Speculation: Summer 24 moves

[SwiftyHab]

Starting a new thread on players Hughes should attempt to sign this summer.

We’ll have nearly $20M in salary cap space with only Xhekaj really needing be signed.

I think we could use some vets up front while we get more offensive forward prospects and let them develop.

My top 3 that I know already gel with this team and can contribute both offensively and to help insulate the team are:

1-Monahan
2-Toffoli
3-Perry

That involves trading some of our current veterans to make room

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[Deebs]

No to all three of your suggestions. While I agree we need to add some legitimate players, it would ideal if we can add players more in line with where we're at as a club. Those three are all on the back 9 of their career.

 

[Bottle Rocket]

I think significant additions will come through trades (Zegras or someone off radar) or from within (Roy, Heineman, a returning Dach, ...). Someone will outbid us in $ or lenght for top veterans like Monahan. Sure, I would welcome him back, but not if we have to offer 4-5 years. We can also weaponize our short-term cap space.

We are trying to get rid of overpaid vets and already have our own problems that are partly just about to expire.

Maybe a depth piece to bring energy (Laferty, Blackwell, Aubé-Kubel). Or a 7th-8th D, especially right handed.

 

[habsterr]

No to UFA, acquire 1 year cap dumps from other teams instead. Like Calgary sending us Moneyhands.

 

[Spring in Fialta]

No to UFA, acquire 1 year cap dumps from other teams instead. Like Calgary sending us Moneyhands.

No, the team should clearly be starting to phase out of that.

I think they need to acquire at least one forward that's an established contributor.

 

[vokiel]

I would not be against acquiring a 4-5 year contract for a 2nd line center. Both Dach and Newhook are better on the wing and I don't think we have anyone ready to fill that role.

That's about it. If it can't be found on the UFA market or using our draft capital in a trade, then bring on another top 10 pick next season, I don't care.

 

[Justin11]

I would not be against acquiring a 4-5 year contract for a 2nd line center. Both Dach and Newhook are better on the wing and I don't think we have anyone ready to fill that role.

That's about it. If it can't be found on the UFA market or using our draft capital in a trade, then bring on another top 10 pick next season, I don't care.

Dach is a center, and he’s good at that position, that much is clear.

 

[Gustave]

Dach is a center, and he’s good at that position, that much is clear.

To be fair, we have what? A camp and one game of this being “confirmed”?

Last season he was dynamite on the first line’s wing with Cc and Suzuki. We can have as much certainty that he is indeed a good enough first line winger.

I’m not against him being a C of course, but say for shits and giggles we get Celebrini out of sheer luck, we have our centerman. Dach then goes to the wing, no question about it.

 

[vokiel]

To be fair, we have what? A camp and one game of this being “confirmed”?

Last season he was dynamite on the first line’s wing with Cc and Suzuki. We can have as much certainty that he is indeed a good enough first line winger.

I’m not against him being a C of course, but say for shits and giggles we get Celebrini out of sheer luck, we have our centerman. Dach then goes to the wing, no question about it.

Exactly, if Dach is a center, he hasn't done anything to make us confident with his qualifications yet.

 

[Justin11]

To be fair, we have what? A camp and one game of this being “confirmed”?

Last season he was dynamite on the first line’s wing with Cc and Suzuki. We can have as much certainty that he is indeed a good enough first line winger.

I’m not against him being a C of course, but say for shits and giggles we get Celebrini out of sheer luck, we have our centerman. Dach then goes to the wing, no question about it.

I thought he looked great after Dach was moved away from the first line wing back to center. His faceoffs had improved and his 200 ft game was very good. Habs traded for him to play center.

 

[le_sean]

We should probably get rid of albatross contracts (Gallagher, Anderson, even Price) before spending big on UFAs

 

[Halakitlikethat]

No to UFA, acquire 1 year cap dumps from other teams instead. Like Calgary sending us Moneyhands.

I hope they are done with stuff like that. Need to send a message to the teams core players that they are actually trying to make the team better. They don’t need anymore draft picks.

 

[Naslundforever]

Slaf-Reinheart-Mantha as a 2nd line why not just for the big. Dach back on the 1st wing… Monahands for the 3rd. Another goon would be nice.

 

[Rapala]

NO

 

[salbutera]

Stamkos is the only veteran UFA Habs should pursue IMO, and even that only for a max 2-year deal …. assuming he’d even seriously consider playing in Mtl

If Stamkos is serious, I’d throw a huge bonus contract his way, 2-years at $11M AAV per (25% increase from current deal) with payout: $1M salary + $10M bonus

No interest in any other big $ UFAs

Combine Stammer with a Dach type top-6 acquisition and all of a sudden players are sitting in proper chairs (Newhook, Roy on 3rd line) + Stamkos should have accelerated positive impact on the PP

 

[The Great Weal]

We aren't signing UFAs thanks to MB because Anderson/Gallagher/Dvorak/Armia need to play.

 

[Scintillating10]

Starting a new thread on players Hughes should attempt to sign this summer.

We’ll have nearly $20M in salary cap space with only Xhekaj really needing be signed.

I think we could use some vets up front while we get more offensive forward prospects and let them develop.

My top 3 that I know already gel with this team and can contribute both offensively and to help insulate the team are:

1-Monahan
2-Toffoli
3-Perry

That involves trading some of our current veterans to make room

Rather sign a UFA than trade because we keep Jets pick that way.

Somebody with size because Habs have many Smurfs.

DeBrusk be good? He's 25 goals. Only 27.
Monahan good leadership/faceoffs. 20 goals.
Toffoli if he signs short term contract? He's 30 goals played well with Caufield/Suzuki in playoffs.

 

[habsterr]

I hope they are done with stuff like that. Need to send a message to the teams core players that they are actually trying to make the team better. They don’t need anymore draft picks.

No all the available UFA suck or too old for our core. Habs already have too many albatross contracts in their lineup.

 

[jrom]

To be fair, we have what? A camp and one game of this being “confirmed”?

Last season he was dynamite on the first line’s wing with Cc and Suzuki. We can have as much certainty that he is indeed a good enough first line winger.

I’m not against him being a C of course, but say for shits and giggles we get Celebrini out of sheer luck, we have our centerman. Dach then goes to the wing, no question about it.

It’s a big part of it but being a good C is more then just being good a faceoffs

 

[SnapVirus]

No UFA should be signed this year. This will be our last 'official tanking' year. With Savard, Dvorak and Armia leaving as UFAs/traded. Then we can start shopping during summer 25 or 26 (if our prospects/team underperform next year or we are again injury plagued).

 

[Benstheman]

Bring back Toffoli. We need help on the wings for the top 9.

3 years? 5M$ per?

 

[Skip Bayless]

We aren't signing UFAs thanks to MB because Anderson/Gallagher/Dvorak/Armia need to play.

I doubt MB ever gets another GM job, his rep isn't very good.

Hughes even took a couple of shots at the "Past regime" a couple of times.

He was handed a big ole turd cap-wise by a GM who was desperate to keep his job.

 

[The Great Weal]

I doubt MB ever gets another GM job, his rep isn't very good.

Hughes even took a couple of shots at the "Past regime" a couple of times.

He was handed a big ole turd cap-wise by a GM who was desperate to keep his job.

Next year we we are clear of most of the bad contracts. Only Gallagher/Anderson/Price remain where Price will be on LTIR, hopefully Gallagher can be LTIRetired and if not bought out, and Anderson retained 50% since we don't have to worry about retention slots by then.

 

[Adam Michaels]

I think they will go the trade route like they have the last two drafts. And at UFA, they will most likely do what they did the last two years and add mostly players for Laval, even if it's NHL contracts a la Andersson, Maillet, Keeper & re-signing Stephens like this past summer. I also think they'll extend Gignac.

With Savard, Armia, Dvorak, Evans, Pez & Kovacevic all entering the final year of their deals before becoming UFAs, we should see most if not all go. Some might be extended (my guess Evans is the most likely candidate for that). Some might be gone in the summer.

Those are a lot of bad contracts from guys who don't contribute much coming to an end. So I think next summer (2025) they might be more aggressive in the UFA market as the cap goes up some more.

Next year, I feel like they will go status quo with the goal to have the young guys and the team progress some more. And for the 2025-26 season, they will be looking to add rather than subtract.

 

[Andrei79]

No UFA should be signed this year. This will be our last 'official tanking' year. With Savard, Dvorak and Armia leaving as UFAs/traded. Then we can start shopping during summer 25 or 26 (if our prospects/team underperform next year or we are again injury plagued).

Agreed. Unless they can get a Panarin like franchise player signing, there's no use trying to fit an expensive UFA before knowing where every piece falls. We don't even know what the team has in Dach yet.

I doubt MB ever gets another GM job, his rep isn't very good.

Hughes even took a couple of shots at the "Past regime" a couple of times.

He was handed a big ole turd cap-wise by a GM who was desperate to keep his job.

I remember when the idiot said he would never compromise the teams future to save his job. That was the moment I knew he would compromise the teams future to save his job.