Saad 4.25M max
Danault 6 years max I’d try 5 years at that AAV
Tatar needs to go if he underperform this post-season
Kotkaniemi won’t get that much after a disappointing season
Keep Lehkonen
Byron too
Poehling at least 3LW to start or Laval

At $5M in this cap environment, Drouin probably doesn't get you a 2nd alone. Inventive Weber deal though.

I may be wrong about this but if Weber retires prior to the end of his contract, NSH will still be hit with a recapture penalty. Whether he's on Nashville's roster or not. What the league modified last year is removing the recapture penalty from Montreal (or essentially any team he's on), starting this year. This is the website someone on here mentioned before:

https://awinninghabit.com/2020/07/07/montreal-canadiens-shea-weber-cap-recapture/

Nashville has $24,571,428 of cap benefit from Weber's contract. He'd have to play every year of the remaining contract in Nashville for us to not have any recapture penalty. If we get him now, we'll end up paying between 5M-6M per year no matter when he retires. I wouldn't mind having him back for a couple years and then have him LTIR but as built the proposal doesn't make much sense b/c there's no benefit to getting him if he retires at the start of the season.

Everything I've been able to find on Montreal and Drouin (isn't much) but it all points to Montreal not only supporting Drouin but they helped him make the decision to take a break from the NHL. They aren't going to trade Drouin before he returns unless he request it just like it says in this ACGM. From this ACGM Campabee has a good understanding of the situation and this is the first Montreal ACGM I've seen that shows that and I felt the need to point that out. GOOD JOB!!!!

Dobson is much more valuable to the Islanders than Guhle, I think I’d pass on that

I guess I should have reiterated that Nashville places Weber on permanent LTIR due to nagging injuries as cited to the NHL as the reason for his retirement

That is fair, I wasn't sure what the Isles needed in terms of prospects. It was worth a shot though LOL.

From Edmonton's perspective, why not just sign Tatar to that contract and keep the picks? He's by far the better player of the two.

Montreal would have already signed him before FA opens.

Edmonton could sign another guy for $5.5M then, as they could get a much better player in free agency than Drouin for that money and keep the picks. I don't see any upside to them doing this deal at all - Montreal would have to take salary back for sure. Nobody is going to give up assets for an underperforming guy with unspecified issues who is making $5.5M.

Alexander Romanov, on the other hand.....

Underperforming?! You realize that Drouin is a 40-60 point player right, and that he was on that exact pace this year as well (43 point 82 game rate). sure his goals were down but he was never a goal scorer he is a pass first player. The fact that he is setting up more goals and scoring less is a result of having better line mates and an unusually shooting %. One would have to assume that whatever the reason for his leave of absence is also what was affecting his confidence as well. Either way, He is still a top 6 forward on a good contract in relation to his production, most 40-60 point players get 5-6 Mil per season.

Edmonton isn't interested in a guy who scores 2 goals in 40+ games. They have the two best passers in the league, they need top-6 guys who can shoot. They can do better in free agency and keep their picks.