Confirmed with Link: Max Pacioretty for 2019 2nd rd, Nick Suzuki, and Tomas Tatar - UPDATE: Pacioretty extends 7m x 4

[Pirate Deadpool]

If you don't think Pax is a MASSIVE upgrade over Tatar, we're not watching the same sport. Tatar on this team was an unmitigated disaster. Pacioretty is an all around, 3 zone hockey player, not a one trick pony.

I agree with you. Patches a consistent top player playing in a bad system and without any complementary players around him in montreal. I think he could do bigger things here with Stazz and the mayor. A upgrade on the 2nd line and won't make us miss Neal and Perron at all. Expect 30 to 35 goals and 60 to 70 points. He is an American that became captain of the most storied hockey franchise in history and that franchise typically likes to name francophones as captains.

 

[Pirate Deadpool]

Of course Tatar wasn't good in his time here, it was also a short time. Pacioretty wasn't good last year, either.

He isn't better enough. If we are going all in now, then go get EK. Go get Panarin. Get difference makers instead of this level talent. Or just stand pat and wait for the team to develop.

It's highly likely that the asking price of Panarin and EK65 is too steep.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Pacioretty when he is at his best is an impact player who can dominate shifts and take over games. Tatar does not have that ability & was not worth his cap hit. This trade is such a win-win.

Pacioretty will be 30 when the contract kicks in and you absolutely overrate him some there. His contract most likely won't be pretty and we have screwed up our cap advantage within, like three deals. And we still aren't a real Cup contender after this trade.

McPhee lucked into the team's run the inaugural year (he certainly wasn't planning on the team being that good) and is still the same GM he always was.

 

[Pia8988]

A lot to pay. And then does McPhee extend him at 7+? Certainly can’t pay that and let him walk. Not to mention Patches has historically been worse every time he has been in the playoffs.

 

[Vegan Knight]

It's highly likely that the asking price of Panarin and EK65 is too steep.

I think that may be the case too but then I would be prepared for the team to have rode with our young prospects developing if that were the case. I don't like this trade making us somewhat better but still not close enough to the top now and not helping us later.

 

[Boris Zubov]

A lot to pay. And then does McPhee extend him at 7+? Certainly can’t pay that and let him walk. Not to mention Patches has historically been worse every time he has been in the playoffs.

Disagree. He was far & away the Habs best forward (& arguably their best player) when they went to the ECF in 2014. Even though his stats might not show it, he was a monster in the series against the Rangers. They had no answer for him & had to account for him on almost every shift. The rest of the team didn't show up, but Max & PK Subban did.

 

[willy702]

How is Patches skating nowadays? I watched more Vegas than Ottawa last year so I didn’t see him but once or twice.

The downward trend is very concerning considering McPhee is probably looking to extend MaxPax until his mid 30’s at probably 6-7.5 per.

He had one bad season on a tire fire team. I don't think that's a downward trend.

 

[willy702]

Pacioretty will be 30 when the contract kicks in and you absolutely overrate him some there. His contract most likely won't be pretty and we have screwed up our cap advantage within, like three deals. And we still aren't a real Cup contender after this trade.

McPhee lucked into the team's run the inaugural year (he certainly wasn't planning on the team being that good) and is still the same GM he always was.

Why aren't we a cup contender? I know everyone throwing out the regression story, its getting old. The team is better right now. Dumped two players who couldnt keep the puck out of their own net and got two upgrades. Shea will sign at some point, Nate will be back when the games count. Some guys getting overpaid a bit, but the owner wants to spend every dime possible and they are still far from the cap and figure to not be at it unless they get EK into uniform a season from now.

The only concern is this might impact the long term, no question. Those picks traded away could have been worth something more. The late first rounder for Tatar would be nice to have in our system. No one is perfect. But still a lot of draft capital thanks to GMGM, still 3 really highly rated prospects waiting for a chance and frankly it drives me nuts to hear people say they shouldn't have gone for it last year, this year and every year they figure to be the best team in the division. I love the narrative the team isn't good enough and is going to come crashing back to earth because it just fires me and I'm sure them up.

 

[VanIslander]

Patches 30 goals this season. Lock and load.

Then give him Tatar's 5 million per plus an extra mill or two on top to sign the veteran leader.

Then continue to be a cup contender once again.



Vegas. Where solid talent goes to reinvigorate their career and have a bounce back year.

 

[Kudo Shinichi]

When the habs came to vegas last season, Patch complimented vegas a lot. Not only the team, but also the arena and the city. I have no doubt he signs an extension.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Pacioretty will be 30 when the contract kicks in and you absolutely overrate him some there. His contract most likely won't be pretty and we have screwed up our cap advantage within, like three deals. And we still aren't a real Cup contender after this trade.

McPhee lucked into the team's run the inaugural year (he certainly wasn't planning on the team being that good) and is still the same GM he always was.

Let's look at this from another POV. Before the expansion draft last year, if someone told us that in their 2nd year of existence, the Knights would have a top 6 with the talent level of Wild Bill-Marchy-Smitty & MaxPax-Stasny-Tuchsy, we all would have been ECSTATIC.

Look back at previous expansion teams. Nashville had 33 year old Cliff Ronning as their 1C in Year 1. Columbus was sending out Tyler Wright. Atlanta had 35 year old chicken parm, Ray Ferraro as their 1C. Think about that for a minute. Think about how long it took all of those teams to even sniff the playoffs, or win a round for that matter. Columbus still hasn't made it past the first round! Let that sink in.

Yes we traded away a bunch of draft picks, but most of those picks were acquired in the expansion draft for precisely this purpose. To turn them into NHL hockey players. We just got a front line, impact NHL player tonight for Tomas Tatar & Nick Suzuki, who at this point is nothing but a prospect. A prospect who unless he puts on a massive amount of muscle looks way too small to play at the NHL level, IMHO.

Time will tell, but at this point I can't help but love this trade for Vegas. This team is a legitimate Cup contender in Year 2. That's just amazing in itself.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Why aren't we a cup contender? I know everyone throwing out the regression story, its getting old. The team is better right now. Dumped two players who couldnt keep the puck out of their own net and got two upgrades. Shea will sign at some point, Nate will be back when the games count. Some guys getting overpaid a bit, but the owner wants to spend every dime possible and they are still far from the cap and figure to not be at it unless they get EK into uniform a season from now.

The only concern is this might impact the long term, no question. Those picks traded away could have been worth something more. The late first rounder for Tatar would be nice to have in our system. No one is perfect. But still a lot of draft capital thanks to GMGM, still 3 really highly rated prospects waiting for a chance and frankly it drives me nuts to hear people say they shouldn't have gone for it last year, this year and every year they figure to be the best team in the division. I love the narrative the team isn't good enough and is going to come crashing back to earth because it just fires me and I'm sure them up.

How is a solid but not top tier team crashing down to earth? Like, we could be what we project to be, even with Pacioretty. Like the ninth or tenth best NHL team. Our division could possibly give us a leg up on qualifying for the Conference Final but that isn't to say that there isn't formidable competition there.

The good or bad of this deal depends on what contract we give to Pacioretty. McPhee doesn't have the best track record, although I didn't mind the Stastny deal so there is some hope.

 

[Vegan Knight]

Let's look at this from another POV. Before the expansion draft last year, if someone told us that in their 2nd year of existence, the Knights would have a top 6 with the talent level of Wild Bill-Marchy-Smitty & MaxPax-Stasny-Tuchsy, we all would have been ECSTATIC.

Look back at previous expansion teams. Nashville had 33 year old Cliff Ronning as their 1C in Year 1. Columbus was sending out Tyler Wright. Atlanta had 35 year old chicken parm, Ray Ferraro as their 1C. Think about that for a minute. Think about how long it took all of those teams to even sniff the playoffs, or win a round for that matter. Columbus still hasn't made it past the first round! Let that sink in.

Yes we traded away a bunch of draft pick, but most of those picks were acquired in the expansion draft for precisely this purpose. To turn them into NHL hockey players. We just got a front line, impact NHL player tonight for Tomas Tatar & Nick Suzuki, who at this point is nothing but a prospect. A prospect who unless he puts on a massive amount of muscle looks way to small to play at the NHL level IMHO. Time will tell, but at this point I can't help but love this trade for Vegas. This team is a legitimate Cup contender in Year 2. That's just amazing in itself.

The contract will probably determine whether I consider this deal good or bad. Pacioretty will be 30 when it kicks in.

I worry that we are locking in a good but not great and already aging team that won't be good enough to get it done but will be good enough for us not to get the pieces we would need to quicker. That first year success may end up making us wait longer for a Cup. It was a great first year but there are decisions that can be questioned. (Trading for Tatar in the first place is one.)

As a side note, Glass is one inch taller but like five pounds lighter at last listing than Suzuki is. So if there are those worries about Suzuki then Glass should have higher levels.

 

[Boris Zubov]

As a side note, Glass is one inch taller but like five pounds lighter at last listing than Suzuki is. So if there are those worries about Suzuki then Glass should have higher levels.

There is no way in hell that Suzuki weighs 183 pounds. He looks more like 153.

 

[ottawa]

Pacioretty, when he is at his best, is an impact player who can dominate shifts and take over games. Tatar does not have that ability & was not worth his cap hit. This trade is such a win-win.

Pacioretty is a clear upgrade over Tatar, but in no way can he dominate shifts and take over games. He doesn't have the aggressiveness, stick handling or physicality to do that.

His positioning is fantastic and he will always open himself up to be in prime sniping areas if someone can set him up. He's a fun player because once he scores, there's a good chance he'll open the floodgates and score in bunches. But when he's cold, he's real cold.

Another thing I forgot to mention earlier, despite him having missed games throughout his NHL career, you'll find he's quite durable. One of his nicknames is wolverine because of his ability to come back from injuries so quickly, and pretty much always ahead of schedule.

 

[Boris Zubov]

That first year success may end up making us wait longer for a Cup. It was a great first year but there are decisions that can be questioned. (Trading for Tatar in the first place is one.)

Trading for Tatar didn't work out, but you CANNOT fault McPhee for going for it. Yes it was a questionable move that turned out poorly, but McPhee is acknowledging that mistake by moving him in this deal. Would you rather have a GM who didn't try to make a move to put his team over the top when they are in position to make a run?!?

Just curious, are you only going to be satisfied if the team is built solely through the entry draft going forward?

 

[Boris Zubov]

Pacioretty is a clear upgrade over Tatar, but in no way can he dominate shifts and take over games. He doesn't have the aggressiveness, stick handling or physicality to do that.

I'll agree to disagree.

 

[The Great Weal]

Pacioretty not being the captain and not being the only one expected to score will really benefit him.

 

[ottawa]

I'll agree to disagree.

Fair enough, I seriously hope he succeeds and returns to his ~35 goal form. Hell, I'd be thrilled to see him finally hit 40.

Not because I like the LV Knights, but because Pacioretty remained loyal to the habs despite being completely dumped on by the management, the fans (guilty!) and by the media during his final months. He still wanted to extend with the habs.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Fair enough, I seriously hope he succeeds and returns to his ~35 goal form. Hell, I'd be thrilled to see him finally hit 40.

Not because I like the LV Knights, but because Pacioretty remained loyal to the habs despite being completely dumped on by the management, the fans (guilty!) and by the media during his final months. He still wanted to extend with the habs.

You're still dumping on him! I kid!

 

[Langdon Alger]

Pacioretty not being the captain and not being the only one expected to score will really benefit him.

For sure. Getting out of Montreal should help too. I’m sure he will welcome a fresh start. Wouldn’t be surprised to see him sign an extension at some point. Maybe soon?

 

[InglewoodJack]

I think you're all underrating Patch here. He's one of the best goal scorers in the league, and he's usually a lock for 30+ goals, 60 pts. It's going to be awesome to watch him on a good team, and as a habs fan, it looks like we got a good prospect in return. Habs are gonna be hot garb next year though.

 

[Shawn Perry]

I agree with you. Patches a consistent top player playing in a bad system and without any complementary players around him in montreal. I think he could do bigger things here with Stazz and the mayor. A upgrade on the 2nd line and won't make us miss Neal and Perron at all. Expect 30 to 35 goals and 60 to 70 points. He is an American that became captain of the most storied hockey franchise in history and that franchise typically likes to name francophones as captains.

A little bit of myth busting here....It has been 20 years since the Habs had a francophone captain. In fact only 3 if the last 10 captains have been francophone....Hardly typical..,

 

[yianik]

Hi guys. Patches should be a good addition to your team. But you have to accept him for what he is .

Patches is not a power forward. He is an avowed perimeter player who has a a great release and shot. He will find the open spots. He isn't a speed demon but skates just fine. If your D can hit the stretch pass , look out.

Patches also plays good D and can be used on the PK.

Given his game, I wouldnt worry too much about production in future years, I think he can keep it up.

The other thing is he hasn't had a good centre to play with in Montreal. You guys have real top 6 centers.

I saw him compared to Tatar, with the comment that it isnt much of an upgrade. Tatar hit 29 once, and 25, once. Patches could get you guys 35-40 goals. Low maintenance guy. Only caution is for him to score post season, he has to be fed the puck , he isnt going to create his own chances.

I liked him as a Hab. But our needs are not Patches right now.

Best of luck.

 

[Price is Wright]

Pacioretty not being the captain and not being the only one expected to score will really benefit him.

Absolutely, as will Stastny.

I think he plays a leadership role here but can just be Stastny's wingman. No doubts that him healthy puts up a few more 30 goal seasons if Vegas extends him.