Arizona is not giving all that for chuck.

Ways to set a rebuild back 4-5 years: Trade 1st round picks that are likely to end up being lottery picks.

Ask Toronto.

You pretty much have to pray that your 6 D stay healthy, that Raanta has the greatest season of his career, that Domi bounces back with a career year, that Strome turns out to be what we all hope that he can be, and that your bottom 6 are a lot better than they look (I like Perlini and Fischer, but not as checking forwards).

You'll then have to pray that Vegas, Anaheim, LA, San Jose and Calgary (plus Chicago, Stl and Dallas) all get the measels and aren't able to play so that you somehow get a wildcard spot and stay out of that lottery pick.

Haha, ya. Pretty much trying to bet on 2019-2020 season. It's going to be hard to actually compete unless they move prospects, as tough as that is.
Galchenyuk needs a change. He can be much better than he has showed in MTL.
Plus, Arizona has D prospects that they can bring up if an injury does happen.
Also agree with your point about Fischer and Perlini, but gotta slot them in somewhere. Might look at re-doing the lines.

I don't mind the deal and would even agree that the "take" from AZ is a little high, but what do you mean by "lottery protected?" If AZ falls into the top-10 picks in 2019, does that mean the Habs get the pick "unprotected" in 2020? It's meaningless unless you define the "or else" if the pick is a high one.

If the pick falls into the top 10 in the draft MTL gets 2020. Added that after an edit.

Yeah pretty sure that Arizona would be the last team that John Carlson wants to sign with, He wants to win not play for a bottom feeder.