Contender or Pretender? Deadline Wishlist

[Analyzer*]

Maybe not possible this deadline, but in the summer, it will be crucial to acquire a #2 d-man. Green, Staal, Boychuk or Ehrhoff have to be signed for our cup window to open.

Green would be awesome, Ehrhoff would be solid as well and I see boychuck resigning with the Isles

No he wouldn't. Green isn't a number 2. Ehrhoff plays for the pens, so he's not being traded unless it's a great deal.

Islanders, also on a playoff team isn't available.

Staal, while with a playoff team might be dealt if they feel he can't be re-signed. If that's the case, it will be a high price tag.

At this point in his career, no, Markov isn't as complete and universally efficient as those two. Not as quick. Not even as physical. Besides, no matter who the best is between Markov and those two, anyone we add would clearly be an upgrade over anyone else under Markov.

Markov at 60 and Green at 27 still gives the advantage to Markov defensively. Green is terrible in his own end.

 

[Monctonscout]

At this point in his career, no, Markov isn't as complete and universally efficient as those two. Not as quick. Not even as physical. Besides, no matter who the best is between Markov and those two, anyone we add would clearly be an upgrade over anyone else under Markov.

Markov isn't as mobile as 5-6 years ago, but he is still better defensively than both those guys. With Green it's not even close, with Ehrhoff it's a slight edge to Markov...++ hockey sense.

I agree they would be an upgrade on #3 or 4 but Ehrhoff is not moving, Pit is trying to extend him, Green will likely be an expensive rental, plus his strength is PP which we have plenty of guys for that.

 

[Habitant#1]

Cody Franson anyone? If we can dump Gilbert he'd be a great addition I think:

Markov-Subban
Beaulieu-Franson
Emelin-Gonchar

That's pretty good! Plus he'd help on the PP!

 

[shawdowmaker]

Habs need offence besides our first line we are terrible. And the coaching staff need to play Sekac on the PP. DD and Malholtra have to go. Eller has to get his head out of his ass.

 

[vfactor]

Unless another Vanek type trade presents, we should stay the course. We are still early in our stanley cup windows. Need more time for Galchenyuk to blossom as our 1C. Tinordi needs to graduate and bring that physical force to our backend. Subban still has room to improve. Beaulieu will take Markov place. McCarron and even Sherbak represent very nice pieces which will make us a serious, serious cup challenger two years from now.

 

[zcaptain]

Well here is one out of left field for you

Hamhuis and Jordan Subban for Tinordi + 2015 1st + 2015 2nd

Canucks would carry a little of Hamhuis's salary

 

[Habitant#1]

Ryder is a UFA again. Any contracts we could dump on NJ for him?

Gilbert maybe?
Would anyone do a Ryder Parenteau swap?

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

No he wouldn't. Green isn't a number 2. Ehrhoff plays for the pens, so he's not being traded unless it's a great deal.

Islanders, also on a playoff team isn't available.

Staal, while with a playoff team might be dealt if they feel he can't be re-signed. If that's the case, it will be a high price tag.



Markov at 60 and Green at 27 still gives the advantage to Markov defensively. Green is terrible in his own end.

Maybe not possible this deadline

 

[MSLs absurd thighs]

Unless another Vanek type trade presents, we should stay the course. We are still early in our stanley cup windows. Need more time for Galchenyuk to blossom as our 1C. Tinordi needs to graduate and bring that physical force to our backend. Subban still has room to improve. Beaulieu will take Markov place. McCarron and even Sherbak represent very nice pieces which will make us a serious, serious cup challenger two years from now.

Not that early. I think our window has to open next season if we want to have one at all. Decisions have to be taken this summer. We're not going to be competitive on the trade/UFA market when Galchenyuk is paid 5M+, Subban 9M, Pacioretty more than 4.5M, and Price possibly 8M.

Just like Boston's window was from 2010 to 2013, ours will likely be from 2015 to 2018.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Habs need offence besides our first line we are terrible. And the coaching staff need to play Sekac on the PP. DD and Malholtra have to go. Eller has to get his head out of his ass.

Eller has 13 points in the last 24 games despite hardly ever seeing any PP time and playing solid defensively while being great on faceoffs, hard to expect much more from a third line center.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Havlat could maybe be worth a gamble if we can get him for a prospect like Pateryn or Thomas who have no future with us. He's dirt cheap but has been productive in the playoffs in the past, could look good with Eller and Sekac but I'd still look to add someone in addition to him.

 

[Andy]

Eller has 13 points in the last 24 games despite hardly ever seeing any PP time and playing solid defensively while being great on faceoffs, hard to expect much more from a third line center.

Just to put things into perspective:

DD has 14 points in his last 24.
Plekanec has 15 points in his last 24.

Really don't get the complaints against Eller's production from the 3rd line with no PP time. He's producing at an exceptional rate as a 3rd line centre.

 

[jaffy27]

You can't really say that, anything is possible come playoff time and it also helps that we have one of the best goalies in the world.

I'm not crazy about mortgaging the future either, it all depends which player the Habs would be targetting and I'd be ok giving up a piece or two but only if that player is signed going forward or if they have intentions of extending him.

I hear Ya, but you also have to be rational and honest with yourself, our line of Desharnais-Plekanec-Parenteau is meh at best, now our fourth line is Andrighetto-Thomas-Weise is double meh

 

[HabsDieHard*]

Eller is playing like a borderline elite 3rd line center.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

Just to put things into perspective:

DD has 14 points in his last 24.
Plekanec has 15 points in his last 24.

Really don't get the complaints against Eller's production from the 3rd line with no PP time. He's producing at an exceptional rate as a 3rd line centre.

Also he's gone from being -9 I believe with Bourque on his line to +1 now is pretty impressive. I don't put any stock into plus/minus but he got bashed all the time before when he was -9 so it is worth pointing out.

Pretty crazy looking at his faceoff improvements over the last years:
2011 - 42.5%
2012 - 46.6%
2013 - 49.3%
2014 - 53.2%
2015 - 57.0%

Not much more you can ask for from a third line C.

 

[cphabs]

Eller is one step away from being the best shutdown forward in the world. All he has do to is accept it IMO.

Have him meet with Guy Carbonneau.

 

[Lions999]

Eller has 13 points in the last 24 games despite hardly ever seeing any PP time and playing solid defensively while being great on faceoffs, hard to expect much more from a third line center.

It's time to give Eller 2nd line duty plus PP time....leave pleks as our defensive center....
2nd line should be for now Eller sekac and DD until we can find someone to replace DD....
2nd PP unit should be Eller Sekac pleks.

 

[Bacchus1]

I don't think we need D for this years run, since Tinordi and Nygrene are in the AHL and will probably be called up.

What we need is a top 6 forward, and we have nothing like that in the minors.

One thing I don't want is Ryder back. That experiment didn't go well last time. His heart isn't in to it.

 

[BLONG7]

Just to put things into perspective:

DD has 14 points in his last 24.
Plekanec has 15 points in his last 24.

Really don't get the complaints against Eller's production from the 3rd line with no PP time. He's producing at an exceptional rate as a 3rd line centre.

Absolutely, we can all see it, well except for the coach...
Eller and Sekac should be on our PP, it's been crap all year, and yet MT has the same people out there, over and over....ah, here I go again...

 

[HabsDieHard*]

Ya BLong, the PP has been dreadfully predictable for wlel over a year now.

 

[bleuetbio]

I think we saw it previously, we never get something realy good on deadline. So if O'Reilly is realy targetable, we can talk. If not, Im happy with my team

 

[HabsDieHard*]

I think we saw it previously, we never get something realy good on deadline. So if O'Reilly is realy targetable, we can talk. If not, Im happy with my team

They got Vanek last year, and while people can complain about his performance from the playoffs on, he played a huge role o nthis team down the stretch.

I don't want to see Bergevin trading away assets for rentals every year, but the East is wide open and they have an elite franchise goalie making just 6.5 for this season and 3 after...the time is ripe to strike.

If for example they could get a guy like Antoine Vermette, and not only improve their own team but keep other teams from acquiring him, that could be huge in the playoffs.

And while ther eare a lot of tough teams to get through, Habs have a good chance in any 7 game series IMO.

Would love to see a solid right handed 2nd pairing d-man and play him with Beaulieu (or Beaulieu with Subban and the new d-man with Markov) and an Emelin-Gonchar 3rd pairing, but that seems like an awfully tall order mid season.

A solid top 9 forward for the stretch drive and playoffs though? That could be attainable.

And with Minnesotas' (by route of Buffalo) 2016 2nd round pick and 2015 being so deep perhaps they could dangle their own 2015 2nd and a decent prospect to bring in a solid player. Not sure that's enough for Vermette, but depending on the prospect it's close.