HF Habs: Expansion Draft 2021

[River Meadow]

You guys are gonna lose 1 of Ben or Joel which kinda sucks but it is da reality of expansion draft .. hard to pick one over da other ... both very very good defenders

We're gonna lose one of Joel or Ben?

Is this certain?

 

[JeffreyLFC]

I have a strong gut feeling that Armia is heading back to Winnipeg. Their mid6 needs serious help. Small town guy who isn't a fan of new environment.

I do believe we might keep all 3 of them. (Tatar, Armia, Danault)

I think if the team continue winning and MB don't offer ridiculous low ball offers they might go UFA and don't receice their expected money and they decide to come back.

I mean almost all good teams are cash straped and near the cap. The cap is not moving up next year and usually hockey player prefer more stable roles than trying new things elsewhere (unless something really bad is happening that wr are not aware just like PLD vs Tortorella).

The only team that might be in play for them with great salary offers is possibly Seattle.

 

[tnq]

I think we will protect Weber, Petry, and Fleury. Edmundson doesn't have a long-term future with the habs (max 3 years after this season). Even if we protect Edmundson, Seattle could pick Chariot, which would basically be the same result.

We have a lot of LD prospects (Norlinder, Guhle, Harris, etc.) that will be able to replace Edmundson in a couple of years.
With the loss of Juulsen, Brook and Fleury are our only RD prospects, so it's even more important to keep them.

(Edmundson picked by Seattle)
Romanov - Weber
Chariot - Petry
Kulak/Mete - Fleury

Then in 2 years one of Norlinder, Guhle or Harris replaces Chariot.

Are you sure in 2 yrs Weber still there

 

[Habs Halifax]

I have doubts that any of Tatar/Danault/Armia are coming back. Would be nice if we made our extensions after the expansion draft.

If we loose both Danault and Tatar, we are in for a world of hurt next year. If our depth is depleted, we are going back to bottom 15 or bottom 10 again.

 

[JT AM da real deal]

We're gonna lose one of Joel or Ben?

Is this certain?

No it is not certain but when you look at lists of defenders who likely will be available (and Seattle will need 6) either of those 2 guys will be in top 3 available so it is a no brainer. Much like Leafs will very likely lose Dermy again a no brainer.

Goaltenders will be available as UFA's like Freddy and they are easily bought. They will buy 2 of them. And Seattle will take 2 goalers who have promise but are not proven for minor league team.

 

[jaffy27]

same ! I like Joel but I would protect Chiarot before him

Same....like both......but I’m not worried, my guess is if Allen keeps this play up he will get plucked which I’m fine with as Primeau should be somewhat ready next year

 

[mols47]

I think we will protect Weber, Petry, and Fleury. Edmundson doesn't have a long-term future with the habs (max 3 years after this season). Even if we protect Edmundson, Seattle could pick Chariot, which would basically be the same result.

We have a lot of LD prospects (Norlinder, Guhle, Harris, etc.) that will be able to replace Edmundson in a couple of years.
With the loss of Juulsen, Brook and Fleury are our only RD prospects, so it's even more important to keep them.

(Edmundson picked by Seattle)
Romanov - Weber
Chariot - Petry
Kulak/Mete - Fleury

Then in 2 years one of Norlinder, Guhle or Harris replaces Chariot.

Don't think there is any way Fleury is protected over Edmundson. He is signed to a solid deal with term and has been playing great with Petry. Fleury hasn't proven anything and will probably fly under the radar.

 

[Number 57]

Arizona: Kuemper or Hill
Dallas: Khudobin
Florida: Montembeault (unless Bob waives)
Minnesota: Talbot or Kahkonen
Montreal: Allen
Vancouver: Demko or Holtby

There are also a bunch of goalies that will be UFA, so they don't need to draft 2 goalies for their NHL roster.

Kahkonen has a ton of potential, I think they would leave Talbot free.

Vancouver definitely protects Demko.

Between Hill, Montembeault, Allen, Holtby, Talbot, I could definitely see Seattle going for Allen. But they'd likely want a younger guy, like when Vegas went after Malcolm Subban, so Hill or Montembeault make sense.

You have to figure that, depending on what teams can offer, Seattle could take a goalie instead. For exemple, Montreal will have a lot of good players available, but I dont know about Arizona or Florida. If they can get Hill and Montembeault, plus maybe sign a free agent goalie, and grab a Chiarot from Montreal, maybe they do that instead of picking Allen.

I do think they might want an experienced goalie like Fleury to carry the load in year 1, but there are options in UFA. And they probably don't want to waive Hill or Montembeault

 

[Number 57]

Rask, Rinne, Andersen, Dubnyk, Binnington, Raanta, Reimer, Mrazek, Grubauer, Bernier, Rittich, Hutton, Nilsson, Halak, Ullmark, Smith, Elliott, Dell, Forsberg, Anderson and a bunch more are slated to be unrestricted free agents.

That's A LOT of options to consider for Seattle.

If you have Hill or Montembeault as backup, sign a guy like Dubnyk or Raanta as starter, and pick Chiarot from Montreal, that would seem to be a pretty nice haul for Seattle. If they pick Allen from us, that means they can't have Chiarot, or Mete or Armia or whoever. There are so many options in net, maybe they wont pick Allen

 

[Scriptor]

We're gonna lose one of Joel or Ben?

Is this certain?

Doesn't have to be -- for next year, at least. It's a matter of choices, both from management and the players (other than Chiarot and Edmundson, who are both signed through next season).

Montreal could re-sign Danault and Tatar if their salaries average out at 5.5M apiece and keep both Chiarot and Edmundson.

However, they would need to cut ties with Byron, Armia and Lehkonen and, for more cap flexibility, possibly Kulak as well.

The next season, they would have to let go at least one of the two veteran Ds and Chiarot would be an easy one to move on from at that point. Ideally, they would move on from both and from Allen to have the flexibility to extend one of Suzuki and Romanov to any length contract they wished and bridge the other.

Montreal would have to evaluate Drouin, first up after that, then Tofolli, then Tatar and Petry, then Weber to extend KK and one of Romanov and Suzuki, whichever was bridged and so on and so on...

Lots of work, contractually, to keep as deep a team as we currently have, with lots of youngsters needing to be cycled through the lineup to keep the talent level up there.

Many scenarios are possible, though -- not just the scarecrow comments we keep seeing pop up from posters who don't really or completely understand the Cap possibilities with the contracts as they are currently doled out.

 

[Scriptor]

Don't think there is any way Fleury is protected over Edmundson. He is signed to a solid deal with term and has been playing great with Petry. Fleury hasn't proven anything and will probably fly under the radar.

Don't see how they would protect Fleury either. Losing Chiarot -- out of our D, if it's not Allen instead -- is most likely because of the limited risk with the length of the term or, even, the possibility to extend him as soon as he is drafted, depending on how the Kracken have evaluated his worth to their team

I have no problem if we lose Chiarot.

As others have mentioned before, I see a good, complementary matchup with Weber for Romanov, going forward. If Edmundson keeps playing well with Petry -- its more about how Edmundson frees Petry up to play to his strengths than it is about Edmundson's actual production level -- I'm fine with losing Chiarot.

The top-four of Edmundson - Petry and Romanov - Weber will eat up around 46 minutes of ice time. The quality of Kulak, Mete, Fleury and Brook could all manage to handle 14 minutes as a third pairing, not to mention any of Norlinder, Harris, Struble and Guhle who could also get the nod after impressing at training camp.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Don't see how they would protect Fleury either. Losing Chiarot -- out of our D, if it's not Allen instead -- is most likely because of the limited risk with the length of the term or, even, the possibility to extend him as soon as he is drafted, depending on how the Kracken have evaluated his worth to their team

I have no problem if we lose Chiarot.

As others have mentioned before, I see a good, complementary matchup with Weber for Romanov, going forward. If Edmundson keeps playing well with Petry -- its more about how Edmundson frees Petry up to play to his strengths than it is about Edmundson's actual production level -- I'm fine with losing Chiarot.

The top-four of Edmundson - Petry and Romanov - Weber will eat up around 46 minutes of ice time. The quality of Kulak, Mete, Fleury and Brook could all manage to handle 14 minutes as a third pairing, not to mention any of Norlinder, Harris, Struble and Guhle who could also get the nod after impressing at training camp.

Exactly how I see it without Chiarot as well. If he is not taken in the expansion draft and Allen is, we can trade Chiarot for good value and that frees up space for both Tatar and Danault.... if we need to do to cap

 

[Habs Halifax]

We're gonna lose one of Joel or Ben?

Is this certain?

It's not certain to be either Edmundson or Chiarot. Could be Allen. Could be Kulak, Evans, or Fleury. My money is on Allen based on what I see today but it can change as time moves forward

I hope it's Allen.
* Primeau takes Allen's spot... Saves much needed cap room
* Romanov takes Chiarot's spot.. We get to trade Chiarot and saves room to sign Danault and Tatar

Rather keep them all but we can't and we have to sort out the cap and not loose Danault and Tatar or we have a set back next year

 

[EveryDay]

I would pay Seattle to take Byron if possible.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I would pay Seattle to take Byron if possible.

It's not necessary and believe it or not, we need to be careful about trading away our team speed. We did a great job at adding grit but not at the cost of team speed. Byron at $3.4M is not horrible. Let them take one of Allen or Chiarot. We need Byron's speed and we have replacements for Allen and Chiarot. Then we use the cap on Danault and Tatar.

Management likes Byron and I see why. Overpaid or not... we should not be so quick to trade away our team speed.

 

[cphabs]

League is expanding too fast

 

[MasterMatt25]

I'd be fine losing Edmundson or Chiarot. I'm more worried about losing Lehkonen or Mete

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I'd be fine losing Edmundson or Chiarot. I'm more worried about losing Lehkonen or Mete

Mete?????????

 

[Treb]

It's not certain to be either Edmundson or Chiarot. Could be Allen. Could be Kulak, Evans, or Fleury. My money is on Allen based on what I see today but it can change as time moves forward

I hope it's Allen.
* Primeau takes Allen's spot... Saves much needed cap room
* Romanov takes Chiarot's spot.. We get to trade Chiarot and saves room to sign Danault and Tatar

Rather keep them all but we can't and we have to sort out the cap and not loose Danault and Tatar or we have a set back next year

I'm not sure having a 22 years old Primeau as the NHL backup is the greatest move.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

I'm not sure having a 22 years old Primeau as the NHL backup is the greatest move.

True but if we want to see if Primeau can play in the NHL one day , well he's gonna have to play....

 

[Treb]

True but if we want to see if Primeau can play in the NHL one day , well he's gonna have to play....

He can when injury occurs. I think when the Allen contract is up is on of the best time for full time backup. Primeau would be 24 at that point.

 

[Number 57]

I do believe we might keep all 3 of them. (Tatar, Armia, Danault)

I think if the team continue winning and MB don't offer ridiculous low ball offers they might go UFA and don't receice their expected money and they decide to come back.

I mean almost all good teams are cash straped and near the cap. The cap is not moving up next year and usually hockey player prefer more stable roles than trying new things elsewhere (unless something really bad is happening that wr are not aware just like PLD vs Tortorella).

The only team that might be in play for them with great salary offers is possibly Seattle.

Well you need to tack on at least $2M raise for Danault and possibly $3M or $4M raise for KK.

This could be offset if we lose a big salary such as Edmundson or Allen but that will depend on Seattle. I could see both Armia and Tatar being gone

If they can find a suitor for Byron without retaining salary than maybe we can keep Tatar

The good thing is that Lehkonen (or Byron if he stays) can fill in on the top-3 lines if we lose Armia (or Tatar), and someone like Poehling can draw in on the 4th line. There is also Caufield coming soon...

On defense we have plenty of options if one of Edmundson or Chiarot leaves (Romanov comes into the top-4 and one of Mete/Fleury fills in on the 3rd pair)

We have a lot of depth

 

[Habs Halifax]

I'm not sure having a 22 years old Primeau as the NHL backup is the greatest move.

I'm fine with it for this season.

 

[Treb]

I'm fine with it for this season.

I want Primeau to force our hands for the backup spot.

If Allen is not taken in the ED, either Allen contract runs out or Primeau plays so well it makes no sense to not trade Allen and play Primeau backup.

If Allen is taken, I'd 100% be looking for a good backup for at least a 1 year contract.

 

[Habs Halifax]

I want Primeau to force our hands for the backup spot.

If Allen is not taken in the ED, either Allen contract runs out or Primeau plays so well it makes no sense to not trade Allen and play Primeau backup.

If Allen is taken, I'd 100% be looking for a good backup for at least a 1 year contract.

Fair. Issues to sort out once we find out who they take in the expansion draft. But we really can't afford to have a $2.875M back-up next year when we want to keep Tatar and Danault.