The Habs have rebuilt their depth, and the NHL wants expansion?

[S Bah]

How many of the quality depth players will the Habs lose this time around, is my question? The Habs develop the players and lose them to expansion teams, it's like being fined for doing great work, instead of being rewarded, what's your take?

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[CH25]

We have tons of garbage too don't worry

 

[S Bah]

We have tons of garbage too don't worry

It all depends upon what the NHL Owners agree to as the amount of protected players are including goalies, an area the Habs always have the best depth league wide usually. Then the Habs could lose as many as 3-4 of their best prospects, depends on how many teams join, probably.I still remember losing Rogie Vachon & Tony Esposito to La Kings and Chicago(a team that knocked them out of the playoffs with Tony O, for the first time in a couple of decades), Even though Chicago paid dearly in the SC Finals a couple of yrs later!

 

[Ice Poutine]

Nothing to worry abpout...

We'll give em Drayson Bowman, Drewiske, Moen, Bourque, Blunden, Dumont, Thomas, Nygren, Parenteau, Holland, etc.

And EVEN if we lost ALL those players we'd be better off!

 

[MXD]

I wonder what an Expansion Draft will look like... with a Salary Cap and no-movement clauses. Could be funny.

 

[Phil Parent]

The expansion draft could be a blessing in disguise for teams stuck with bad contracts in the cap era. An expansion team that doesn't believe in its chances of being competitive the first 2-3 years might just look to reach the salary floor and would take a bad big money deal to do that is as few players as possible, and then play kids.

However, IMO, expansion teams nowadays would be more competitive coming out the gate than ever before.

 

[Agnostic]

In 1993 with 2 teams entering the league allowed the protection of 1 goaltender, 5 defenseman, and 9 forwards, as well all first year players were exempt.

Therefore, six teams would lose one goaltender and one forward, sixteen teams would lose one defenceman and one forward, and two teams would lose two forwards.

I don't think that would impact us too terribly, as of today we'd have some tough decisions to make at defense, that's about all.

 

[Stoneburg]

a) Expansion is not a 100% certainty

b) While we may loose some depth players, imagine not having depth, like some other teams?

 

[S Bah]

a) Expansion is not a 100% certainty

b) While we may loose some depth players, imagine not having depth, like some other teams?

The problem here is the Habs are almost always the first team to lose their unprotected players, just when they are ready for a good run at the SC's again.My thinking is there is still animosity towards the Habs felt from fans and teams that remember the 30 yr. dynasty the Habs had between 1950 & 1980.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

Nothing is happening in the short to mid term, if ever. Who knows what the team will really look like a few years down the road ? Those decisions might come super easy by then, with a few veterans on the decline that we can easily jettison.

 

[MXD]

I'm looking at what were the rules for Expansion draft exemption, but cannot find it.

I take for granted that players not eligible for waivers were not eligible for Exp. draft.

Price

Subban
Markov
Gilbert
Weaver
Emelin

Tinordi, Beaulieu, Pateryn, Nygren are exempt

Plekanec
Pacioretty
Desharnais
Eller
Prust
Weise
Gallagher
Malhotra
PAP

Galch, Bourni, every Hamilton forward except Dumont are exempted.

 

[Runner77]

Best news ever for the Habs, if it happens.

Plenty of dwarfs to jettison about.

 

[Price is Wright]

If expansion happened in the summer, the two teams would have taken Moen and Budaj off our hands. Not a significant deal.

 

[Brainiac]

If expansion happened in the summer, the two teams would have taken Moen and Budaj off our hands. Not a significant deal.

That, basically. A two teams expansion means the current 30 teams have to give away 46 players. So we lose one, maybe two players.

As you said, Moen and Budaj. Woo!

And even then, if the league wants to expand, I'd be all for reducing roster size. Keep the same guys, put them on 32 teams instead of 30. No talent dilution that way. And more TOI for good players.

 

[Price is Wright]

A big part of expansion teams is veterans who can still go and youngsters that there's no room for.

I could see a scenario where we have no top nine room for say Andrighetto so we trade him for a draft pick to an expansion team. Better that than losing him to Europe.

Sam Pollock made a dynasty out of trading vets for draft picks. Expansion is a good thing.

 

[Sorinth]

There have always been rules limiting the number of players a single team can lose, so at most we lose 1 or 2 players depending on the number of expansion teams.

And at the end of the day we have veterans that we could leave exposed and actually hope they get taken. Wouldn't an expansion team taking Bourque off our hands be a good thing?

In the past they've allowed trades based on not picking certain players, ie we'll give you a 3rd round pick if you don't select a player we left exposed. With a cap I think it might actually go the other way, a team might give up a pick so that the expansion team takes an untradeable player off their hands.

 

[Ezpz]

There have always been rules limiting the number of players a single team can lose, so at most we lose 1 or 2 players depending on the number of expansion teams.

And at the end of the day we have veterans that we could leave exposed and actually hope they get taken. Wouldn't an expansion team taking Bourque off our hands be a good thing?

In the past they've allowed trades based on not picking certain players, ie we'll give you a 3rd round pick if you don't select a player we left exposed. With a cap I think it might actually go the other way, a team might give up a pick so that the expansion team takes an untradeable player off their hands.

Expansion teams will desire those players though. They still have to hit the cap floor. It's easier to swallow a contract like Cam Wards or Alex Burrows then to have to offer a guy 8 years to sign with your crappy expansion team during free agency.

 

[Agnostic]

Bleacher Report - 5 players Montreal would make available in an expansion draft.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ould-make-available-in-an-nhl-expansion-draft

 

[Ezpz]

Bleacher Report - 5 players Montreal would make available in an expansion draft.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/...ould-make-available-in-an-nhl-expansion-draft

I'd agree with most of those choices. Grinders are the only role you don't guys with significant experience at. Their play style makes them ineffective into their 30s.