Sure you're selling off the team here, And you honestly believe that Tavares would sign with Montreal. Highly unlikely.

Not sure what the exercise is here, but there are 2-3 trades in there that make sense to both teams. Certainly Pacioretty would be net a decent return like that. Gallagher (and change) would warrant Miro Heiskanen, but I wouldn't trade him for an "unknown."

Finally, if you're creating a rebuilding situation and you want JT to lead it, best plan on him being $15M+ because otherwise, I suspect he'd prefer to be somewhere that winning happens at least as often as losing.

We do this JT dance every day, Brother Larkinisking. No one knows where JT plans to end up, but he's clearly setting himself up to get the best offers possible and then decide, or at least force the Islanders to give him McDavid money However, this time, I agree that if the Habs made even 1/3 of these trades, JT would likely say "thanks, but no thanks."

He's going to want to play for a more cup competitive team then this, This is ridiculous first off a team selling off rebuilding would never make these moves this deals are good for Montreal only not the other teams involved. I know JT would rather play on a team that has a greater shot at winning a cup like Tampa then on a mixed mash team like this. This is beyond ludicrous in fact.

Good luck paying Ekman-Larsson $9 million next year because that's what he's going to be seeking.

According to some other ACGM teams I've seen. Gallagher and change doesn't seem like a possibility. Nichushkin isn't an uknown. No-one knows when he plans to come back, but that's a high reward gamble.

The D I've assembled is what I'm hoping to persuade JT to take the biggest contract of 13 mill in the NHL. If he wants 15 mill I got the cap to give it to him

I doubt he'll ask for that. But if he does, I'll be looking to trade him. I can build around Bean and Dahlin

Montreal as it is, is probably one of the least enticing destinations this offseason

How do these trades make the other teams worst off? These are all teams looking to improve for a playoff run. Please point out which ones have regressed

1. A bit premature to sell Drouin the first time he goes on a slump. He's still kind of a project and we invested a lot in that project, he's not going anywhere. I think the Wild would also rather keep their promising NHL ready C prospect and a top 4 dman.
2. Thomas is close to untouchable for the Blues and they would probably only trade him for a top 6 RW, which Pacioretty is not.
3. Makes sense if you do that Weber deal, which is completely unrealistic because of cap.
4. Still no.
5. Still no.
6. A cost-controlled centre capable of a top 6 C role in Montreal who are highly lacking good C's for yet another winger? Hell no.
7. I'm kinda meh on Milano and I doubt the Jackets wanna touch Shaw's contract. Pass from both teams I guess.
8. What are you crazy??? The heart and soul of our team on a sweetheart contract for a guy who might never even put on a Habs jersey? Easy pass.
9. Byron for conditional 1st/2nd? Seems fair. Good job.
10. Benn for a 4th also seems fair.
11. Lowball for Plekanec, I'd look for a 2nd rounder at least.
12. Value might be there but with just one year left with OEL before he goes to FA this is very risky.
13. I'm pretty sure Tavares is going to sign with the Isles but even if he won't, I really doubt Montreal is his #1 destination, especially after selling the whole team like you did here.

Minn passes which elims the Zona deal. Tor need the D. Can’t see them taking on Weber tho. Low budget Carolina team hard pressed to take on Price even with retained salary when Center and scoring are pressing need as well. Rather see Chuky go there for Bean and Gauthier. Rest are pretty solid. Can’t turn Byron into a 1st. 2nd is his max value.

Really Gallagher for Nuke since when does Nuke have that kind of value, That's bad for the Habs. Ekman-Larsson trade not even close if OEL was dealt to Toronto the ask would be Nylander+Liljegren+2018 1st round pick show me where your Ekman-Larsson trade beats that. Drouin for Brodin+



Rumor has it he wants between $8.5 million and $9 million.

You have retained salaries on 3 players, and I thought you could only retain salaries on 2 players at a time.

Can someone confirm or correct this?

www.lighthousehockey.com/2014/1/19/5321360/nhl-cba-rule-retained-salary-trades-ryan-miller

I want to thank everyone for their opinion and input.
Some of these trades are constructed by me and my opinion of what every team I traded with, needs, all these speculations assumed by the games I watch of these teams.
Some of the other trades are constructed according to the rumors I hear and read on line.
The MIN trade e.g. I hear that they want to improve up front, and supposedly Brodin is what they're dangling, cause according to reports, he's expendable cause MIN is deep on D prospects. That's not me saying they're deep, it's reports that I've read. I'm not certain if they're looking for a rental up front or someone permanent.
The fact is that I'm trading away the Habs best forward in Drouin, former 3rd rnd pick, at a very cap friendly contract, who's produced in the small sample playoff games that he's played. Ericsson Ek is currently slated as a LW in the MIN lineup, according to a couple of sites that I've visited. Ericsson Ek might be their future C. But the fact remains that MIN chokes in the playoffs. So IMO the pressure is suffocating enough for them to go for Drouin, cause he's a better player NOW and a natural LW, as opposed to Ek.

The Pacioretty trade...according to what I've read from a few articles, the teams that would be interested in him are LA, SJ, ANA, NSH and STL.
Now the California teams are the bottom of the league when it comes to prospect depth. So automatically I eliminate them as the least probable trade partners. NSH and STL are near the top when it comes to prospect depth.
If reports say that STL is looking at Pacioretty, then It's not really my problem if they have holes on RW or LW and where they're gonna slot him . Also the fact that I'm retaining 2 mill, should sweeten the deal.

Also I want to touch on the OEL matter. I read some different opinions on the board, some said that the package that I put together is good and some said it's not enough. The fact is at the end of the day, I feel as confident with Brodin, Mette and Kapanen as I would be with OEL. I want OEL cause it looks more attractive to Tavares.
But in my scenario I have the extra cap to offer him 17 mill if I had to.
Again, I appreciate everyones opinion, it was a rather intresting conversation.

If I feel he's worth it I'll give it to him, if not...I'll trade him and get my money back.

Wild pass. easily.
-Huge overpay for a guy who has produced like a 3rd liner 5v5. Riding a stacked PP in Tampa boosted his stats. The Wild demand a solid 2-way game from their wings, Drouin doesn't have that.
-Wild aren't deep top-4 quality d-men after they traded Scandella. They have lots of current bottom pair quality players with some upside.
-JEE is on the wing so far for a few reasons.
It's his rookie year and he needs time to adjust the NA ice.
The Wild have been hit by the injury bug so badly this year they have gotten 2 games total with the projected lineup before the season started. He can play center with some combo of Ennis, Foligno, Winnik, and Stewie as his wings (turning it into a 2nd 4th line). Or play wing somewhere the top-9 and Coyle (more experience) plays 3C. If the Wild ever get healthy he'll probably move into the 3C spot with either Nino or Parise on one of his wings.

Ya...I don't buy it what you're trying to sell. Especially your breakdown on Drouin. It's your word against the word of the journalists/analysts/authors of what I've read about MIN's D depth and Brodins expendability.
You know what I buy? That JEE will replace aging Staal in a couple of years. But in this moment right now if you were to swap JEE and Drouin 1 for 1...MIN is a better team.

Except for the ~$4m in cap difference. A healthy Nino and Parise would do as much if not more than Drouin. That also wasn't the trade JEE/Drouin 1-for-1. You're not accounting for the hole that opens up on the 2nd d-pair with Brodin added in. Yes the FWD group gets better, but the d-corps gets worse. I don't trust either Reilly/Olofsson to play 20+ mins a night when neither has even played a full seasons worth of games. So is it really a better team?

Nino, Granny, and Parise are already $5m+ wings on the Wild. and Zucker (RFA) could join that group after the season. All of them are natural LWs. There is only so much ice time and cap space that should be spent on wings, especially when none of them are elite players.

Analysts also have pumped up Moulson and Okposso in the past. Move them away from Tavares and they aren't worth much. Drouin was riding on the coat tails of Kucherov on the PP. 5v5 he doesn't get the time/space he needs to be effective. A natural RW is what the Wild need, they only have 1 RHS FWD in their top-12.

Drouin isn't a good fit with the way BB wants to play: heavy forecheck, and win puck battles along the boards/behind the net without much support (the same way hid Ducks played). F1 and F2 deep in the zone on the forecheck. F3 in the high slot for a prime scoring chance and be defensively responsible. It is a Simmonds or Kane style of play, not Drouin.

If the Wild have an expendable d-man (other than Quincey who was awful) it's a RD. Murphy can play top-4 just fine next to Brodin. Dumba and Spurgeon are both fine with Suter.

JEE is Koivu's replacement, Kunin is Staal's replacement (in the future for both). After those two there is nothing for NHL quality centers in the prospect pipeline.

Highly doubt Columbus will take Andrew Shaw for Sonny Milano.

Milano is still developing. I doubt that Jarmo would be willing to sell one of his premium up and comers for a player who still has 5 years left who can't really chip in a ton on the stat sheet, which is what Milano would be producing.

IT DOESN'T MATTER!? Shaw brings a dimention especially in the playoffs that Milano doesn't bring NOW , and perhaps never will. Shaw had a 40 and 35 point seasons in Chicago, so don't start with the stats. Shaw is 26 and his contract is up when he's 31...prime years. The cap goes up every year no matter what you think.

We're going in circles.

It does matter. Your basically saying that the development that Columbus put in is just to be traded for a player who is going to push them closer to the cap ceiling with important contracts coming up in two years or so. Milano has the potential to eclipse 40 points next year, and he is around 5 years younger.

Wow. A player who has never had a 40 point season with a dynasty team is now worth a top prospect! The Flyers might as well be sending Oskar Lindblom or Philippe Myers for him. Andrew Shaw is a strictly complementary player. In other words, he won't be able to go out there and make something for himself. He is only going to be as good as his linemates.

Yes that's exactly what I'm saying. And no those guys don't have the 2 rings to be in the same breath as Shaw. They've never been where Shaws been.
When the time comes in 2 years for other extensions, you take care of it when it comes. CBJ are 1 or 2 pieces away from being legit cup contenders THIS year. So when you're so close, you gamble and take risks