Would wager Montreal would want more for their captain

I like Couts. He's a good player. But there is a reason he hasn't managed more than 39 pts in a season. He's just not that offensive and I don't think he'll ever be. If that's the case, I'll stick with Pacioretty with his guaranteed 30 goals a year and leadership ability.

Don't worry F50...the Flyers wouldn't want a guy who is softer than melted butter. Trading Couts and his really good contract would be insanely stupid.

And as for Bellemare, he is a 4th liner at best and I hope we don't even bring him back next year. He doesn't do anything all that special, he is slow and small. OK PK guy but that's about it.

....And here comes the peanut gallery........

I would NEVER trade Couts for Patches. Couts is like a Toews, little offensive upside but great defensively. In a perfect world I guess the Flyers would want a 2C so Couts can focus on the 3C shutdown role but Patches offers the Flyers nothing.

Toews has a big offensive upside, but he chooses to play that role that he plays right now because he knows that's how he has to play to win. Which is obviously most important to him.

Toews has more offensive upside than Couts for sure but not a top 5 scorer upside. Couts would definitely be better off in a 3C role which could happen if the Flyers want to keep Schenn at 2C but Patches is not a fit on this team.

Fair enough, Say Couts is the better player. Say he reminds you of Toews (Pffffhahahhahah but wtv) say whatever you like how amazing the defensive acumen Couts has.


But saying your last statement "Patches offers the Flyers nothing." is what discredits your comment Sickflow. Show some class. If I hated a good player, I'd still have the balls to give credit where credit is due. You're just being a homer. And a bad one at that.



As for not just pulling random thoughts out my ass here are some fun facts for you:

Pacioretty was closer to the Selke trophy (best defensive forward) then Couturier ever was.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/pacioma01.html

Pacioretty has out hit, out shot, out scored Couturier every single year. If Pacioretty is softer then melted butter, what does that make Couturier? Fresh cow's milk squeezed right from the teet.

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/p/pacioma01.html


Whether you have a man crush on Couts or not, Pacioretty is the FAR better player. If you don't want to trade for him fine, nothing wrong with that but he offers the Flyers nothing? Not a fit on th your team. Your right Michael Raffl is clearly a top line LW'er in the NHL.......



Oh and just for the Toews comparisons........

Toews career:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/t/toewsjo01.html

Couturier Career:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/players/c/coutuse01.html


Wow your right! Its like they're exactly the same player!!

Lmao "fresh cow's milk squeezed right from the teat".

LMAO Toews makes $10 mil per Couts makes $4.3. Couts doesn't handcuff his team cap wise. As for Patches, it's sure interesting to see how he does with and without Price, so maybe he isn't so great defensively, maybe it is more Price bailing out Montreal. Couts has/had one of the worst defensive units in the league and still does very well. And you are right, Raffl probably isn't a LW1 but he plays well with G and Voracek and he has looked like a really solid power forward on this winning streak.

Clearly this has sparked a pretty heated debate. I'm in the belief that Patch is the better player, but I will say that neither team benefits from this swap. Since Galchenyuk went down, Patch has reassumed his role of driving the offense. Couturier cannot match the production of Patch, nor can he replace the production of Galchenyuk (especially since he is currently hurt at the time when Montreal would need that center help most). On the Flyers end, Couturier is kind of an identity piece for them. As a Penguins fan, I could confidently say that I'd much rather match up against a Flyers roster with Patch than one with Couturier.

For all the outrageous trade proposals on this site, this one is actually decently thought up, so props to Mcivitella. Montreal would be unwise to trade a guy on great contract coming off back to back 30 goal seasons, however if they feel they need to build up the middle of the ice its an option to look at. Couturier is a character guy and a big centeman, something montreal has needed for a long time (with the exception of Gally moving to the middle this season). That would be a big improvement up the middle for Montreal (Galchenyuk & Couturier) from two years ago (Plekanec & Desharnais). I think Couturier has more offensive upside then he has shown in his NHL career. He had back to back 96 point seasons in junior, so whether he was playing the role the Flyers wanted him to play as a checker I think there is still a higher ceiling offensively. Obviously he will never become the offensive player Patch's is, Philly and Giroux would love to have a trigger man like him. Overall the trade will probably never happen, and Philly would maybe have to include Morin or other prospects and picks to make it more realistic to actually happening. But overall interesting trade proposal to consider, It's nice to see out of the box ideas.

I didn't like Schultz when he was on the Wild the first time. I don't want him back as an even worse player...

I'd rather have Prosser (whom I really don't like) for the pressbox d-man.

As a Flyers fan there is no way I would do this and it's not because it isn't fair although it may be swayed in the Flyers favor but some team has to win the trade haha. It is because I took one look at that center depth and almost threw up. Schenn is no longer a C and is far better at LW so having him move back to C on the 2nd line is not good. Think about it this way: Are the Flyers better with Schenn at 2C or Coots - the answer is easy. PEB's on the third line is what makes me even more sick. The Flyers best option is to either find a player similar to Coots to play the lock down line and let him develop his offensive game, or go out and find a scoring center and let Coots be the lock down guy that he is proving to be. I vote for the latter..... DUCHENE COME TO PHILLY !!!! LOL

Its funny you mention that, with Price gone all of last year, Patches was still 22nd in Selke voting and still managed 30 goals on one of the worst teams in the league if not the worst team since the Price injury. No one doubts Price is boss and is the reason the Habs are winners and losers most nights but Pacioretty is bar none one of the better LW's in the league. Adding a legit top line LW or a 3rd line defensive center? This should be a no brainer guys.

Regardless, the whole convo is moot anyways. MTL isn't trading their star player and captain for Couturier. (Not that I wouldn't want Couts, just not for Patches)

Great conversation gentleman. My whole premise of this trade was to get fair value for both teams. Giroux needs someone like Patches, this would greatly improve the Flyers lines. Schenn gets to stay as number 2 center with simmonds and TK. Bellemare in the short term is a good third line center just look at how he handled Mcdavid.
The real question though, does Montreal need Couts as bad as the Flyers need Patches????