Salary Cap: How will HuGo use our Cap Surplus Next Season?

[Scriptor]

Spelling fixed. Meant Jeff Gorton

Friendly ribbing is all.

 

[AlexGretzchenvid]

I just don't see a "full" rebuild happening here. Two more years at the bottom of the standings? Yikes.

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

Caufield extension and that's it. 2024 offseason is the opportune time to unload cap. Whether it be PLD, resigning/extending rfas, or trying to sign Sorokin, Helleybuk, etc

 

[HuGo Burner Acc]

I just don't see a "full" rebuild happening here. Two more years at the bottom of the standings? Yikes.

No need for a full rebuild. Unlike other rebuilding teams, the Habs have recently gone through a good retool where they got a bunch of young key core pieces, restocked their pipeline/picks, and got assets (players) that can be traded for more desirable assets (picks/prospects). They only really need 2023 where they'll probably have two top 10 picks and then they can start trying to place outside the bottom 10. It's mostly about development at the pro level and junior level now

 

[Runner77]

Who is this Gordin and are we to expect that Hughes will trade with him because Both have similar cap space?

Funny you asked.

 

[CoopersFalls]

Pastrnak

 

[Scriptor]

Think Pasta can turn Gallagher into Marchand?

 

[Habsrule]

Start off by extending Caufield for 8 years.

If it is at all possible to acquire a player who could be in the long term plans for cheap then go for it. This option is quite unlikely but you never fully know.

If you can sign a UFA for cheap on a one year show me contract that can be flipped for picks then do that. Once again this is easier said then done.

Then you just play the waiting game and wait until most teams are set but their are still some bigger available players. The you make the Monahan like trades where a team moves out some dead weight on their roster and attaches a nice asset to go with them.

 

[Scriptor]

Start off by extending Caufield for 8 years.

If it is at all possible to acquire a player who could be in the long term plans for cheap then go for it. This option is quite unlikely but you never fully know.

If you can sign a UFA for cheap on a one year show me contract that can be flipped for picks then do that. Once again this is easier said then done.

Then you just play the waiting game and wait until most teams are set but their are still some bigger available players. The you make the Monahan like trades where a team moves out some dead weight on their roster and attaches a nice asset to go with them.

Seriously, the best world scenario is a hockey trade where you need to eat salary to make it happen and that gets you a 1st round pick as an extra in the deal.

I'm sure that os hard as hell to find, but if you can find that deal that adds a young core piece to your roster and a 1st round pick for the future, jump on it.

That's likely a deal that can be made with a cap-strapped team that needs a jolt. but has no room to add that player, like Edmonton, or another team in the same situation.

Dream up your own scenarios...

 

[Talik Sanis]

5. Stay the course, suck it up buttercups, we are going somewhere.

You buy the ticket, you take the ride.
No more Band-Aids; no more stop-gaps.

 

[ReHabs]

You buy the ticket, you take the ride.
No more Band-Aids; no more stop-gaps.

Rushing our most recent "Tank Prize" to the NHL is very much a band-aid/impatient approach. Given Gorton's activities in NYR and the things they've alluded to in the past year, I don't think this is going to be an extended "rebuild". So OP's question is valid -- they will spend that money and it will be interesting to see how and what they spend it on.

I think I'd be fine with more Monahan-like deals given it'll be the last year of the low-cap. Toronto and a few other franchises are desperate to compete while they have their core intact, we can take advantage of that while playing the rookies.

What I don't want to see next year is more veteran non-NHLers like Drouin, Dadanov, Armia, and Byron on the roster. Waste of time and opportunity cost to give reps to rookies and mid-aged players who could be later flipped or utilized.

Getting paid by other teams to absorb their over-paid but still NHL-quality players is likely the way I'd go.

 

[jaffy27]

Pastrnak

That’s who I’m gunning for too!!

RW of Caufield and Pastrnak sounds good to me

 

[General Fanager]

1. Sign Caufield
2. RD1
3. Youngish Goalie

 

[ReHabs]

That’s who I’m gunning for too!!

RW of Caufield and Pastrnak sounds good to me

If Pastrnak hits FA and signs with the Habs the collective bad-will which will erupt out of Boston will be more powerful than a neutron bomb.

Other notable FAs available:
Horvat, Larkin, Kuzmenko, Tarasenko, P Kane, Max Domi, Pavel Zacha....

As for RFAs we have PL Dubois, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, DeBrincat, Cozens, etc.

Should be an eventful 6 months between now and FA.

 

[MrNasty]

With Drouin (5.5M), Dadonov (5M), Byron (3.4) and Monahan (6.375M) coming off the books next season and the cap rising around 1M to 83.5M it looks like Hughes and Gorton will have some cap room (21M) to weaponize. (Note: I'm assuming Price is done and remains on LTIR the rest of his career)

Guessing Caufield (7M), Pezzetta (900K), Richard (900k), and Harris (1.5M) will eat up 10M leaving us with 11-12M. Would you prefer to see him go after:

1) Free Agents who can help the team win next year (i.e. Pastrnak, Dumba, Killorn, etc)
2) Free Agents on short term deals that can be flipped at the Deadline (i.e. like Klingberg this season)
3) Take on some short term bad contracts in exchange for prospects/picks (i.e. Monahan)
4) Hold on to the cap space and let the team's play determine if we buy or take on cap dumps closer to the deadline
5) Some other approach

It'll be the last year where we can benefit from the cap rising only $1m, as it is expected to rise quite a bit in the following years. Hopefully, Montreal can take advantage of that.

Another Monahan type trade would be perfect.

Hopefully, Caufield is signed $7.5m x 8 years.
We can definitely afford Dubois too.

The cap only going up 1 million is a myth. Yes it was what Bettman said but that is because he hasn’t yet negotiated with the players association on escrow percentage. It is very likely to be higher.

 

[Egresch]

With Drouin (5.5M), Dadonov (5M), Byron (3.4) and Monahan (6.375M) coming off the books next season and the cap rising around 1M to 83.5M it looks like Hughes and Gorton will have some cap room (21M) to weaponize. (Note: I'm assuming Price is done and remains on LTIR the rest of his career)

Guessing Caufield (7M), Pezzetta (900K), Richard (900k), and Harris (1.5M) will eat up 10M leaving us with 11-12M. Would you prefer to see him go after:

1) Free Agents who can help the team win next year (i.e. Pastrnak, Dumba, Killorn, etc)
2) Free Agents on short term deals that can be flipped at the Deadline (i.e. like Klingberg this season)
3) Take on some short term bad contracts in exchange for prospects/picks (i.e. Monahan)
4) Hold on to the cap space and let the team's play determine if we buy or take on cap dumps closer to the deadline
5) Some other approach

I guess this team definitely needs some good veteran mentors. D is ok now with Savard, Edmundson, Matheson. You can clearly see it helps our young Ds. Except Monahan, there is no good forwards mentor in this lineup.

 

[DAChampion]

I hope they start trying to win.

Resign or bring back Monahan on short term deal if he wants it.
Sign Dubois.
Waive or buy out or trade with retention Armia and Hoffman for even more cap space, and use on some good players.

 

[Lshap]

By next season, Habs will have accumulated a bunch of top prospects (including two 1st-rounders this summer) and will have one of the best U24 groups in the league.

Time to start cashing in on all that hope. If the kids are really that good, we should start seeing the results on the ice. By then, most of the vets will be gone. It'll truly be a team built around the young core. Time to start building around them.

Go after Dubois sooner rather than later. I don't buy the hype that he's waiting to sign here. Make him an offer he can't refuse and lock him in.

At defence, I'd avoid UFAs. Nobody worth what will be a big overpayment. Maybe leverage a top forward prospect for another team's top defence prospect. A healthy Matheson would give us some needed depth.

Still leaves the problem of goalie. You'll think I'm crazy.... but I'd trade for John Gibson. He faces more shots per game than almost anyone, he's on a terrible Ducks team, and he's only 29. He was one of the league's top goalies; what changed was the team, not him. A buy-low opportunity.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Don't expect anything from Kent Snooze and Peewee Martin

 

[BLONG7]

If Pastrnak hits FA and signs with the Habs the collective bad-will which will erupt out of Boston will be more powerful than a neutron bomb.

Other notable FAs available:
Horvat, Larkin, Kuzmenko, Tarasenko, P Kane, Max Domi, Pavel Zacha....

As for RFAs we have PL Dubois, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier, DeBrincat, Cozens, etc.

Should be an eventful 6 months between now and FA.

Dubois has already stated he will not sign more than a 1 year deal with the Jets, it is highly likely he gets traded to the Habs, since he is saying he actually wants to play for his home town team.................so that being said let's hope they don't sell the farm to get him, but this could change things quickly...

 

[Lshap]

Dubois has already stated he will not sign more than a 1 year deal with the Jets, it is highly likely he gets traded to the Habs, since he is saying he actually wants to play for his home town team.................so that being said let's hope they don't sell the farm to get him, but this could change things quickly...

Affection for your hometown doesn't trump affection for a great contract. Dubois is a really good player. We can afford to give him both. Let's not f*** this one up.

This summer we could add Dubois and draft two potential star forwards. In theory, our offence could be good to go.

We have to avoid the mistakes of other rebuilding teams who loaded up on forwards but neglected their D.

 

[Scintillating10]

With Drouin (5.5M), Dadonov (5M), Byron (3.4) and Monahan (6.375M) coming off the books next season and the cap rising around 1M to 83.5M it looks like Hughes and Gorton will have some cap room (21M) to weaponize. (Note: I'm assuming Price is done and remains on LTIR the rest of his career)

Guessing Caufield (7M), Pezzetta (900K), Richard (900k), and Harris (1.5M) will eat up 10M leaving us with 11-12M. Would you prefer to see him go after:

1) Free Agents who can help the team win next year (i.e. Pastrnak, Dumba, Killorn, etc)
2) Free Agents on short term deals that can be flipped at the Deadline (i.e. like Klingberg this season)
3) Take on some short term bad contracts in exchange for prospects/picks (i.e. Monahan)
4) Hold on to the cap space and let the team's play determine if we buy or take on cap dumps closer to the deadline
5) Some other approach

Too many unknown variables yet. If we draft Bedard it will speed up the rebuild. By 3 years or so. Hugo would have option of signing star UFA to play with him. Somebody like Pat Kane

If we draft 5-6th, get a Dvorsky, Smith or Yager, they be another Slaf caliber. Be 3 years development before they contribute big time. Hugo will stay course and add another Monahan. Take on bad contract from another team, draft top 10.

 

[Benstheman]

Start building the team they want. This next draft will most probably give us the pieces we need up front to build a powerful top 9 for a decade.

Suzuki
Caufield
Slaf
Dach
2023 Habs 1st
2023 Flo's 1st
Beck
Roy
Mesar
Farrell

Maybe add PLD.

On D, pretty solid prospects pool also.

Guhle
Hutson
Xhekaj
Harris
Mailloux
Engstrom
Barron

Although i think most of them are NHL material, i think we still miss that elite D that pushes back all others to their appropriate spot. That's why getting a top pair RHD seems to be imo, the next big move to make. The good news is, Habs now have the pieces to get that kind of deal done. For me, 2024 summer should be the time to mak that kind of deal. If PLD is signing with us, i'd dangle Dach + 2024 1st (which will probably be between 8th and 12th) + a solid prospect (Mesar/Mailloux/Farrell kind). That should net us a pretty solid RHD if one is disponible.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Still $4.9M left after Caufield's extension, Dubois, and Klingberg. Not saying I am drooling over this but we do have options.

 

[Number 57]

I think we need to let go all those UFAs you named and continue cleaning by trading away/buying out guys like Armia, Hoffman, etc.

We need to acquire via trade or UFA a top-6 forward (Dubois?) and a top-4 D for sure. This will cost at least $12M but it's true we do have the cap space for it, so no problem there.

We need at least one top-9 spot up front for a rookie (probably Farrell)

Slafkovsky-Suzuki-Caufield
NEW ($6M) - Dach - Anderson
Farrell - Dvorak - Gallagher
Pezzetta - UFA ($1.5M) - Richard
Harvey-Pinard

Guhle-NEW ($6M)
Harris-Savard
Xhekaj-Matheson
Barron

Allen-Primeau

Cap hit : around 69.5M

Traded/bought out : Hoffman Armia Evans Edmundson Montembeault

Next task in 2023-24 : Get rid of Gallagher and probably Anderson, go on the hunt for a new goaltender