I think one more year. That gives Poehling time to develop amd mature. Danault another year of playing with pros.
The Canadiens need to improve their PK. Trade Pacioretty and Plekanec and you have more holes to fill. +/- is a stat started by Scotty Bowman. Still a good measure of play. If you are taking defensive zone draws regularly, not a minus, and your wingers are producing, you are doing your job.
For me, I love the idea of signing Backlund. Put him between Lehkonen and Gallagher. Could possibly get 20 goals out of each. Backlund-Lehkonen gives you a top PK duo.
Byron-Plekanec have been a good defensive duo. That gives Julien two defensive options, both can be effective.
I try to build Galchenyuk-Drouin-Sherbak up. I think acquiring a Gaborik could help the two wingers in their careers, make them both 25 goal scorers, in practice. Sherbak especially because his game reminds me of Gaborik's.
Deslauriers-Danault on a 4th line, donne la fougue. And a 3rd PK unit.
I think the Habs need to be a 4 line effort. This year's draft is the future. I am not sure Plekanec gets more than a 3rd, so it's a crap shoot at that point anyways. I use Pacioretty to fill two holes, going forward, and the dearth of draft picks to get prospects to replace players on this team.
I hope Julien Brisebois is the guy at the draft table though.
Sure, buy time for Poehling but he won't be ready in a year -- he needs time in the pros, likely in the AHL for a couple of years. Danault no matter how long he's in the league, is a fine no. 3 center, he wouldn't be top 6 on a competitive club.
I don't agree with keeping Pacioretty. The Habs have excessively committed to Price and Weber. Pacioretty would be another $8M plus proposition over 7-8 years. Another player entering his 30s, they can't afford to handicap their cap room with a third heavy contract like that unless it's a center -- cause at the end of the day, you need to do what it takes to secure that no. 1 center and if the one that happens to be available needs a long-term deal, you don't prevent yourself from signing him cause you committed to a Pacioretty. Scoring wingers can be readily had, scoring centers not so much.
As far as providing Julien with defensive options -- is it really where we have a need? This organization is filled with players who apparently are good without the puck but who couldn't make an offensive play if their lives depended on it. This is not where we should be spending any resources.
As for any line combo that involves Drouin as a centerman, that experiment has hit a wall a long time ago. Drouin is a winger. He needs to be put in a position to succeed. He's only a center on account of an egomaniac GM who can't handle being wrong.
Sure, Deslauriers on a 4th line is fine. But, getting a pick for him would be even better. You can always find players like him.
From an overall standpoint, I wouldn't hold on to any of the current roster players if it means we can land a bona fide no. 1 center and a first pairing PMD. We cannot afford a team whose blueprint involves players being used out of position and not having bona fide specialists at key positions. The Bergevin era is full of experiments involving round pegs and square holes, it has been tried and tested, it doesn't work.
Trade what you must at the TDL and finish the job at the draft. Unfortunately, since Bergevin is the one still in charge, then limit and heavily monitor the deals he attempts at the TDL and hope for a new GM to take over in May. It's the only way out of the morass that this ownership group has fueled for far too long.
