Speculation: Summer 24 moves

[Scintillating10]

My thought is to sign Brett Pesce this UFA season, give him a 5x6.5 or hell even 7 if we really have to. It finishes prior to age 35 for his and gives us a solid top 4 RHD so we can trade Savard at the deadline if we're uncompetitive next year. We need some vets on D going forward especially when our RHD are all prospects.

2025 UFA class is the one to get top 6 feds from. Kent will likely package one of the young d and picks to get a young forward player at the draft

Pesch Going to take playing time away from young player

 

[RationalExpectations]

My thought is to sign Brett Pesce this UFA season, give him a 5x6.5 or hell even 7 if we really have to. It finishes prior to age 35 for his and gives us a solid top 4 RHD so we can trade Savard at the deadline if we're uncompetitive next year. We need some vets on D going forward especially when our RHD are all prospects.

2025 UFA class is the one to get top 6 feds from. Kent will likely package one of the young d and picks to get a young forward player at the draft

He has been slowingdown a lot lately. I saw CAR fans saying that he should not stay more than two years.

 

[Egresch]

We are more or less sure Hughes will target some young U25 forward to improve our top 6 like he did with Dach/Newhook- top candidates might be Nečas, Lundell, Mercer, Holtz, Neighbours, Johnson. Kakko.
Will we trade some of the vets or young Ds? I think we trade Kovacevic/Barron and Harris. With forwards, I guess we keep most of them and expect improvement in their play as well. Evans, Armia, Dvorak, RHP, Pezzetta are all in their contract year and we all know how hockey players tend to improve when they fight for new contract.
Last summer we had 5 trades (Newhook, Edmundsson, Petry 2x, Pearson), I would expect similar activity this year.

 

[BLONG7]

Very easy, get rid of Gallagher Anderson Dvorak and Armia, it'll give you 20M to replace them with competent players!! I just hope KH realize its what he needs to do!!!

Sure...........very easy?

 

[Zilo44]

Should make a Bryan Adams remake of summer of 69 with this thread

 

[CDN24]

Next years roster is kinda set. To add anyone we will have to move someone out/ waive someone.
Assuming we walk away from Ylonen
13F that are on team or need waivers (Suzuki-Caufield-Slaf, Newhook-Dach-Roy, Anderson-DVO-Gallagher, Armia-Evans-RHP-Pezz)
8D Matheson-Guhle, Arber-Savard, Harris- Barron, struble - kova (Guhle-Arber and Struble would not need waivers to go down)

With some young guys pushing guys like Armia RHP and Pezz could be exposed to waivers.

I don't think he dips into free agency in any big way yet. May try to make a picks plus young D for a forward type trade.

25-26 with Armia/Evans/Dvo/Pezz and savard gone to UFA is probably when he dips into free agency.

Some potential interesting big name UFAs in summer 2025- yes most will resign with their teams but

Draisatel, Rantannen, Boeser, Ehlers, Sharangovich or some old guys that might be had for 1 or 2 years (Crosby, Giroux, marchand)

 

[Colezuki]

Anyone know how to un ignore a thread, just realized I accidentally hid the 2024 draft thread

 

[Habs 4 Life]

I wouldn't mind Marchesseault but on a 3 year deal considering he is 33.

I still think the off season moves are coming via trades, I don't see Reinhart signing here for example. I want Zegras and a legit #2 D

 

[bcv]

Anyone know how to un ignore a thread, just realized I accidentally hid the 2024 draft thread

HF Habs: - 2024 NHL Draft Thread

Preliminary rankings dont come out til Hlinka tournament. Rough top 25 rankings: 1. Macklin Celebrini (C) - Boston University 1. Cole Eiserman (LW) - US NTDP 3. Ivan Demidov (C) - MHL (Russia) 4. Artyom Levshunov (RD) - Green Bay (USHL) 5. Aaron Kiviharju (LD) - HIFK (Liiga) 6. Igor...

forums.hfboards.com

here's the thread, unignore it from there.

 

[zx81]

I don't think we'll sign him but I always liked Duclair.

 

[Deam78]

My thought is to sign Brett Pesce this UFA season, give him a 5x6.5 or hell even 7 if we really have to. It finishes prior to age 35 for his and gives us a solid top 4 RHD so we can trade Savard at the deadline if we're uncompetitive next year. We need some vets on D going forward especially when our RHD are all prospects.

2025 UFA class is the one to get top 6 feds from. Kent will likely package one of the young d and picks to get a young forward player at the draft

I had a similar thought process, but would want him only on a 3-year, MAX 4 year contract - him or a cheaper Carrier would be great

 

[Number 57]

Definitely gotta add a top-6 forward, don't care if it's via trade or free agency. I wouldn't really make other moves, we have a lot of depth already and I think we should keep as much cap space as possible.

As for the overpaid dead wood (Gally, Anderson, Armia) probably wait a year to buyout or perhaps trade with retention

Out: Harris, Ylonen, Pezzetta

2024-25
Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Roy-Dach-UFA/TRADE
Newhook-Dvorak-Anderson
RHP-Evans-Gallagher
extra : Armia
farm : Condotta-Gignac-Andersson-Farrell-Heineman-Beck-Perreault-Simoneau

Matheson-Guhle
Xhekaj-Savard
Struble-Kovacevic
extra : Barron
farm : Reinbacher-Mailloux-Hutson-Trudeau-Engstrom

Montembeault-Prime
Dobes

 

[HABitual Fan]

I think Hughes is going to have to think outside the box in order to continue improving the team. UFA's are pointless to target as long as you have the big ticket items Bergevin left behind. Price basically prevents you from spending 10.5M before the season starts, Anderson is another useless contract given length and what he earns. The good news is there is a GM down the 401 who has a hardon for players like Anderson, and a rich enough team that won't mind paying Price's bonuses which are not covered by insurance before putting him on LTIR.

They want to create cap room and pajama boy has fallen out of favor and is now on the 3rd line,

Anderson and Price for JT, gives them 5.5M or so cap space, lets Hughes spend to the max in the offseason while taking on a serviceable short term overpayment in return while Montreal is still building. Would leave only Gallagher to dispose of down the road and finally turn this into Hughes team a few years earlier.

 

[pth2]

Anyone know how to un ignore a thread, just realized I accidentally hid the 2024 draft thread

Log out, find the thread, copy the URL, log in, paste URL, and some kind of unignore option is available.

 

[pth2]

We are more or less sure Hughes will target some young U25 forward to improve our top 6 like he did with Dach/Newhook- top candidates might be Nečas, Lundell, Mercer, Holtz, Neighbours, Johnson. Kakko.
Will we trade some of the vets or young Ds? I think we trade Kovacevic/Barron and Harris. With forwards, I guess we keep most of them and expect improvement in their play as well. Evans, Armia, Dvorak, RHP, Pezzetta are all in their contract year and we all know how hockey players tend to improve when they fight for new contract.
Last summer we had 5 trades (Newhook, Edmundsson, Petry 2x, Pearson), I would expect similar activity this year.

The Winnipeg pick seems destined to go for someone from a draft between 2019 and 2022. I wonder if Pittsburgh's 2nd next year might go that way too.

Evans gets extended, while Armia and Dvorak are dealt at the deadline at the latest. Savard might join them, or sign a cheaper extension.

We might see some current UFAs like White extended just so we have warm bodies next season; I'd rather keep White on a 1-year deal than sign a longer contract that will become an issue soon enough.

 

[pth2]

Random thought: we don't want to end up like Ottawa, giving up high picks for players in their prime before the core of kids is ready. The Debrincat and Chychrun acquisitions are looking expensive (asset-wise) and overall problematic. Adding players in their prime is for 2026 or so.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Random thought: we don't want to end up like Ottawa, giving up high picks for players in their prime before the core of kids is ready. The Debrincat and Chychrun acquisitions are looking expensive (asset-wise) and overall problematic. Adding players in their prime is for 2026 or so.

The caution there is that if you are trading for players with pending UFA status in 1-2 years, you better have a good idea you can retain them and shift out of the rebuild.

 

[slybel]

Not sure we will make next year's playoffs... again

TDL will be interesting... 9 players could be gone, one salary could be retained and they have room for a buyout.... mouhaha!

 

[Egresch]

Anderson and Price for JT

Bad idea, we need to trade away bad contracts and not switch for another one with longer term. Just trade away Anderson for 7rd pick would be better.

 

[Rapala]

I'll stick to my belief that we have to fix our broken bottom and PK before any moves like these.

 

[oberan1]

Crosby would be an awesome veteran guy who will still be able to contribute. Just an all round great guy on and off the ice. If Pittsburgh is in the crapper and the Habs are on the rise, maybe he considers it.

This...
Crosby-Suzuki 1/2 centerline.
Move Dach back to wing.

 

[Egresch]

This...
Crosby-Suzuki 1/2 centerline.
Move Dach back to wing.

With Guentzel trade, PIT showed they are willing to trade quality for quantity, but it still all depends on Sid and he would probably prefer contending team. Sid to COL for Mittelstadt +.

 

[Mayday1980]

I had a similar thought process, but would want him only on a 3-year, MAX 4 year contract - him or a cheaper Carrier would be great

Yeah I'd love to get him at a shorter term but I think the "contract to age 34" gets him signed because of all the negatives to contracts when signed at age 35. I noted that his foot speed has started to slow but not enough to affect his play. The point of Pesce is to insulate the Hutsons' Reinbachers and current young dmen from 2024-2026. Then you end up having to overpay him in the last years to be a 3rd pairing guy.

On the plus side if you already have him you don't have to go Vet dman searching at the Trade Deadline when we're competitive

 

[Scotianhab]

Stand still this summer and go all in on Draisaitl summer 2025 if he’s a free agent.

 

[Nevins]

I don't want to know anything about the UFA. The Canadian is rebuilding and I want to see good draft selections, good prospect development and see them test at the NHL level. In my opinion, the Habs must above all stock up on offensive talent during the next two drafts and then they can think about adding talented veterans to have a team capable of going far during the playoffs. So no UFA before 2026-2027 .I have too many memories of botched reconstruction where everything always has to be redone. I want a good team with a core of young talent for the years to come...and maybe a Stanley Cup.