Montreal Offseason UFA signings /trade predictions

rahad

Registered User
Feb 3, 2016
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montreal
I brought that up in another thread. Camalerri 12 years ago. He was coming off a ppg season (of course, he didn’t do that once he signed). Before him, I can’t even remember. Turgeon? Damphousse? Maybe they were acquired by trade? Regardless, history proves my point. It’s not happening folks, so speculation is utterly pointless. They’ll have to trade or develop a top 6 forward.

Seriously, every time I read about a super star forward coming to Montreal. I keep rolling my eyes. Cammy has probably the last PPG forward to come to Montreal....

Cammy did have a single PPG in the playoff. Great signing! The injury killed his career.
 
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rahad

Registered User
Feb 3, 2016
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Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Draisatl - McDavid - Matthews
Armia - Newhook - Gallagher
Pezzeta - Evans - Dach

Matheson - Savard
Makar - Mailloux
Hutson - Q. Hughes

Clone of Patrick Roy
Clone of Patrick Roy

This is probably the strongest second line in history lol.
 

schwang26

Registered User
Mar 15, 2022
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Yes it was a long time but you have to remember Bergevin was incompetent, the fact that he didn't sign anyone (Though as pointed out Radulov and Toffolli should count) isn't a sign that nobody wants to sign in Montreal. A top-UFA not wanting to deal with Therrien isn't the same as not wanting to play for the Habs. I mean seriously, what skill player that has a choice would choose to play for a bully who doesn't like skill players and wants everyone to play like a grinder?

As for Giroux he became available after we just finished coming in last place and announced that there would be a long rebuild. Giroux wasn't going to be signed.

Also if you mean ppg forwards then say that, don't say top-6 forwards and mean ppg players because most top-6 forwards aren't ppg forwards.
Fair enough. I should’ve said ppg players.
 

The Gr8 Dane

L'harceleur
Jan 19, 2018
11,309
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Montreal
Post a list of all the ppg players that went UFA and didn't sign here , off the top I'm thinking Panarin and Tavares , what are other examples? Kovalchuk? Genuinely curious , its not like this happens all the time
 
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Mikah

Registered User
Feb 19, 2018
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Looks good long term when those two top 6 spots have been filled and Anderson and Gally move from the 4th line to LTIR.

However I don't think it's a reasonable forecast for next year. There is no way we will be adding 2 top 6 forwards this offseason. Dach will likely play with some combination of Newhook, Roy, Armia, Gally, etc. next year.
I agree, and I think its too early to splurge into high profile UFAs this summer.

If you invest now with UFAs to make the playoff, that means you will then not be able to unload a couple of players at the trade deadline (Savard, Dvorak, Evans, Kovacevic).

The consequence of this in the long term is missing a potential high draft pick (from missing the playoffs) and a couple of round 1-2 picks you could have gotten for those rentals. That could be the difference between a middle-of-the-pack team, and a strong team in the long run.

I think its still to early to go all in. At this point, its probably more important to give icetime to the young guys and see some progression to keep everyone happy.
 
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The Gr8 Dane

L'harceleur
Jan 19, 2018
11,309
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Montreal
Gaudreau is probably the only other one I can think of.
People in here are acting like tons of ppg superstars go to UFA and we miss out on all of them lol.

I just hate seeing the fanbase blame anything else than garbage management for a garbage team in the past quarter century.

Any woes we've felt from this team are mainly due to having absolute nincompoops in charge , nothing to do with not being an attractive market or us being in Canada , like cry me a river man , let's make our own luck for once
 

salbutera

Registered User
Sep 10, 2019
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Post a list of all the ppg players that went UFA and didn't sign here , off the top I'm thinking Panarin and Tavares , what are other examples? Kovalchuk? Genuinely curious , its not like this happens all the time
- Briere (in his prime)
- Hossa (2x) - Gainey even traded for his rights pre-UFA for exclusive negotiation window, he wouldn’t even meet with Habs both times 2008 & 2009
- Sundin
- Wheeler - as a young UFA from Az who refused to meet with Habs in summer 2008, preferring Boston (granted he wasn’t the PPG player yet)

btw - Habs were actual contenders between 2007-2009 when they went after that ONE player who would’ve put them over the top

Over last 10-years:
- Stamkos ; he did meet w Habs
- Tavares ; wouldn’t even meet Habs
- Panarin : per McGuire & Gord Miller Habs gave highest offer & he refused to meet with them
 
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lamp9post

Registered User
Jan 28, 2007
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- Briere (in his prime)
- Hossa (2x) - Gainey even traded for his rights pre-UFA for exclusive negotiation window, he wouldn’t even meet with Habs both times 2008 & 2009
- Sundin
- Wheeler - as a young UFA from Az who refused to meet with Habs preferring Boston

btw - Habs were actual contenders between 2007-2009 when they went after that ONE player who would’ve put them over the top

Do you have a link for this? I don't see it documented anywhere.
 

salbutera

Registered User
Sep 10, 2019
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Do you have a link for this? I don't see it documented anywhere.
I’ll need to dig it up, Kings, Habs and a third team were given exclusive rights by Red Wings prior to July 1, 2009 to negotiate w Hossa and he ended up going to market to sign w Chi
 

26Mats

Registered User
Jun 23, 2018
32,356
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A good veteran RHD would be a main target for me. I'd like us to match our best 3 young Dmen with 3 vets and to distribute the 5 to 5 minutes more equally amongst the 3 pairs, so guys like Matherson and Savard aren't being overtused so much. We're probably going to free some space this summer via trade anyway, I'm expecting a bit of a defense reshaping.

Higher said he didn't see the team signing a vet RD so as not to block the path of Reinbacher and Mailloux.

On a side note, it's interesting how he said Mailloux and Reinbacher, and not Barron.

But back to next year's dcore. I think we'll start with:

Matheson - Guhle
Hutson - Savard
Xhekaj - Barron/Kovacevic/Harris/Struble. I mean is there really room for an RD? Is there room on the left for Guhle to go back to the left?
 

Beer and Chips

Registered User
Feb 5, 2018
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I would definitely sign Monahan if he was interested in returning at 3C, allowing us to move Dvorak. Beck could spend one season in Laval.
I beleive they will try for a serious 2nd line winger and it will cost us a player we like but Barron, Kovacevic, and Harris aren't going to get us a real player. These guys can help getting veteran bottom six players or more picks, we only have one second round pick which could be our last good draft. If we really expect next season to be the season before we "go for it" we should accumulate picks while we can.
 

HuGo Sham

MR. CLEAN-up ©Runner77
Apr 7, 2010
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There's a ludicrous trade proposal of Jeannot to the habs and another calling the deal to TB one of the worst, ever.
personally I'd like him on the Habs - or Olivier in some kind of deal. Maybe give TB a 3rd and 5th rounder or Pezz (who's better than Austin Watson) and a mid-rounder? Not sure what Columbus would want...
I'd also like to sign Carrier or Joshua...play some combo of these 4 between Evans I guess, and lets get a 4th line that cooks
 
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SamHabsFan

Registered User
Apr 6, 2016
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Quebec
I say either sign marchessault on a 3 year 6-7M deal, or try and trade for a player that fits our timeline

marchessault wont fit the timeline, but much like allen he holds the spot until the Draft pick is ready.

Role out next year
Caufield - Suzuki - Slaf
March - Dach - Newhook
Roy - Dvo - Armia
Gallagher - Evans - Anderson
ex RHP, Pezz

with Demidov, iginla, catton or lindstrom developing and ready to go by year 3 of the marchessault deal
Im on board with that! I would add that based on performances in training camp, we may be forced to ship out a defenseman since Barron can no longer go through waivers, and Hutson/Mailloux seemed basically ready

So all in all,

1. Draft Lindstrom/demidov
2. sign marchessault
3. trade away one of Barron/struble/kovacevic

And I would call it for the off season
 

1909

Registered User
Jul 6, 2016
20,740
11,342
There's a ludicrous trade proposal of Jeannot to the habs and another calling the deal to TB one of the worst, ever.
personally I'd like him on the Habs - or Olivier in some kind of deal. Maybe give TB a 3rd and 5th rounder or Pezz (who's better than Austin Watson) and a mid-rounder? Not sure what Columbus would want...
I'd also like to sign Carrier or Joshua...play some combo of these 4 between Evans I guess, and lets get a 4th line that cooks
Vancouver would be crazy to let go Joshua on the UFA market.
 

overlords

#DefundCBC
Aug 16, 2008
31,800
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This is the road map, now it's Kent Hughes job to achieve it

Ad Victoriam
kingdom-of-heaven-god-wills-it.gif
 
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ngc_5128

Registered User
Sep 24, 2002
1,077
345
I remember this, he hemmed and hawed for 6 months, leading the habs on and ended up in Vancouver saying something along the lines of "in the end, I couldn't betray the leafs" or some BS like that.
 

salbutera

Registered User
Sep 10, 2019
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I remember this, he hemmed and hawed for 6 months, leading the habs on and ended up in Vancouver saying something along the lines of "in the end, I couldn't betray the leafs" or some BS like that.
A reporter asked him about rumors to Habs and his words were “Mtl f*ck that”

Lost a lot of respect for Sundin upon seeing it - everyone is entitled to their opinion, but there’s a right & wrong way of going about things…

Hossa made it clear when he asked out of Ottawa, he wanted out of Canada (like Chara and many players to be Frank), and stayed radio silent after Heatley swap w Atlanta. Even when Gainey courted him multiple times, not a word via media / publicly
 

BLONG7

Registered User
Oct 30, 2002
35,850
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Nova Scotia
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Seriously, every time I read about a super star forward coming to Montreal. I keep rolling my eyes. Cammy has probably the last PPG forward to come to Montreal....

Cammy did have a single PPG in the playoff. Great signing! The injury killed his career.
Having Gainey would have helped lure Cammy also............he had built a Cup winner in Dallas.

The bottom line is, the cdn markets have such a disadvantage with taxes, and weather, and media and fan scrutiny, all accounting for why, almost NO star players want to come to Canada........there are just too many things, to ignore, and the agent driving the bus can also be another.

So with the WPJ getting bounced in round 1 what range will that pick be?
23-27 range....I think.
 

Kimota

ROY DU NORD!!!
Nov 4, 2005
39,452
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Les Plaines D'Abraham
I would definitely sign Monahan if he was interested in returning at 3C, allowing us to move Dvorak. Beck could spend one season in Laval.
I beleive they will try for a serious 2nd line winger and it will cost us a player we like but Barron, Kovacevic, and Harris aren't going to get us a real player. These guys can help getting veteran bottom six players or more picks, we only have one second round pick which could be our last good draft. If we really expect next season to be the season before we "go for it" we should accumulate picks while we can.

I like Monahan but he was pretty invisible in the playoffs.
 

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