This thread was/is one of the most popular on the Habs' forum, so I thought that we'd start a similar one here.
The purpose of the thread is to discuss what we would consider to be fair trades, signings, call-ups, buy-outs or any other move we'd make if we were the Montreal Canadiens' GM. It doesn't have to be based on trade rumours or anything, it can be 100% made up!
The fun part of it is to try remaining under our cap, while trying to be fair for both teams in filling needs on both sides.
Have fun!
__________________ "Too bad for Mats, he could have been playing here" ~ Robert Lang.
August 6, 2008 | 11:58am ET Tampa still searching for defenseman
TheFourthPeriod.com
he Tampa Bay Lightning continues to look for ways to improve their hockey club even further, as they search the trade market for a defenseman.
Brian Lawton, the club's VP of Hockey Operations, is believed to be scouring the league for a veteran blueliner.
So far this off-season, the Lightning has added the likes of Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts, Olaf Kolzig, Matt Carle, Radim Vrbata, Vaclav Prospal and Mark Recchi.
We have loaded up on defensemen this summer. Tampa Bay needs an experienced defenseman but they're tight against their cap space. We need a good face-offs' center with size, especially if Sundin doesn't sign with us.
To Montreal:
Chris Gratton
To Tampa Bay:
Francis Bouillon
Note: I'd rather give Dandenault, but he's played forward all season last year and he most likely doesn't have the value Bouillon has.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Curtis Zupke reports Teemu Selanne's situation is tied to Mats Sundin making a decision on his own future. It's believed the Ducks could try to move defenseman Mathieu Schneider's salary to make room for Selanne but the trade market could hinge on where Sundin ultimately signs.
SPECTOR'S NOTE: Sundin said he'd make a decision prior to the start of training camp, meaning that we've got at least three more weeks before we know his fate, and how it'll impact potential moves such as those noted above for the Ducks. Source...
Yes we are thin at center, but if Sundin doesn't sign with us, I'd like to have an experienced player like Schneider to play on our top 4 and to man the point on the PP, replacing Streit. Yes he's overpaid, but his contract expires at the end of the season. I don't expect that teams are lining up offering something big to Burke, so a pick might be all it takes to get him. I'd do it.
__________________ "Too bad for Mats, he could have been playing here" ~ Robert Lang.
Maybe I should rename this thread: If JL was the Habs' GM...
Anyway, I was working on something here... which goes exactly with what Bob Gainey was saying yesterday about his Plan "B" having to do with the teams that are over the Cap, the teams in a bind, not in a good position to negotiate. First, let's recap...
If I'm not mistaken, the Cap is set at $56.7M and teams are allowed to be up to 5% ($59.535M) over the cap until the start of the season, then they all must be under the cap. All figures below were taken from nhlnumbers.com
Anaheim at $58.013M
Need to shed $1.313M by start of season, less what they'll pay Selanne. Trading Schneider would allow for about $4 million for Selanne
Maybe I should rename this thread: If JL was the Habs' GM...
Anyway, I was working on something here... which goes exactly with what Bob Gainey was saying yesterday about his Plan "B" having to do with the teams that are over the Cap, the teams in a bind, not in a good position to negotiate. First, let's recap...
If I'm not mistaken, the Cap is set at $56.7M and teams are allowed to be up to 5% ($59.535M) over the cap until the start of the season, then they all must be under the cap. All figures below were taken from nhlnumbers.com
Anaheim at $58.013M
Need to shed $1.313M by start of season, less what they'll pay Selanne. Trading Schneider would allow for about $4 million for Selanne
I don't feel that McLaren would be a #4 on our team.
I think some of these teams are so close already, it's quite possible they will move a couple of lesser guys, possibly waive players, rather than give up high end talent.
I think some of these teams are so close already, it's quite possible they will move a couple of lesser guys, possibly waive players, rather than give up high end talent.
It's possible, but they'll have to replace them anyway. Let's say a team is $2 million over the cap... they can't just send down two $1 million players to the minors since they'll have to replace them with 2 players at league minimum (around $500,000 if I'm not mistaken), so they'd still be $1 million over cap.
If they chose to buy some players out, once again part of the salary will count against the cap.
So the easiest way around that is to trade for prospects and/or draft picks, hopefully trading from a position of strength, like the Ducks' suggestion here where they'll still have Pronger, Neidermayer and Beauchemin as corner stones if they trade Schneider.
__________________ "Too bad for Mats, he could have been playing here" ~ Robert Lang.
It's possible, but they'll have to replace them anyway. Let's say a team is $2 million over the cap... they can't just send down two $1 million players to the minors since they'll have to replace them with 2 players at league minimum (around $500,000 if I'm not mistaken), so they'd still be $1 million over cap.
If they chose to buy some players out, once again part of the salary will count against the cap.
So the easiest way around that is to trade for prospects and/or draft picks, hopefully trading from a position of strength, like the Ducks' suggestion here where they'll still have Pronger, Neidermayer and Beauchemin as corner stones if they trade Schneider.
That is true (unless they waive guys), you can't allways go with the small guys, and Schneider looks like he's going to go. I don't know why the Habs would want him, they've got an awesome PP, and he'de just add another 5 mil (even though I've always liked Schneider's play). Honestly, the Habs are fine, they just need more experience for the young guys, and Kovalev needs to give a crap like he did last year. Whatever they add to get to the cap is only going to make them better, but on a team that has such good cemistry adding a big name isn't always the best thing. Really only a couple of tweaks here and there and they should be good to go.
In my opinion, there are two positions where we could use some help for a Stanley Cup season:
We need a centerman who can help Koivu and win some face-offs, preferably one with size who could also fill-in on the top two lines in case of an injury to either Koivu or Plekanec. Here are some options, in order of preference:
Preferably a combination of both would make of the Habs a true contender. Considering that some of those players are on teams over the cap, we could get them for very little. We also have the assets to sacrifice some roster players and/or prospects in order to get other players on that list.
__________________ "Too bad for Mats, he could have been playing here" ~ Robert Lang.
If I was the Habs' GM...
If I was the Habs' GM...
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