well i woukd rather have kubalik than armia.

I've seen a lot of dumb Kubalik trades, but the idea that Kubalik, who is actually a good player and who is on the last year of a relatively inexpensevie contract, is a good comparison with Armia, who is an AHLer who's contract expires next season and who makes almost a million more than Kubalik.

Kubalik had more points last season than in Armia's last three seasons combined

I don't compare Kubalik to Armia. I compare the trade frame. People are ready to give Kubalik for free because he's considered as a cap dump (because it's blocking Pinto's signing). Montreal is not taking a rival's cap dump for free, the same way as Ottawa would not touch our cap dump either.

That's not really a fair comparison.

What I would say is that Montreal's level of interest in Kubalik is likely the same as Ottawa's in Armia. That is to say, its less than non-existent.

Kubalik isn’t a cap dump. You can flip him for a 3rd at the deadline

Actually wild to compare a 20 goal scoring winger making a completely reasonable 2.5 mil to the Armia deal lmao.

Then wait and do it by yourself at TDL lol

lol I was wondering what we would find in here...

Problem you have is :

- Kubalik >>> Armia, and he has 1 year at 2.5 AAV vs 2 years at 3.4 AAV for Armia. It's self explanatory

- Ottawa doesn't have cap space, they wouldn't be able to make that trade even if they wanted. Montreal can afford to add Kubalik.

- Armia is a pure cap dump, as evidenced by him being in the AHL when guys like Pearson and Pezzetta on the NHL roster. Kubalik is NOT a cap dump, he is easily worth his 2.5 AAV

- Montreal is rebuilding, getting a player for cheap then sell him for more at the deadline is exactly the type of moves rebuilding teams look to do


Unless you're connected to Habs management, how would you know that? Or maybe you were talking about Habs fans?

Kubalik 45 pts would have been 2nd on the Habs last season, and would have outpaced most forwards too.


That's not how the world works. Teams serve their own interest. Any team who has a NEED for a scoring middle-six winger or any team wanting to make a PROFIT at the deadline would look to acquire Kubalik.

just for your last point, maybe you can flio him at the deadline and make profit. but maybe you think ottawa is desperate with the cap, so you can have them pay you to take him AND flip him for profit. I bet this is what GMs are having in mind.

Context matters. Kubalik is a cap dump to the HABS. He is a cap dump for any team with the cap to take him since they are rebuilding and dont need a 28 year old. Amd the teams that would want him cannot afford it cap wise. So the Sens either take back a contract (which they wont since they themselves need cap space) or the pay a team to use a retention spot and eat 1.25m which would cost a 4th in itself.

Rebuilding teams aren't paying any asset for rentals, they keep their assets for drafting or targetting young cost controlled players that fit their time frame. Rebuilding teams give ice time to their young players without caring about if they do some mistakes, they don't need rentals.

Montreal don't have any NEED for top 6 / top 9 players. They don't especially need anything because of Dach injury, maybe if Kubalik played center but he don't.

Ottawa NEED a lot more getting rid of Kubalik than MTL needs to acquire a 28yo rental (no matter how good). Based on that Ottawa urgency, they would have to pay something significant for habs to consider this trade. It's not because Montreal has cap space that they are likely to help Ottawa for free. A rental would cost Montreal developping time for their young players, at this point fans would prefer seing Joshua Roy in the NHL than any rental.

Ottawa isn't in the business of selling assets at the deadline, unless they miss out on the season completely.

It doesn't look like they're that desperate, if they were they would have paid to move someone already. The team is without Norris and Pinto and are doing quite well, even in the game they lost, it took mistakes and bad goals from Stutzle/Korpisalo when the game was on the line.


I understand your point but this isn't like having to move Monahan and his $6,375,000 AAV for example, we're talking about a 2.5 AAV (Kubalik)... I mean the minimum NHL salary is $775,000
It's ok if you don't want Kubalik, Montreal (or any other team) could think differently though. This isn't really "paying any asset for rentals", it's investing at a discount for a profit in a few months but I don't mind if the Habs don't do it, I have not been pushing for it. Any team will do, it just takes ONE team who has a NEED or a DESIRE to make a profit

But don't worry, I understand your premise, however the Armia thing was an inefficient way to make your point across