Speculation: Summer 24 moves

[habsterr]

Buy an experienced 4th line. Those veterans usually come in free agency and don't cost much.

Our 4th line hasn't had an identity in a long time, it's just a bunch of people being shuffled in and our of it.

Agreed if were spending some cash, give me short term, cheap quality 4th line grinders like: Carrier. 2025 Free agency should be the good one to sign actual quality players at big cap hits. Rantanen, Draisatl, Marner etc...

 

[1909]

Outside of Reinhart and Duclair they are all too old. Duclair is not good enough he's a complement on an already good team. Reinhart will cost too much for what he is, He'll ask to be paid like a 90+ points player but will have done it only once in his career. I mean if you gonna sign Reinhart you have to pro scout him a lot. I've not seen him enough personally. It could end up being good like JT Miller is right now for Vancouver but it's a risky bet for sure.

Why people want to sign 30+ players is beyond me. I don't get it. I think i can understand people who think the earth is flat or that Elvis is not dead more than i can understand people who want to sign players over 30 given our current situation. We are already giving too much money to players on the decline adding more makes absolutely no sense at all.

Duclair could be what our second line needs. I still don't understand why this guy is bouncing from team to team since the very begnning pf his career. Does he have major off ice issues ?

Habs also need better bottom six.

 

[BLONG7]

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

Could one of Gally or Andy be bought out?? Is it possible?
Dvorak and Armia surely one of them gets traded.....

 

[Cenzo_]

Outside of Reinhart and Duclair they are all too old. Duclair is not good enough he's a complement on an already good team. Reinhart will cost too much for what he is, He'll ask to be paid like a 90+ points player but will have done it only once in his career. I mean if you gonna sign Reinhart you have to pro scout him a lot. I've not seen him enough personally. It could end up being good like JT Miller is right now for Vancouver but it's a risky bet for sure.

Why people want to sign 30+ players is beyond me. I don't get it. I think i can understand people who think the earth is flat or that Elvis is not dead more than i can understand people who want to sign players over 30 given our current situation. We are already giving too much money to players on the decline adding more makes absolutely no sense at all.

We’re is the problem signing players over 30 if it is for 2 -3 years? Quality vets that have game and playoff experience is huge to bulding a culture

 

[Mayday1980]

My thought is to sign Brett Pesce this UFA season, give him a 5x6.5 or hell even 7 if we really have to. It finishes prior to age 35 for his and gives us a solid top 4 RHD so we can trade Savard at the deadline if we're uncompetitive next year. We need some vets on D going forward especially when our RHD are all prospects.

2025 UFA class is the one to get top 6 feds from. Kent will likely package one of the young d and picks to get a young forward player at the draft

 

[Draft]

The next UFA crop always looks better a year in advance. It rarely plays out that none of the top players are re-signed.

 

[Archijerej]

I think it's pretty clear that if we wish to compete for a wildcard spot next year, we need a solid defenceman, preferably a right handed one. Savard will be gone in a year and at this point he's not someone you want to rely on heavily.

 

[The Real Timo]

Sign Monahan for 1 year and trade him at TDL for a first

 

[Draft]

I think it's pretty clear that if we wish to compete for a wildcard spot next year, we need a solid defenceman, preferably a right handed one. Savard will be gone in a year and at this point he's not someone you want to rely on heavily.

Alexandre Carrier would be an interesting add. Looked like he had a lot of offensive upside at one point and he continues to play a solid, limited risk defensive game. He can log big minutes when asked. Smaller but was willing to fight Logan Stanley so I wouldn't be that worried. A bit like Girard but without the hype IMO.

It would really be a question as to how management foresees Barron's role. If he's an NHL player with the upside to be a two-way top-4 defenceman then we'll have to make sure there's room for him. If he's trade bait (along with Harris), then we should be all over signing a RD.

Montreal
Matheson-Guhle
Struble-Carrier
Xhekaj-Savard
(Kovacevic)

Laval
(Hutson-Reinbacher)
(Engstrom-Mailloux)

 

[shamrun]

I would not be against brining monahan back as long as he understands he would be behind dach. Could fetch another first round as well as we send him to a cup contender

 

[HabsMD97]

Wennberg 3x3.75
Duclair 2x3.25
Mantha 2x5

Habs will start to compete for a playoff spot starting next year it's basically written in stone whether people on this board want them to continue tanking or not. Considering that, they have to prioritize getting guys on short term deals and overpay them instead of handing out term which is fine since they have a ton of cap space for the next 2 years.

They need to avoid handing out anything over 2 years at all costs. I'm fine with giving Wennberg 3 years though since he's a center and will be heavily sought after.

Mantha brings size and goal scoring. He's had a a low key great year.
Duclair brings speed which outside of Newhook, the team doesn't have much of.
Wennberg brings a strong defensive game and is playmaker to complement the goal scoring of guys like Mantha and Duclair.

Mantha and Duclair specifically might take on shorter term to come back to Qc.

The key this offseason is signing guys to short term contracts even if it means overpayment.

There's always a dumb GM who falls in love with guys like Anderson, won't get a 1st for him but with the cap jumping Hughes will find a taker. They need to prioritize on getting rid of that contract no matter what. Gallagher is not an issue, he'll be on LTIR soon enough. They can trade Price's contract after next year since he will only be owed 2M in salary after his July 1st bonus. With the cap jumping so will the floor and teams like AZ & BUF will take him. Savard can also be easily traded since he doesn't have a NTC (thank god). Armia and DVO only have a year left so it's not an issue.

Caufield-Suzuki-Slaf
Newhook-Dach-Mantha
Duclair-Wennberg-Roy
RHP-Dvorak-Gallagher/Armia
Pezzetta

Guhle-Struble
Matheson-Harris
Xhekaj-Barron

Montembeault
Primeau

Ideally we can get a top pair RHD but I'm not gonna speculate on trades so no Zegras fantasies, etc.

 

[MajorWeber]

I'm just curious to see what kind of move you guys would like to see KH do this summer. I know its hard to speculate since the lottery could play a big role into the next steps.
Personnaly, I'd like to see a ballsy move. (I know it won't happen) but an OS to one of Jarvis, Necas or even Byfield could a nice power move.
If not, kicking tires on some FA like Guentzel, Toffoli, Monahan maybe Marchessault could add the needed depth into the top 6.

 

[Simarino]

Very easy, get rid of Gallagher Anderson Dvorak and Armia, it'll give you 20M to replace them with competent players!! I just hope KH realize its what he needs to do!!!

 

[Canadienna]

I don't expect anything too crazy. Dach will be an addition. At some point they've gotta move on from one or more of their young D.

I'd love to see us package some assets and move up in the draft, or try another Dach/Newhook style move.

Habs are in a bit of a weird spot on the backend. In my opinion that D core isn't going to really be "ready" until they're like 28-30.

I think fan pressure picks up this summer though and just anecdotally it feels like a lot of Habs fans are saying they expect more next year. Without some kind of addition that pressure will have to be met from within.

 

[MajorWeber]

Very easy, get rid of Gallagher Anderson Dvorak and Armia, it'll give you 20M to replace them with competent players!! I just hope KH realize its what he needs to do!!!

Getting rid of some of those contract won't be that easy. Dvorak and Armia being on expiring deals might be a bit easier.

I don't expect anything too crazy. Dach will be an addition. At some point they've gotta move on from one or more of their young D.

I'd love to see us package some assets and move up in the draft, or try another Dach/Newhook style move.

Habs are in a bit of a weird spot on the backend. In my opinion that D core isn't going to really be "ready" until they're like 28-30.

I think fan pressure picks up this summer though and just anecdotally it feels like a lot of Habs fans are saying they expect more next year. Without some kind of addition that pressure will have to be met from within.

Having Dach all year would be a big depth improvement that won't cost anything.

 

[CAUFIELD]

Stay the path this summer. Try to trade for a reclamation project like Kakoo .
Give big minutes to young players next year. See how important players like Caufield , Slaf, Dach , Xhekaj, Ghule , Newhook , Roy, improve

Sell at 2025 Tdl Savard , Armia, Dvorak, Evans

Summer 2025 is the summer you try to land a big Ufa or a prime elite player by trading. We’ll have de cap$pace.

2025 is compete year with Mailloux , Hutson , 2024 1st, Reinbacher , F Xhekaj, Beck , etc knocking for a spot .

 

[malcb33]

We really need to hit in this draft and that likely weighs heavily on what the summer looks like for the team.

Unfortunately, there’s only a few forwards ranked in the top 10 (very D heavy) and IMO they shouldn’t pick another D. So it could end up being a reach for a forward ranked 10-15 or trading the pick, depending on how things go.

Let’s hope for the lotto balls to fall our way!

 

[MajorWeber]

We really need to hit in this draft and that likely weighs heavily on what the summer looks like for the team.

Unfortunately, there’s only a few forwards ranked in the top 10 (very D heavy) and IMO they shouldn’t pick another D. So it could end up being a reach for a forward ranked 10-15 or trading the pick, depending on how things go.

Let’s hope for the lotto balls to fall our way!

Imagine landing 1OA, IMO I'd be willing to OS with the 25 1St since it can't win the lottery with the new rule. Or try to package something with the 25 1st to climb back into the top 10 this year.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Keep cleaning up after Bergy boy

Price, Gally, Anderson, Dvorak, Armia = 30M

 

[Runner77]

Not holding high hope for Hughes to move undesirable contracts.

Just stay the course and poach the best scouting people they can find toward next year, where they also own a boatload of picks. Scouts from other orgs. typically become available in the summer, when in some cases, their contracts are up.

A big home run would be to add another top 6 center, someone whose org has soured on. Try to sign Moneyhands who was well appreciated here.

 

[McGees]

We have 34 young D coming BUT DONT TRADE SAVARD AND MATHESON CAUSE THEYRE GOOD FOR THE YOUNG D…

For real tho, he will need to trade 1 or 2 of em. Maybe Harris/Kovy or Barron.

 

[MajorWeber]

We have 34 young D coming BUT DONT TRADE SAVARD AND MATHESON CAUSE THEYRE GOOD FOR THE YOUNG D…

For real tho, he will need to trade 1 or 2 of em. Maybe Harris/Kovy or Barron.

Seeing what young D returns on the trade block, its not unlikely we package one or two with picks to try to swindle a good forward/ return. At one point there won't be room for everyone.

 

[calder candidate]

not sure there much to do this off season, juste need to keep all options open if there a young player that could be available.

This next year we need to start to compete for playoff, but still all move need to be looking to the couple season out.

Most of the work will be done at the camp sorting out the D, and then all the way to the TDL trying to maximize trade value for everyone mostly Dvorak and Savard. there will also be a few young ending to UFA which we could be acquire as core piece vs rental…

 

[BoneHutson]

Our defense is solid moving forward. What we need is to add top 6 talents at F so that we can have 3 lines that can produce. Right now imo, we have 6 solid F (first line + Dach, Roy, Newhook), we need 3 more.

1. Draft one of Celebrini, Lindstrom or Demidov

2. Move up at the draft (around 8-12) to grab Catton, Iginla or Eiserman). IMO PIT if their pick ends up top 10 would be an awesome fit for a move up trade; as they likely will lose their 25´first; they spent a lot assets in the past years; and might prefer prospects (which we have a ton of). Something like WPG first + Barron + Mesar + PIT’ 25 second (or a late first acquired for Savard at the draft) might get us there imo.

3. OS Byfield (unlikely but possible since LA has a lot of guys to sign this summer and might had an expensive G)

Then you can run this as your top 9 moving forward:

Caufield-Suzuki-Slaf
Newhook-Dach-Roy
Byfield-Celebrini-Catton

 

[Nicko999]

Unpopular opinion but I would like Hughes to grow bigger balls and go for Celebrini at *almost* all cost.

Let's say we draft 7th... offer the pick + Ghule for the 1st overall.

Very likely the other team refuses the offer so I would be willing to replace Ghule with any other D we have in the system.
I understand the team that has the 1st overall declines no matter what but I want Macklin so much with the Habs.

Having Celebrini-Suzuki at center changes the whole dynamic of the team and the surplus of D-men allows us to deal one of them.