Show me a GM who doesn’t say playoffs are the goal in off season, or weirdly in this case - even before previous season ends. But finishing 8th of 8 in division & 15th of 16 in conference is a tough hill to climb next year.

KJ doesn't need a change of scenery. KJ needs to get in the damn gym so he doesn't get his shoulders torn apart on a routine faceoff.

Perhaps you don’t follow the Habs reconstruction? We are close to ending it, so for KH to say that the we are aiming for the playoffs, its a massive W and it makes sens. “ show me a gm who doesn’t say playoffs are the goal “ Kyle Davidson didn’t. Grier didn’t. Verbeek didn’t.

We are can win vs top teams, when we’re going to start and try to win every game, it should be easy.

Benefits of not tanking everygame.

Kent got alittle cocky last year after putting up 40 points and didn’t get any bigger in the off-season. (This year was a wake up call and he should be much better next year (If he can recover enough this off-season to work out)

I think this season humbled him a bit and to be honest was probably the best thing for him tbh.
Can’t wait to see what he can become in Columbus.


Value on a trade would have to be a 1-1 swap of equal value players. Not looking for quantity in a trade back at this time.

Stevey Y is saying the same thing, Staois and Adam’s too and they’ll all finish ahead of you. Not to mention the 4 teams that will make the playoffs in Atlantic - all much better than habs.
But you need something to get through the long spring & summer (other than draft 😉); weirder things have happened - just very unlikely imo.

1- Ottawa is going nowhere.
2- If Buffalo doesn’t make changes, theyre going to be in the same situation next year
3- Detroit is probbaly finally going to make it.
4- Toronto is a lock
5- Florida is a lock
6- Boston is probably a lock
7- Tampa bay is falling off and i could see them missing it
8- There could be 5 spots for the Atlantic

Conclusion

1- Florida
2- Toronto
3- Boston
4- Detroit
5- Tampa - Mtl - Buff

Are you putting top 7 protection on that Calgary pick from the Montreal POV? If so, you should understand that that pick is already top 10 protected from Calgary and likely end up being Florida's 2025 1st. Unless for some reason Florida finishes worse than Calgary and both picks are not top 10.
Also that is not what Columbus would be looking for in a Kent Johnson trade. Try sending more quality. Reinbacher, Hutson, Slaf or your 2024 1st.

Kinda disagree that the Habs have "too many Dmen". They don't have enough NHL Dmen.

Barron isn't worth one 2nd let alone two of them

Still trying to figure out where the plethora of “Kent Johnson to Montreal” ACGMs came from?

And also, this package ain’t it. A former first rounder is not the same as an actual first round pick, particularly where you’re talking about a guy who has yet to play in the NHL.

Gorton and KH, last summer. There.

Which is why we take them seriously when they change their tune.

A Cancer and a mid 1st isn't getting Kent Johnson out of Columbus.

Take them seriously all you want; your gm can say anything (talk is cheap) but you still have to leapfrog 4 teams in your division or 6 teams in conference - possible but doubtful

Personally - and I’m kind of objective since I equally dislike all teams other than Leafs. Florida, Boston & Leafs are very likely. I then rate Tampa + Buffalo with Wings & Habs just behind but close. Agree that SENs are broken and need major surgery imo

True ish
Having Matheson play 25 minutes and Savard 22 has a domino effect especially with Kovacevic at 18-19 mins
With Savard and Kovacevic gone after next TDL we're looking in good shape actually but still too my LD

Barron,Reinbacher and Mailloux are working amazing together in Laval leading their lines.
Xhekaj-Mailloux was so good together too and ideally they'd be nice 3rd pairing in the NHL and Special Teams leaders.
Barron has his rough spots but Coach Houle is the Claude Julien of the AHL and will have that adjusted by the end of the playoffs in the AHL as he did with Mailloux in just 25 games.
Reinbacher could be ready now but it'd be best for him to have a year in Laval playing big minutes after being robbed that by Nathan Beaulieu under 2/3 coaches in NL .
When Barron/Mailloux go up it'll give Reinbacher like 22-23 minutes a night for the season leaving him in prime shape to join MTL for his 20th birthday.

LD im concerned as Engstroms on a Tear in SHL and declared intentions of heading to North America after he's done. Currently he's waiting for team 4 to be announced so the Conference finals can start. Engstrom to really simplify it he's Lehkonen in personality and how he attacks on the ice. He's a 1v1 shutdown guy who's always training. Last year he was a Junior player in a 3rd pair role and did well. Then this year he was promoted to 2nd pair with Brandon Davidsson and will be over even if they win the title within the next 2-3 weeks to join Laval where he'll stay a year or so. But he'll bully his way into a spot before too long but until then he and Reinbacher will lead leaval next year.

Engstrom will be here soon
Hutson will be over soon
Strubles here now
Xhekaj's here now
Harris's here now
Guhle's here now
Matheson is here for another few years.

Thats a lot of depth that needs minutes to play
Thats also ignoring Trudeau's progression and the 2 Russians playing big minutes in the KHL and their version of the AHL
Thats a lot of depth especially with Captain Kony the 21 year old RD playing 22+ minutes a night and thriving

We deffinately got to strategically offload veterans or fall into LAK situation where they gave up Walker, Grans and Durzi for under market value rather then lose them on Waivers for nothing
Easiest course is to move Matheson, keep Savard or Kovy and have them mentor the youth because even if Savard/Kovy leave that still leaves Matheson sucking up 25 minutes a night in a log jammed system

Why? New GM always means new direction 10/10
I've never seen someone come in and mimic the system of the guy he's replacing after they fired him.
I mean if they did its basically begging to be fired too

1 for 1 wont happen unless you're giving up Age to make it work.
No one else is shopping players that young except maybe ANA with Zegras ?
I think if they can bring in Johnson as part of a package they'd do it

Personally i dont want him and not because he's not good , he's great!
Its just we have a lot of prospects all turning Pro at the same time and i'd rather let the youth take their shot and sign Monahan or Toffoli or both to support them
We dont need a Johnson we just need to buy time for our Johnson equivalents

That is unless you're interested in defense then sure because we have to move at least 1 in the off season and 2 and the TDL just so a Struble can still sit out a healthy scratch while our AHL is stacked

6 wins back of a playoffs spot can be easily reached by adding Dach, Reinbacher, Roy, Primeau and whatever RFA the GM can get by trading away WPG and/or CGY 1st. They have all the tools to upgrade the roster quickly.

The way the Jets are going with 6 straight losses and the way NSH, TBL are trending. It could be 20th overall. Unreal that they might have 2 top20 picks and 12 picks in 1st 3 rounds the next 2 drafts.

They'll be a ton of trade options.

The Habs have already matched their point total from last year with 9 games to play. Steady improvement has been encouraging including the goaltending becoming a strength. Xhekaj developing into a top4. Suzuki becoming a PPG player. Slafkovsky setting records on the team and the league as a teenager.

Agree with you that the Habs have "hope" with their young Dmen. For the Habs sake, just keep the right guys. Even with Anderson and Gallagher mucking up the cap, the Habs are in good position with the cap.

I agree and TBH i like having those 2 contracts to keep us from doing anything else to drastic until the Youth are all locked in with Term and proving themselves.
It gives us Cap at just the right time and the ability to fill a whole if needed via Free Agency when it actually matters.

Defense i think its hard
To me Xhekaj -Mailloux is to good not to have on bottom Pair + Special Teams Leaders.
Hutson-Reinbachers the Plan long term but we shouldnt let them get lost in the log jam if there's no minutes.
Matheson -Guhle has been working out great.
Now Harrison-Struble have began to re-establish their chemistry from North Eastern

Engstrom coming over pushes things forward a bit
Barron and Mailloux needs Harris and Struble gone though just to make it to the NHL
With Engstrom having the drive to outright leap frog them like Struble did

If im MTL right now i say **** it and sell high on Guhle or Matheson at the Draft for a top 15 pick and a NHL ready Prospect
Give these guys are real shot at earning a spot rather then rotating press box games they sit out like Harris, Xhekaj and Struble have as well as Barron did before being sent down.


I dont Envy Hughes right now
That said i have faith with him and know he'll get us a great return

I can’t see them trading Guhle he’s a future leader and Matheson, the local guy, even with his brain cramps that drive fans crazy, MM wants to be there and turn this thing around.

Barron seems like the obvious trade chip as a RHD puck mover. They need to get someone as a 2C with Dachs injury troubles and Newhook not having the hockey sense. Great tools that Newhook and effective player but on the wing retrieving pucks and setting up with time and space.

Lundell would be the goal with their draft capital or a massive swing like Necas where you are giving up a Dach plus

We would want a more offensive player than Lundell

Lundell im fine with, McBain i like , heck i'd even take a run at Turcotte if he's cheap enough or can get him on Waivers.
Long as its low cost with potential to grow if we invest in them ,sure im down.

I just dont thing we want a Long Term solution via trade when we can get it Via Draft.
At this point we could have Demidov , Catton or Lindstrom fall into our laps
We got Kapanen who was a very solid Lars Eller type prospect on his way over this summer who has unlocked scoring we didnt know he had in 2024, which has been his year. Beck's a stud doing stud things but i feel he's a top 6 winger but not Center but could be a solid 3rd C
Mesar is an Ideal 2nd C choice based on Chemistry with Slaf and i think if you kept CC-Mesar-Slaf together that Roy and Toffoli could make MTL's top line a serious threat

We know Toffoli adores Suzuki from his "Meant to be a Habs " article he wrote and we know Cat Belanger his Partner loved and missed MTL as does Toffoli.
Point is there's options and really if Contending is the focus i think moving out pending UFA's and signing Monahan/Toffoli to 2-3 year deals can give MTL a decent base for free
They'd allow whoever we draft this year time to develop like lets say Demidov or Lindstrom or Eiserman with MTL pick and Iginla, Greentree,Connoly or Ritchie ,ext
It lets the Becks,Mesars, F.Xhekajs, Kidney's, Kapanens, and other Centers like Davidson to make their case in the AHL for those call ups as Evans , Dvoraks, Armia's, and other contracts expire after next year

We're in a position now where getting guys we know are good at developing youth without sacrificing their own success is a bigger help then more youth to juggle TBH

New GM direction doesn't mean moving your top forward prospect "just because".

"No one else is shopping players that young except maybe ANA with Zegras ?" - That's not a MAJOR red flag? There's a reason no one shops players that young of that caliber.

Look, he's the top forward prospect on a team with a ton of lesser prospects but lacking star players, and he's still half a year out from being able to play hockey again. He's not getting traded, and he's not available. I don't know why we keep having "KJ to MTL" discussions, the two teams need the same things and are on the same timeline; they're not good trading partners. Would Montreal move Slaf right now?

Montreal is bottom 5 in wins and bottom 3 in regulation wins.

They are bottom 6 in 5v5 play.
Overall bottom 5 in xGoals%.
Bottom 5 goal differential.
And this is despite getting excellent goaltending that I would bet on being worse next year, not better.