Next season Baertschi will have value as a player in the AHL and 50% retained. This year it is harder for a team to take because of his issues with concussions.
Speculation: Baertschi to Montreal
- Thread starter Nucker42
- Start date
If a team claim him on waiver they will have to pay 100% of his salary (that’s probably why he never got claim). But at the tdl if Canucks retain 33%+ of his salary i can see him fetch a 5 round pick maybe 4 depending on how much Canucks retain.
MarkovsKnee
Global Moderator
You have to consider contract numbers. Montreal is at 49 contracts. One contract maybe 2 would have to go the other way. Montreal would not want to be at the max 50.
They're pretty desperate for wingers. Too many injuries
Adam Michaels
Registered User
Vancouver fans may be able to chime in, especially those who follow Utica, but I was thinking that with Christian Folin having cleared waivers yesterday and Baertshi having cleared a while back, that maybe a deal between Habs and Nucks (Folin for Baertshi) may be something that makes sense? It was rumored that Habs were looking at Baertshi before they signed Kovalchuk.
With both in the minors, both teams can automatically send the acquisition straight to the AHL.
Folin is a UFA at the end of this year and is $800K cap hit (can be completely buried in the minors) and Baertshi has another year left at $3.37M.
Laval has a lot of depth on D. In Montreal, with the acquisition of Scandella, they are 7D there. Laval has 8D and another one in the ECHL. But they can use help in the forward position with all of the injuries and call ups. So they can use a Baertshi in their line-up.
But I don't know exactly what the Canucks' and Comets' situations are in defense and if it makes sense for them roster wise in both NHL and AHL for an RD.
With both in the minors, both teams can automatically send the acquisition straight to the AHL.
Folin is a UFA at the end of this year and is $800K cap hit (can be completely buried in the minors) and Baertshi has another year left at $3.37M.
Laval has a lot of depth on D. In Montreal, with the acquisition of Scandella, they are 7D there. Laval has 8D and another one in the ECHL. But they can use help in the forward position with all of the injuries and call ups. So they can use a Baertshi in their line-up.
But I don't know exactly what the Canucks' and Comets' situations are in defense and if it makes sense for them roster wise in both NHL and AHL for an RD.
Baertschi makes $3.6m and is signed through next season. That’s a waste of cap space just to prop up Laval. Big time pass by Montreal
montreal
Go Habs Go
to take on that much cap for next year we would need some kind of sweetener, don't know what MB would want but it would need to be something decent which I assume is why the trade didn't happen as MB likely asked for too much (maybe Madden who's teammates with Hab prospects Primeau, Harris, Struble)
Peter Griffin
Registered User
Vancouver can buy Baertschi out in the off-season for a cap savings of $1.6M next year, but an $800K penalty in 21/22. They'd be better off trying to find some team that would take Baertschi at 50% cap hit($1.683M) for next season, maybe taking back a contract at the same time. They need to avoid any and all cap penalties for 21/21 when Pettersson and Hughes are up for new contracts.
Horse McHindu
They call me Horse.....
Horse McHindu
They call me Horse.....
Sven is not getting moved until the off-season. He's the type of player that teams will circle back on after the initial free agent signing period in early July. No team is committing next season to Sven now. They want the off-season to see if they can acquire free agents or make some trades to improve the roster first.
Most UFA guys are seeking some term, but with Sven, you're only committing for the year, so if it does not work out, you simply walk away. No different than NJ giving Simmonds 1 year. Compensation is going to be pretty much nothing except for an AHL calibre player to equal out the # of pro contracts a team can have.
That is where Sven is at. Canucks rolled the dice on term with him rather than let him play out his remaining 2 RFA years hoping he would develop. Injuries and some inconsistency have cost him. Writing was on the wall for him once they made their off-season moves with Miller and Ferland.
Most UFA guys are seeking some term, but with Sven, you're only committing for the year, so if it does not work out, you simply walk away. No different than NJ giving Simmonds 1 year. Compensation is going to be pretty much nothing except for an AHL calibre player to equal out the # of pro contracts a team can have.
That is where Sven is at. Canucks rolled the dice on term with him rather than let him play out his remaining 2 RFA years hoping he would develop. Injuries and some inconsistency have cost him. Writing was on the wall for him once they made their off-season moves with Miller and Ferland.
Adam Michaels
Registered User
It's possible they don't want to do this.
But the lens I'm looking at it from is from Laval's standpoint at the immediate moment. Both Laval and Montreal are decimated by injuries to key players. So while Montreal has injuries, the better players from Laval get called up. Couple that with key players from Laval's line-up injured (Belzile, Varone & Peca, while Poehling and Vejdemo are in Montreal).
After only taking part in the AHL playoffs once during his tenure, Bergevin surely aims to have success at the AHL level. They have depth on D, but need help up front. They have 4 forwards on PTO.
Now for the Habs, the way I see it is that Baertshi would be an upgrade over someone like Weal or Cousins. So if he does play in the NHL, Baertshi's had more success at that level than either Weal or Cousins.
Cap wise, Montreal does have the space. But if Folin goes in this deal, and they end up trading Cousins and/or Weal, the money evens out for Montreal next season, despite Sven's higher cap hit.
That's just my take on it looking at it from Laval's perspective for the now and the possibility that he plays in Montreal at some point through the remaining term of his contract.
Montreal isn’t going to waste $2.3 cap space to have Baertschi prop up Laval. That handcuffs Bergevin in future trade/free agent options
Adam Michaels
Registered User
This is why I said Laval is for the now. And yes, Bergevin has been trying to prop up Laval as he's done by signing vets like Varone, Barber, and Belzile. This is why he sent Hudon, Peca, and Weise down. He wants to prop up Laval. So I can definitely see him get Baertshi to prop up Laval. But a mix of injuries to key players like Belzile, Varone, and Peca and call ups, Laval is in need it offensive help.
And as I also explained, if he does end up playing in Montreal, I think he'd be a better option over the likes of Weal, Cousins, and Weise.
And Baertshi doesn't handcuff anything for future trades/free agency. I don't know where you see that.
He's got one year left on his deal. Montreal at the moment have almost $17M in cap space next year. And that's if the cap stays at $81.5M.
If Vancouver retains, it helps Montreal. If they sweeten it with a pick or lower-level prospect, then Bergevin will be even more inclined to do it.
Baertschi is barely a NHL’er and is one stiff breeze away from another concussion. He’s not an option
