So including the 1st round pick means you are trading for a player better than pacioretty. This means a team would have to have a surplus of Centers to be able to trade a center more valuable than pacioretty without weakening themselves at the position, or they need to trade a center for cap reasons which would be more likely seeing as pacioretty's contract is gold. I really can't think of any teams that would be interested in doing that.. there would have to be more parts involved. The habs would never win a trade as simple as pacioretty and a 1st for a center.

Nicklas Backstrom I think it's a fair deal Washington needs a little extra room for a couple RFA and UFA contracts. I think Kuznetsov and Johansson can take the 1 and 2 center rolls and Patch is a great player with low cap hit!!

I think Pacioretty is underrated. I think since he gets 30 goals a year, he's obviously a really good player. So it would have to be someone pretty good.

this doesn't make any sense. stats do not equal to "good" players. while I agree that Pacioretty is good, he is anything but underrated. everyone knows his talent and skill, just like everyone knows Nick Backstroms.

underrated players are usually unsung heroes or players like Nick Hjamersson, Sean Couturier, Zach Smith, etc.

He is underrated and under appreciated by habs fans. When the team was struggling last season before therrien got fired he was basically carrying the team. He has never had a number 1C and the best wingers he's ever had are radulov, cole, and vanek. He scores at least 30 goals a year and was the habs best scorer again this season while making $4.5 million. Compare that to the other top scorers over the past couple years.

Pacioretty has no heart nor creativity. He's strictly a shooter, which would be fine on a team with a Crosby, Malkin, Thornton, McDavid, and other good set-up men. The Habs severely lack creativity as a whole and trading a piece like Pacioretty is necessary IMO because he's virtually useless in the playoffs without a number 1 C to get him the puck. He also doesn't use his size to make room for himself, so what good is he? 30 goals in the regular season doesn't win you the Cup

Caps don't want Pacioretty and they're not giving up Backstrom.