Montreal will draft one of Lindstrom, Demidov, Eiserman or Catton this year.
Make no major additions this off-season and go into 2024-2025 with roughly the same team (with Kirby Dach back). That would likely lead to another bad year in 2025 (picking between 5 and 16 next year).
I would trade the 2024 Winnipeg first round pick and Montreal's 2025 second round pick for a first round pick in next year's draft to a middling team that likely would be OK with taking a first round pick this year and expects they will be near the playoffs next year, meaning that the 2025 pick won't be great. This would be a team like Minnesota, Calgary, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Buffalo, Ottawa, the Islanders, New Jersey, Detroit, Vancouver. Nashville or Seattle. I would throw in some 2nd round picks plus a Jordan Harris and/or Sean Farrell if necessary.
That would give Montreal 3 first round picks in 2025. This is where the options come in:
#1 Combine the 3 first round picks in a trade to move up the board as much as possible and hopefully get a McQueen, Martone, Misa or something very close (Montreal's own first round pick should be pretty good). That would give Montreal a possible future 2nd line of: Eiserman + Dach + McQueen.
#2 If there are any premium free agents that are actually going to make it to free agency, then use the Calgary 2025 first and the other first round pick that was acquired in trading the 2024 Winnipeg first round pick to dump Gallagher and Anderson in order to free up a lot of cap space. You could possibly even trade the Montreal first round pick if necessary in order to get rid of Gallagher and Anderson. Then go after a premium free agent in 2025 (I am aware that Montreal will have to overpay quite a bit to land a premium free agent) to play on one of the top 2 lines (Draisaitl, Marner, Rantanen, Konecny, Verhaege). This option is much riskier, as there is absolutely no way to be sure that a premium free agent would pick Montreal in July (after the June draft) is over and Montreal has traded those picks, but it would probably speed up the rebuild.
Don't see that Sabre trade making sense for anyone, including MTL
Why?
It gets 3 draft prospects in Buffalo's system a year earlier than the 2025 pick so that those picks can help the Sabres sooner. Buffalo has to think that next year's team will be better than this year. so their pick next year would be at best in the teens (while still getting 3 draft picks plus possibly Harris and or Farrell from Montreal for a possible total of 5 players). There is some risk involved on both sides, but that is what GMs do in their jobs.
Why?
It gets 3 draft prospects in Buffalo's system a year earlier than the 2025 pick so that those picks can help the Sabres sooner. Buffalo has to think that next year's team will be better than this year. so their pick next year would be at best in the teens (while still getting 3 draft picks plus possibly Harris and or Farrell from Montreal for a possible total of 5 players). There is some risk involved on both sides, but that is what GMs do in their jobs.
Sabres specifically don't need 3 more prospects in their system. And both teams are gambling on the 2025 pick. Rather just keep it and use it at the tdl
Sabres specifically don't need 3 more prospects in their system. And both teams are gambling on the 2025 pick. Rather just keep it and use it at the tdl
Using it at the trade deadline is a reasonable alternative for Buffalo.
McDavid, Connor
250 000 $)
KentMcNally a aimé ceci.
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