Who would you rather acquire: Laine, Hall, or Ekman-Larsson?

[Deebs]

After reading Seravalli's trade bait article, Laine to Carolina for one of their defensemen makes a lot of sense. He'd be reunited with Aho

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

We should trade for OEL so we can finish 20th instead of 24th instead

 

[Habs Halifax]

My offer would center around Danault, Domi and our 1st because the Jets are probably looking for players now, not guys like Caufield who'll be ready in a few years.

Too much IMO. My best offer is Domi, Caufield, Blues 2nd, and a RD prospect... Fleury who is NHL ready. I get that the Jets want players now but Domi is not some small add and most who will spend the time to look at context (like we did when we acquired Domi)... would noticed that he can put up better production if he had talent to work with.

It's one of Domi or Danault. Not both. And I feel Danault would give the Jets headaches on an extension where Domi would be more open to an extension cause he gets to play with better talent for a change.

If another team trumps our Domi, Caufield, Blues 2nd, and Fleury offer... I let them! What contender or fringe team like the Habs are going to offer both a piece like Domi and a grade A+ prospect like Caufield? I don't see it. Prove me wrong?

 

[Habs Halifax]

We should trade for OEL so we can finish 20th instead of 24th instead

Can't believe you are complaining about OEL for Domi, Alzner, and a pick. Don't you realize we still have cap space to go after Hall?

And even if we do nothing... I still think we can go from 24th to 20th or better! If we were that bad, Pens embarrass us in the play in round.

 

[montreal]

We should trade for OEL so we can finish 20th instead of 24th instead

OEL would do wonders for our terrible PP, that alone would likely make us a top 8 team in the East imo. I don't think this team is going anywhere until they can find a PP QB and I don't think we get OEL but I do think he would vastly improve the PP which would improve this team by a lot.

Granted we would still need a quality backup, Suzuki and Kotka would need to progress, we would need to stay healthy since the depth isn't there. And would need Romanov to be solid.

 

[JC Superstar]

In a cost effective perspective, my first three choices would be Puuljujarvi, Comtois and Poulin, but Laine would be first in an all out angle.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

Can't believe you are complaining about OEL for Domi, Alzner, and a pick. Don't you realize we still have cap space to go after Hall?

And even if we do nothing... I still think we can go from 24th to 20th or better! If we were that bad, Pens embarrass us in the play in round.

lol you are not getting OEL for alzner and domi + a pick. Also if you get OEL you let go Petry because of money instead if he signs at discount.
Also stop daydreaming OEL is gonna join another bottom tier team whos cores forward are turning 30 and the solo reason that the team was competitive during playoffs was in the net and turning 34.

At this point do Byron + Alzner + Petry for Mcdavid , im sure it will work.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

OEL would do wonders for our terrible PP, that alone would likely make us a top 8 team in the East imo. I don't think this team is going anywhere until they can find a PP QB and I don't think we get OEL but I do think he would vastly improve the PP which would improve this team by a lot.

Granted we would still need a quality backup, Suzuki and Kotka would need to progress, we would need to stay healthy since the depth isn't there. And would need Romanov to be solid.

''wonders'' 30 points d-man will take Petry or Weber spot. Also Petry would pretyt much like leave if OEL was to join this horrendous team. Cap is not increasing in the next seasons also. This doesnt fix any of our top 6 problem. Also doesnt fix all the re-signing we have to do next year. The problem of our PP is not the d-man , its the forwards.

 

[beowulf]

How about sign Hall and trade for OEL and fill two needs?

 

[Habs Halifax]

lol you are not getting OEL for alzner and domi + a pick. Also if you get OEL you let go Petry because of money instead if he signs at discount.
Also stop daydreaming OEL is gonna join another bottom tier team whos cores forward are turning 30 and the solo reason that the team was competitive during playoffs was in the net and turning 34.

At this point do Byron + Alzner + Petry for Mcdavid , im sure it will work.

How do you know what the Coyotes will do? You don't think they might want to get out of the OEL contract like the Preds did with Subban? And let me guess... OEL turns into Subban right?

And no, you don't trade Petry cause you add OEL. Bad idea. You unload Domi, Alzner, our 16th pick and maybe a prospect like Harris and the cap space between Alzner and Domi actually saves us money over OEL. So yeah, we would have more cap space bud.

Actual NHL teams and players don't look at the Habs like you do. If you were right, the Pens would have not complained about Price and a best of 3. And they would have not lost to us too. And you don't understand the difference in how the Habs played in the playoffs vs the regular season. You think it was Price only and you don't understand the context of the system we played and how centers like Suzuki and KK were much better cause they were more mature.

Price + Trident + 3 centers playing at their best. I question your hockey knowledge if you don't understand that. I bet you think Price played better in the playoffs vs the regular season and you also think the players played the same in both situations. One has nothing to do with the other eh?

 

[Runner77]

Key is signing Hall as it leaves your disposable assets for a key trade.

I don’t see Laine as a realistic option, he would cost way too much.

 

[Habs Halifax]

How about sign Hall and trade for OEL and fill two needs?

It would be interesting if we pulled that off.

 

[montreal]

lol you are not getting OEL for alzner and domi + a pick. Also if you get OEL you let go Petry because of money instead if he signs at discount.
Also stop daydreaming OEL is gonna join another bottom tier team whos cores forward are turning 30 and the solo reason that the team was competitive during playoffs was in the net and turning 34.

At this point do Byron + Alzner + Petry for Mcdavid , im sure it will work.

The cost for OEL imo is not going to be as high as some think since he can name any team he wants to go to and no many teams will be able to take on his 8.5M cap hit for 7 years and the 58M he's owed.

As for him not wanting to come here, perhaps but don't act like you know for certain what he would or wouldn't do.

also don't be silly OEL is not McDavid the best player in the world and the Yotes are not in the same situation at the oilers, with limited picks, they likely need a re-tool and are rumored to not be happy with OEL's play. No one knows the cost to acquire him but we do know that it won't be easy for many teams to take on that contract in a flat cap world.

''wonders'' 30 points d-man will take Petry or Weber spot. Also Petry would pretyt much like leave if OEL was to join this horrendous team. Cap is not increasing in the next seasons also. This doesnt fix any of our top 6 problem. Also doesnt fix all the re-signing we have to do next year. The problem of our PP is not the d-man , its the forwards.

he had 30 pts in 66 games, so over 82 that's 37, down from his 44 last year but right around where he's been his entire career outside of that 55 pt season. aside from his first full season and the lockout shorten season, he's been in the 39 - 44 pt range. The talk from what I understand is that at 29 they feel he might be on the start of decline. Many D's seem to decline around 32 so it would be very risky for any team to take him on for 7 years when he's got 2 seasons coming up that will pay him 10.5M per, with no fans it could cause serious problems for some owners, I would think several teams will be in some sort of trouble with money if we are looking at 2 years say of no fans.

OEL would take Chia's spot next to Weber for sure as they likely would be great together as OEL would need Weber's defensive play and Weber could use a strong puck mover.

As for Petry wanting to leave because of OEL, that's just silly imo.

Right now we can't afford to keep everyone anyway, so some players will have to go. Domi, Danault, Tatar, who knows what MB's plans are but I don't see us being able to keep them all plus give Kotka a raise with them next off-season and then Suzuki will need one the following off-season. But that's what MB gets paid for to figure this shit out. Plus we will be losing one player to the expansion draft in June.

I'm not saying we should get OEL if he even wanted to come here, I do think he would help our PP a ton, which would help this team more then you seem to think. I don't think the Habs if healthy and a rested Price are a bottom team, I think they are a middle of the pack team. OEL would help us a lot there but it would come down to cost to acquire, would he want to come here and what plan does MB have, keep building with draft picks or start to try and win? Who knows with him

 

[Vachon23]

What? No its not. Unless you're confusing grit with size. Which is not the same thing at all.

And Montreal doesn't need grit at all, they need shooting talent on the wings and some more size/reach.

I don’t. Yes we need size but we need to be less soft to

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

How do you know what the Coyotes will do? You don't think they might want to get out of the OEL contract like the Preds did with Subban? And let me guess... OEL turns into Subban right?

And no, you don't trade Petry cause you add OEL. Bad idea. You unload Domi, Alzner, our 16th pick and maybe a prospect like Harris and the cap space between Alzner and Domi actually saves us money over OEL. So yeah, we would have more cap space bud.

Actual NHL teams and players don't look at the Habs like you do. If you were right, the Pens would have not complained about Price and a best of 3. And they would have not lost to us too. And you don't understand the difference in how the Habs played in the playoffs vs the regular season. You think it was Price only and you don't understand the context of the system we played and how centers like Suzuki and KK were much better cause they were more mature.

Price + Trident + 3 centers playing at their best. I question your hockey knowledge if you don't understand that. I bet you think Price played better in the playoffs vs the regular season and you also think the players played the same in both situations. One has nothing to do with the other eh?

Subban was traded because Nashville wanted offensive players and have money to sign forwards. Let that sink in. You do trade Petry if u get OEL , useless to run 3 dmans in the 30s at 7m+ each of them. You still havent fixed the forward problems after all that.

Also Pittsburgh lost because they shat the bed. I don't care what people say , they threw hardcore . Chocked a 3-1 lead and went 1/8 pp game 1. Should have been a 3-0 right quick . Also never seen Malkin so garbage in his career.

Question my hockey knowledge all you want but i banked enough already from NHL and NBA playoff to buy myself a new 3k computer , rofl. Damn right Price played better in those playoffs than he did during the season , what kind of stupid mentality is that. He was .950 before game 5 and 6. LOOOOOOOOOOL Stop pretending this team is a playoff team with OEL and because Suzuki and KK had a great 10 games stretch . while literally all the wingers were dogshit. 1 problem is fixed and huge problem joins in because god knows this team can't be working all together at any time

 

[beowulf]

It would be interesting if we pulled that off.

Would mean likely having to drop Drouin and/or Tatar for cap reasons but I think it could make the team much closer to a contender now than down the line in a couple of years.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

The cost for OEL imo is not going to be as high as some think since he can name any team he wants to go to and no many teams will be able to take on his 8.5M cap hit for 7 years and the 58M he's owed.

As for him not wanting to come here, perhaps but don't act like you know for certain what he would or wouldn't do.

also don't be silly OEL is not McDavid the best player in the world and the Yotes are not in the same situation at the oilers, with limited picks, they likely need a re-tool and are rumored to not be happy with OEL's play. No one knows the cost to acquire him but we do know that it won't be easy for many teams to take on that contract in a flat cap world.



he had 30 pts in 66 games, so over 82 that's 37, down from his 44 last year but right around where he's been his entire career outside of that 55 pt season. aside from his first full season and the lockout shorten season, he's been in the 39 - 44 pt range. The talk from what I understand is that at 29 they feel he might be on the start of decline. Many D's seem to decline around 32 so it would be very risky for any team to take him on for 7 years when he's got 2 seasons coming up that will pay him 10.5M per, with no fans it could cause serious problems for some owners, I would think several teams will be in some sort of trouble with money if we are looking at 2 years say of no fans.

OEL would take Chia's spot next to Weber for sure as they likely would be great together as OEL would need Weber's defensive play and Weber could use a strong puck mover.

As for Petry wanting to leave because of OEL, that's just silly imo.

Right now we can't afford to keep everyone anyway, so some players will have to go. Domi, Danault, Tatar, who knows what MB's plans are but I don't see us being able to keep them all plus give Kotka a raise with them next off-season and then Suzuki will need one the following off-season. But that's what MB gets paid for to figure this shit out. Plus we will be losing one player to the expansion draft in June.

I'm not saying we should get OEL if he even wanted to come here, I do think he would help our PP a ton, which would help this team more then you seem to think. I don't think the Habs if healthy and a rested Price are a bottom team, I think they are a middle of the pack team. OEL would help us a lot there but it would come down to cost to acquire, would he want to come here and what plan does MB have, keep building with draft picks or start to try and win? Who knows with him

Of course he would take Chariot spot , even Romanov will take it next season , Chariot is not a top d-man we all know this. We are talking powerplay here yeah he had 30 points in 66 games. Petry had 40 points this season and 36 points for Weber.

Those are the only 2 defs that mostly played on ur PP this season since we were running 4 forwards most of the time. So let's say we put 2 d-man like we did in that fake playoff runs (PP was still garbage btw)

Where does that put OEL in the next season of 41 matches since it would start in december. around 20-25 points~. Pretty much what Petry and Weber will give in terms of points. For defensively aspect , OEL is no better than Petry or Weber.

We would most likely sink 8.5m for 7 years to get pretty much the same kind of production without fixing our wingers problem and the cap issue we will have if no trades are made and the expansion coming out

 

[Habs Halifax]

Key is signing Hall as it leaves your disposable assets for a key trade.

I don’t see Laine as a realistic option, he would cost way too much.

Not sure who will offer Hall a now and future solution to win and also has the cap room to sign him for $8M - $9M range. Habs will knock on the door and after the performance of the centers and vets in the playoffs... players like Hall might look at the Habs in a different perspective. We will see cause I think Bergevin will be in on him or at least knock on the door.

With Laine... who knows. Jets have him under RFA control so they don't have to trade him just yet. That story might pick up during next season if we hear rumors of Laine giving them contract fits. There would be lots of interest for Laine for sure but not so sure how deep others will dig into their talent pool for him when he wants $9M - $10M range. Cause lets face it, Jets won't trade him if they can get him signed for $8M - $9M range.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Would mean likely having to drop Drouin and/or Tatar for cap reasons but I think it could make the team much closer to a contender now than down the line in a couple of years.

I think both Petry and Danault need to stay. We need them and they like it in Montreal. Sign both for 5 years at $6.5M max. After next season, we would have to pick one from Gallagher or Tatar. Byron and if we pick up a LD (Kulak), would have to be unloaded. If we trade for OEL, Alzner has to be a contract we send the other way in that package. Or else I'm out. He's actually not owed too much money at this stage and the Coyotes fan base appear to be ok with it. They are clearly after futures like our 16th OA pick, 2021 1st, Harris, and Poehling types. And I've seen several of them wanting Domi back. Problem is Domi won't sign an extension with the Coyotes.

Habs don't have cap space problems and a lot can change in 12 months. We actually have flexibility that most other teams don't have. I do think we need Danault and Petry more than Tatar and Gallagher. I'd extend Gallagher and I like Tatar but not going to cry if we loose Tatar cause we picked up OEL and Hall.

 

[montreal]

Of course he would take Chariot spot , even Romanov will take it next season , Chariot is not a top d-man we all know this. We are talking powerplay here yeah he had 30 points in 66 games. Petry had 40 points this season and 36 points for Weber.

Those are the only 2 defs that mostly played on ur PP this season since we were running 4 forwards most of the time. So let's say we put 2 d-man like we did in that fake playoff runs (PP was still garbage btw)

Where does that put OEL in the next season of 41 matches since it would start in december. around 20-25 points~. Pretty much what Petry and Weber will give in terms of points. For defensively aspect , OEL is no better than Petry or Weber.

We would most likely sink 8.5m for 7 years to get pretty much the same kind of production without fixing our wingers problem and the cap issue we will have if no trades are made and the expansion coming out

OEL we would get to improve our LD and he's a better puck mover then anyone we have. You could do OEL Petry on PP1 and Weber on PP2 over vice versa. Weber could use a little less TOI imo.

as for next season who knows how many games they play or plan on as the bubble works but can't see the players wanting months of a bubble and then playoffs ouch.

Right now imo the biggest problem is our blueline. We have 2 guys that can put up points but both from the right and neither has been able to QB the PP.

They need to improve the wingers as well, Caufield might be one answer. Drouin will either have to play better or they will need to move on from him at some point. Domi is either going to have to play on the wing or be traded for help.

OEL would also be good for Norlinder when he comes over in a year or so.

 

[HabsWhiteKnightLOL]

OEL we would get to improve our LD and he's a better puck mover then anyone we have. You could do OEL Petry on PP1 and Weber on PP2 over vice versa. Weber could use a little less TOI imo.

as for next season who knows how many games they play or plan on as the bubble works but can't see the players wanting months of a bubble and then playoffs ouch.

Right now imo the biggest problem is our blueline. We have 2 guys that can put up points but both from the right and neither has been able to QB the PP.

They need to improve the wingers as well, Caufield might be one answer. Drouin will either have to play better or they will need to move on from him at some point. Domi is either going to have to play on the wing or be traded for help.

OEL would also be good for Norlinder when he comes over in a year or so.

You rely alot on prospects , i feel you but we need active players rn

 

[montreal]

You rely alot on prospects , i feel you but we need active players rn

that's MB's plan though, unless of course he changes direction again. Romanov, Caufield, Kotka, Suzuki, Norlinder, plus others, we likely go nowhere unless we hit on most of them which that alone is a tall order. We couldn't win with Price, Markov, Subban, Pac, now we have to hope that we can build a team around a 1-2 center punch for a change but who knows if that will work or not or how long it will take.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Of course he would take Chariot spot , even Romanov will take it next season , Chariot is not a top d-man we all know this. We are talking powerplay here yeah he had 30 points in 66 games. Petry had 40 points this season and 36 points for Weber.

Those are the only 2 defs that mostly played on ur PP this season since we were running 4 forwards most of the time. So let's say we put 2 d-man like we did in that fake playoff runs (PP was still garbage btw)

Where does that put OEL in the next season of 41 matches since it would start in december. around 20-25 points~. Pretty much what Petry and Weber will give in terms of points. For defensively aspect , OEL is no better than Petry or Weber.

We would most likely sink 8.5m for 7 years to get pretty much the same kind of production without fixing our wingers problem and the cap issue we will have if no trades are made and the expansion coming out

The Trident was just as important as Price in this past playoffs and Chiarot is very effective. If we add OEL, this is how I see it...

OEL / Petry
Chiarot / Weber
Romnov / Whoever wins the job

* We can swap OEL and Chiarot depending on match-ups. We can even move Romanov up in certain games and if he shows ability to be a top 4D, trading Chiarot would return a shit load for us. You better bet other teams would love to add Chiarot for $3.5M! Just a possible option if it gets to that point.

After Chiarot's current deal expires, Romanov takes his spot and then Norlinder or Struble is inserted. I have Harris being in the OEL package. You are looking at it wrong. Chiarot is a great bridge so we don't have to rush Romanov. We can bring Romanov along just like the Lightning are with Sergachev. This is a good situation, not a negative one. And you think trading Petry is a good idea when Weber is likely gone after 3 more years.

You are looking at OEL on his points only where the Coyotes are playing D first with Tocchet OEL is expected to be a leader on the Coyotes and he won't have to be on the Habs. He can slide in and not be expected to do so much. And he has 40% of his points on the PP... Coyotes don't have a good PP either and that's been a long time just like the Habs. He's a great piece to add for our PP. If it all fits our cap and it comes at a cost of pieces like Byron, Kulak, and Tatar, so be it.

You think teams win and they only have a core in their 20's. That's why you think OEL is a mistake. You should go cheer for the Leafs... they only have two parts of their core heading towards 30+ in Tavares and Muzzin. I actually think they don't have enough leadership and vets. Go figure eh. Same problem the Oilers have. Sabres? Think about it? I think you have a flaw in your strategy and you think too linear. The key is balance! The things our young players are learning from our vets is valuable in terms of creating the culture of winning we want moving forward.

30-35 is not old in the NHL today. This is getting overblown! Weber is a prime example. Price is going to be one of the best for longer than a few seasons bud

 

[sandviper]

How about sign Hall and trade for OEL and fill two needs?

I dunno man, that's like asking MB to walk and chew gum the same time.

 

[attachetatuque]

tough question to answer.

Hall...not that big of a fan, he's an impact player but of the 3, he's the player I care least about. I think it's also pretty delusional to think he might be even remotely interested in signing here as a UFA with 31 teams knocking on his door. Hell...I grew up with the Habs and if I was set to sign a big ticket I would not choose Montreal. Tax, weather, media...thanks but no thanks.

Laine... really addresses our need but likely will cost too much. Can't give up KK or Suzuki, and I'd love to see Caulfield play for the team. I guess trading him (packaged with other good players) for Laine would be worth it. Would love to see what Laine could do with Suzuki as a centre. Or KK. Two big Finnish boys...

OEK is one of my favorite NHL players. Silky smooth babayyyyyy. But he's no spring chicken, and his contract is a long ways away from expiring. Not so sure he'll be worth 8.5 in 5-7 years...He would address a very serious need, just as serious as Laine would.

Ultimately, I went for Laine. Youth, heavy price to pay, but super stud. Hoping Romanov becomes a nice top 4 for us instead of grabbing OEL. You can throw an offer to Hall, but he wouldnt even consider it no matter the amount of money thrown his way.