Bedard Fast Rebuild

Équipe: 2023-24 Canadiens de Montréal

Date de création initiale: 30 avr. 2023

Publié: 4 mai 2023

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

Habs win the lottery in back to back seasons with their 8.5% chance and draft Connor Bedard.

This encourages Hughes to trade and sign Dubois now, rather than later.

The additions of Bedard and Dubois sell Killorn on the idea of playing for his hometown habs after TB cannot afford him, he becomes a veteran leader for MTL's group. Hoffman is bought out to make room for Killorn.

Lastly, MTL adds a RHD and someone to help the powerplay, moving Edmundson and Harris in the process.

If Bedard plays wing instead:
Caufield - Suzuki - Dach
Killorn - Dubois - Bedard

Or if they want to load up an offensive line and a defensive line:
Caufield - Dubois - Bedard
Killorn - Suzuki - Dach

As Slafkovsky develops and Killorn declines with age they will swap roles in the top 6.

Regarding the salary cap moving forward, Forbes and CapFriendly projects $87.5 - $88M in 2024-25 and $92M in 2025-26 as the player's escrow will be paid, ending the flat cap.

Toronto was able to allocate $40.5M to their top 4 forwards (49% of $81.5M). If MTL uses 49% on their top 6 in 2025-26 that projects to $45.7M. Caufield / Dubois / Suzuki account for $23.75M, that leaves $21.95M to sign Bedard, Dach, and Slafkovsky (who is likely a longer term project and would probably bridge at around $3.5M - so likely $18.45M for Bedard & Dach). That's accounting for 6 players instead of 4 like the leafs did... so there would still be more wiggle room if necessary, easily another $2M. Although challenging, the cap would be manageable.

WPG TRADE
- Generally agreed it will be Dvorak, 17th Overall, and a prospect like Kidney. I'm trying Armia + Gurianov's rights instead of Dvorak here. If WPG needs Dvorak thats fine, habs take a chance and sign Monahan cheap. If FLA beats the leafs and the pick becomes 29th, then the habs would trade their 2024 1st Top 10 protected instead.

BUF TRADE
- Based off a Buffalo fan's post. Habs could keep Edmundson if I'm wrong and he is untradeable, but I think he's gone.

LAK TRADE
- LA has a surplus of RHD, Durzi will be available. Not sure if they would want Harris or not, but the idea here is Durzi in Harris out - don't get hung up on trade value (Harris could go anywhere too it doesn't have to be LA). Habs could also keep Harris and rotate their young D in Laval until there is an injury.

1.

2.

3.