

[Zippy316]

Devils may be looking to keep one of them, but I could see them being interested in taking a trial run at Lehkonen if they deal Ryan Murray or Kulikov.

Montreal likely doesn't do it for Kulikov, but for Murray could make some sense.

 

[glenbuis]

Cause Mete is barely a NHL caliber player

They would take that barely an nhl player vs a cap dump and use the 3 million on another player . It’s nice to wish it will go that way but I can’t see it happening

 

[Blitz]

What about the same retention on Miller instead ? Two years of Miller retained for 1 year of rfa lehkonen .

BUF has enough cap issues w/o retaining on multi-year deals.

If that's the deal MTL wants than the price tag is definitely higher than an RFA Lehkonen alone.