What makes MTL do that

Kulikov is way better and expires sooner so Alzner isn't an improvement.

mtl will make that trade, no questions asked

yeah but it destroys their cap space which is really valuable

The gamble is that Alzner gets back to his form that earned him his contract.

IMO Alzner just can skate and certainly can't skate and turn. He will never get those skills backs to be a competent NHLer. Think the Jets can get rid of Perrault and Kulivov without taking on cap next year. Heck Montreal has cap space, they might take Kulivov and Perrault next summer.

Yeah that's a gamble not worth taking.. Lol
I really think Niku can already do the job if Maurice would just play the kid with Myers or Trouba while Buff is out.

we have a ton of cap space. and we can buy out players.

Short term cap space is not an issue for us, we have no pending UFAs or RFAs that will require large salary increases next year.

Unless Bergy decides to go big game hunting this summer we don't have any problems with an extra 4 or 5 million.

Montreal has buried Alzner contract twice this season.

Watching him with the Caps for several years, Alzner is really good at staying in position. You don't have to be able to skate to do that, when the game is slow. When things get quick, you want to have a quick skater on the ice with him. But in penalty killing or on a defensive zone faceoff, there isn't much big movement required. Just being in the right place, and not letting anything past you.

I was surprised to see Alzner demoted.

I was also suprised by his contract, of course.