PLD book it

Of all the players on Montreal I’d say Drouin is the most anti-Torts. This a typical offer that’s going to get rejected as I really fail to see the “premiere” asset going back to CLB.

On the Montreal side I fail to see the point in paying the asking price for a player that is looking more and more like a locker room cancer. Why exactly does Montreal trade premium assets for PLD at this point? They don't PLD and Tortz are having what seems like daily conflicts at this point. Montreal are all playing for eachother, you don't disrupt that kind of symmetry with a player who could totally destroy everything you have built in the locker room.

That’s true, which is why it’s weird so many PLD to Montreal ACGMs. It’s also a small sample size for Montreal but it’s nice you guys are clicking. If Montreal doesn’t want to pony up premiere assets for him then someone else probably will. It still stands that Drouin isn’t a great fit nor do I think very highly of his complete game, Poehling isn’t anything special, and a first round pick is a first round pick.

I don't see many teams Ponying up the assets that Jackets fans and Jarmo initially wanted. Think about it this way. GM's are hockey fans too but their job is to get the best deal possible for their own teams. They use whatever leverage is available to them to lower the market value of a player being sought after. The Dubios situation is a prime example. MB reportedly called Jarmo early on and Jarmo said Nick Suzuki. That reportedly infuriated MB to the point where he hung up the phone. I am sure a couple days later MB called back and said look here is what I am willing to give up can we work around that (let's say the package was something like Danault + Caufield + 1st for arguments sake). This time Jarmo says no and ends the call. Now if things in Columbus had been good over the last week MB probably calls Jarmo back and says ok what about Kotkaniemi + Byron + Struble + 1st and maybe Jarmo accepts. But the way things did unfold Jarmo probably calls MB and says is that Danault trade still available and MB likely says no now I will only go Danault + Armia + 1st either the deal is done or Jarmo counters with something else revolving around Danault instead of KK or Suzuki. After the last week Jarmo is not going to want this drama hanging around for another month or more. He wants to make it someone else's problem and get a decent return at this point.

How do you know MB was infuriated when he hung up the phone over the initial ask (Suzuki)? I see a ton of comments where fans make assumptions or think because some click bait site posts they have “inside information” that’s it’s factual. Yes there is leverage to move PLD from a Columbus perspective but that doesn’t mean they need to move him only to Montreal. Other teams will/have called based on reporters tweets and that CLB is mulling over their options and have received multiple “good” offers. We don’t know what CLB FO sees as good or even if those reporters are correct as if I’m in the CLB FO I’m going to try and drum up some more demand for a higher asking price. All I know is there were reports from Athletic writers that Detroit was asking about availability and price but didn’t comment on the ask. I know he says all the right things but his actions on the ice say another thing and I believe he did this in juniors for the Screaming Eagles so I’d really question if he’s a Yzerman kind of guy but I don’t follow Bergevin nearly as close to say what he values in someone’s character.