I'm not sure why any of these teams would bite an even bigger bullet by taking Alzner? I know you mentioned adding picks, but it would have to be something significant to get the needle to move.
-Goli and/or Demers: Both are better and still play valuable minutes.
-Backes: Might make a little bit of sense to spread the cap hit out over another year, but he's got a NTC.
-Smith and/or Staal: Smith might make sense, but Staal has a NMC. No reason to waive for Montreal.
-Allen: He's not great, but why create a big hole (Goalie that will likely provide reasonable results over a 30ish game span) to take another dman, and have him for 3 years?
-Sutter: NTC. Vancouver obviously likes him enough to give him a letter.
-Perreault: Winnipeg might be desperate for D, but there's no way they're that desperate.

Think of it this way, until there is an immediate need for Alzner's cap to be used on something else, there is no need to trade him. There is no way to get Alzner off this team without it costing assets like draft pick and/or prospects.

The most realistic option is buyout next year. It'll suck as we'll get little cap relief from it in year 1 but every year after that is not very much.

I mean there is always the chance a trade happens where they give you a Lucic for Neal type in return but let's be honest, that was so lucky. Happens very rarely.

No need to buyout until 2 years when Danault, Gallagher, Tatar, Petry and Arnia will reniew contracts. Sorry M. Alzner big money and no glory. Probably will finish this year in the ECHL.

Not correct. We’d buy him out next summer, because it’s actually a better cap hit from 2021 on than if we were to buy him out the offseason after.

Unless we sign someone, or make a trade to take on cap, the habs wouldn’t even need that space next year anyways. The good news is that we get relief in 21-22, which is when we’ll really need it.

Not sign him in 2017???

I think (hope) Bergevin got that.

You are right on one point , Buried or buy out on the last year of the contract gets the same result in absolute vaue but you have 2 years to amortize. But I get the point.

Maybe move him to Seatle with some kind of teaser. Somebody like Mete kind of.

Oh I agree. Let him rot. But as a GM you gotta play the PR game also and having a good guy like Alzner rot in the AHL when he was signed as a big UFA might not sit well with future free agents.

Theres some honor in buying him out and even if we dont have to, it may be worth doing it anyways. The chance that it hurts us some how in the future is very minimal. We've exhausted all options at this point, let the guy play elsewhere.

I dont like the idea of losing assets when we could just use cap to get rid of him.

Whats harder get? Mete or 1.5m in cap over 4 years (or whatever it is)

Just between you and me. In a conference final, Mete will not be an asset but a liability. SIZE does matter.

Habs need to get to the finals before thats even a problem and if Mete, Chiarot and Kulak/Rielly are your left side D, you aint going anywhere far...

But i agree. I love Mete but he's a 5-6 on deeper team.