That won't be the offer MTL accepts for Monahan retained. The retention alone covers most of the value of the 2nd, if not all the value since it's a '24 2nd. That leaves Kerfoot and a '25 5th to cover Monahan which doesn't do anything for us.

Leafs keep Sandin all day long over Oleksiak, never mind trading two regulars for one.

I’m the guy who has hated on Sandin for quite some time. He has really started to turn a corner. To the point I am interested in seeing him out. And certainly not for an overpaid Oleksiak.

Sandin was injured late last year. Then he missed training camp (as did Engvall and Liljegren). All three have improved greatly in November.

At the deadline retention will be expected/required. It is much different than in the offseason. Monahan is worth 4.5m and is making 6m. He would get zero takers at 6m. Half retained, the offer the OP listed is more than reasonable. A 2nd round pick for Monahan half retained at the deadline would be great for Montreal. Anything more, like what is added here is a bonus.

We're going to disagree until the cows come home on this one I'd imagine. That would be a return, but not a great one. If that's the best we get offered I imagine Hughes will make a package to get pieces we would want to acquire.

im expecting the return to be somewhere around the Rakell/Jarnkrok deals last year

Rakell 35% Retained ($2.47M Cap hit) = '22 2nd + Clang (B prospect?) + $2.5M Cap

Jarnkrok 50% Retained ($1M Cap hit) = '22 2nd + '23 3rd + '24 7th

Monahan is outproducing both to this point, 55% on draws, and plays PK

i doubt we get the Copp return which was '22 1st + '22 2nd + '23 5th with a bunch of conditions, i think Toews/Horvat fetch closer to this but MTL could end up with something in the middle of this trade and the 2 trades above

Kerfoot on an ending contract is worthless for MTL. This isn't it at all.

The picks gets you to dump kerfoot, you forgot to add the all important "lil-some-something"