Montreal Canadiens

[maurice93]

Giving further though to a potential Laine deal, I can see them using him to acquire a 5th/6th defenceman for the upcoming year to replace Savard. I think they still want one more vet to complement Matheson and Carrier on the back end since they are now a playoff team.

As an example of a framework
To Seattle - Laine (20% retained) + 3rd (Money Out - $7.0 Million)
To Montreal - Jaime Oleksiak (Money In - $4.9 Million)

Montreal fills their hole for a veteran D to replace David Savard, and clears an additional $2.1M of cap space. The cost of that cap space is a 3rd round pick. Seattle needs scoring.

Another potential fit could be Chicago and Connor Murphy.

 

[musky guy]

Giving further though to a potential Laine deal, I can see them using him to acquire a 5th/6th defenceman for the upcoming year to replace Savard. I think they still want one more vet to complement Matheson and Carrier on the back end since they are now a playoff team.

As an example of a framework
To Seattle - Laine (20% retained) + 3rd (Money Out - $7.0 Million)
To Montreal - Jaime Oleksiak (Money In - $4.9 Million)

Montreal fills their hole for a veteran D to replace David Savard, and clears an additional $2.1M of cap space. The cost of that cap space is a 3rd round pick. Seattle needs scoring.

Another potential fit could be Chicago and Connor Murphy.

next year they need to put davidov up with suzuki and cole. slav can be a second line centre

 

[Fun For All]

They will certainly have to eat some -- even up to 50% -- and they will probably need to throw in a pick or two

I think Laine + 3rd + 6th + 40% retained probably gets something done (maybe they could do a bit better than that,, less picks or retention). The Habs got a 2nd from Columbus for taking on the full contract.

I've never liked the ideas of paying a player not to play for you...what I'm saying is maybe work with Laine in his UFA year, try to squeeze a 30 goal season out of him.

 

[maurice93]

next year they need to put davidov up with suzuki and cole. slav can be a second line centre

That line worked really well post 4 nations, so I'm in no rush to break it up.

Really depends what they are able to do in terms of acquiring a 2nd line centre. If they can acquire a good second line centre, I'm content with Demidov starting on the 2nd line. Or whomever fits best.

 

[musky guy]

That line worked really well post 4 nations, so I'm in no rush to break it up.

Really depends what they are able to do in terms of acquiring a 2nd line centre. If they can acquire a good second line centre, I'm content with Demidov starting on the 2nd line. Or whomever fits best.

davidov needs someone to give him the puck

 

[maurice93]

davidov needs someone to give him the puck

Demidov is also a pretty good passer. He can drive a line with adequate players.

As I said, let's see who the second line centre we acquire this offseason (if anybody), before changing lines. With cap space, a number of A-/B prospects, 16th, 17th pick, if we don't get an established second line center this offseason it would be very disappointing,.

 

[maurice93]

I've never liked the ideas of paying a player not to play for you...what I'm saying is maybe work with Laine in his UFA year, try to squeeze a 30 goal season out of him.

For Laine to get 30 goals, he largely neuters Caufield and Demidov on the PP.

If they aren't going to use the cap space this year, then sure keep Laine and hope he starts doing more on even strength,
But if we can flip Laine for a veteran D that is an expiring #4-#5 type, that might be the optimal solution.

 

[Insidious Von]

Oleksiak is a pylon, the Marriners would gladly make that trade. Don't get fooled by the name recognition, he's gone way down hill since he got his bell rung.

 

[funstick]

I agree that Laine needs to go before the Habs can move up a notch. He is too much of a liability 5 on 5 and his lack of effort is bad for team culture. He has a good shot on PP and that's it. If other teams defend it well or if he looses a bit of confidence with his shooting, he has no value whatsoever. The PP with Demidov on the right side and Caufield back in his old spot is way more dynamic and less predictable. I agree that they will have to try and trade him with assets and retain a big chunk of his salary to have a chance of making it happen.

 

[seanzo]

Might as well keep Dach.

Dach's only has a $3M cap hit next year which based on 22/23 he can play up to (of course he has been a mess since). They can still use a center or a winger to fill in for Dvorak/Laine/Armia and it will be a prove it year for Dach,

But 25/26 might be it for him in Montreal once his contract is up.

The contract he signed when he came to Montreal was a prove it contract. All that he has proven is that when healthy, his play is mediocre and then at some point he has a season ending injury. Personally if we're going to see Dach stick around I'd rather have him as the 13th forward than occupying a spot on the line up. Give Owen Beck a shot and if he doesn't pan out Michael Hague isn't that far out from making his NHL debut. I just don't see any benefit to the team in keeping Dach into next season

 

[northofsixty]

The vote wasn't close at all - Lane Hutson wins the Calder as Rookie of the Year.

https://www.nhl.com/news/montreal-canadiens-lane-hutson-wins-2025-calder-trophy

 

[maurice93]

Carey Price is now a San Jose Shark. Carey Price and fifth round pick traded to San Jose Sharks for some minor league chump. It was nice little piece of work by Kent Hughes which will result in Montreal having lots more flexibility at the trade deadline (they can accrue money under the cap).. for a cost of only a fifth rounf pock.

For San Jose it allows them to get to the Salary Cap Floor while the majority of his contract has been by the Canadiens via bonus. (and it could be insured as well)

What it means for Montreal-
a) Montreal is currently about $4.5M under the cap. If they stay at level until the deadline, they will be absorb annual salaries of somewhere between $10M-$12M at the deadline, because they will have been accruing open cap space over the first two thirds of the season.
b) If they had Price, they would not be accruing cap space for the deadline since they were technically over the cap total once you consider LTIR> So they would only be able to acquire players with a toal salary of $4.5M at the deadline.

It could help deadline time (assuming they are a contender).

 

[maurice93]

Looks like Montreal will get its second rookie of the year in a row in Ivan Demidov.

9 points in 10 games, and of the 7 assists almost all have been great primary assists setups.

 

[maurice93]

Seems like Fun for All has disappeared so he can't talk about the Canadiens start like last year.

Montreal leading the Atlantic Division at 7-3, a great start to the season.. And one of those losses against Edmonton was due to some questionable calls in the third period. They have been helped by their 3-0 record in OT where their speed and skill has shined. That level fo OT success can't be sustained though,

Demidov has been great.
Hutson has continued his good offensive play, after signing a team friendly deal in the offseason (8 by $8.5)
Suzuki and Caufield have been good.
And they have got some scoring from the secondary players (Bolduc, Kapanen, Newhook)

Goaltending is a question mark. Montembault, who I guess is the #1 has been terrible. Dobes has been very good, but that's probably not sustainable.

Laine has been terrible. He is no longer a fit for this team - other PP options and he is not a top 6 forward in even strength. Unfortunate for him that he is out for 3/4 months, but it probably won't impact the Canadiens much.

Laine becomes easy filler if they want to make a trade at the deadline.

 

[jalimon]

Seems like Fun for All has disappeared so he can't talk about the Canadiens start like last year.

Montreal leading the Atlantic Division at 7-3, a great start to the season.. And one of those losses against Edmonton was due to some questionable calls in the third period. They have been helped by their 3-0 record in OT where their speed and skill has shined. That level fo OT success can't be sustained though,

Demidov has been great.
Hutson has continued his good offensive play, after signing a team friendly deal in the offseason (8 by $8.5)
Suzuki and Caufield have been good.
And they have got some scoring from the secondary players (Bolduc, Kapanen, Newhook)

Goaltending is a question mark. Montembault, who I guess is the #1 has been terrible. Dobes has been very good, but that's probably not sustainable.

Laine has been terrible. He is no longer a fit for this team - other PP options and he is not a top 6 forward in even strength. Unfortunate for him that he is out for 3/4 months, but it probably won't impact the Canadiens much.

Laine becomes easy filler if they want to make a trade at the deadline.

I agree with you on everything.

Just one thing, who would exchange anything for Laine? Crazy to think that when he got to the NHL, many said he was superior to Matthews! Phew... That never materialized. The problem of Laine, as with quite a lot of other talented players, is between the ears.

I am happy St-Louis said high and clear during pre-season that he had never seen such a slow player as Laine. If you don't get the message with that you will never get it.

Laine will finish the season in the KHL.

 

[funstick]

I agree Laine is no longer a fit for the Habs. They are better without him. I also agree that no one would give up an asset of any kind to get him. Habs would have to add an asset and probably retain a lot of salary in order to get a team that won't make playoffs to take him.

 

[maurice93]

I agree Laine is no longer a fit for the Habs. They are better without him. I also agree that no one would give up an asset of any kind to get him. Habs would have to add an asset and probably retain a lot of salary in order to get a team that won't make playoffs to take him.

It's not going to cost an asset to get rid of him as you get to the deadline - he is straight expiring filler which is what non playoff teams have always taken back at the deadline in order to make deals work. The name on the jersey is typically irrelevant. The prize is the prospects + picks they get, and there is no positive or negative value to expiring filler at the deadline. In fact this is often the difficult part for contenders when they try to make trades -- they don't have a large amount of crappy expiring contracts sitting around to take on money back, and teams aren't interested in crappy contracts that go in the following year. Habs will have that large expiring piece ready to move.

It might take some retention if you take back a player making less than $8 million.

I'll use the example of Nazem Kadri who has a $7m contract and is attractive to Montreal. Flames may want a cheap young player / prospect / picks in return. Laine becomes the perfect salary filler, that contenders often struggle to find. Maybe they have to eat 15% to match salaries.

 

[maurice93]

I agree with you on everything.

Just one thing, who would exchange anything for Laine? Crazy to think that when he got to the NHL, many said he was superior to Matthews! Phew... That never materialized. The problem of Laine, as with quite a lot of other talented players, is between the ears.

I am happy St-Louis said high and clear during pre-season that he had never seen such a slow player as Laine. If you don't get the message with that you will never get it.

Laine will finish the season in the KHL.

See my post #257. Non playoff teams at the deadline have always needed to take salaries back (they want expiring ones) to make deals work under the trade deadline for contenders to create cap room -- of course their objective is picks and prospects, and whatever the filler they don't really care. Laine works good as the filler because he is expiring - so he is the balancing piece.

You will not be able to move Laine to a contender. They don't want to waste their valuable salary space on him, nor do they have $8M worth of bad contracts. But once you get to the deadline he is the filler piece (that has no value) in order for the non playoff team to get picks and prospects.

It will just make it easier for the Habs to get into the deadline. Contenders often don't have a deadweight expiring contract they want to move and that really complicates things for them.

 

[maurice93]

Just to illustrate my post above. Say Toronto wants Kadri.

Calgary wants young players / prospects / picks, but they will also need to take on $7m of contracts from Toronto. They clearly don't want to retain anything on Kadri as his contract goes beyond this year. Who are the $7m of contracts that Toronto gives up (that also expire at the end of the year).

Laine having no real value to the Habs just makes facilitating these type of deals easier.

 

[seanzo]

Laine has definitely gotta go, I really don't care how they get rid of him. Just having over $8 million off the books is worth it. Demidov is an infinitely better player than Laine and Montreal has another potential Russian phenome in Alexander Zharovsky (34th overall draft pick too btw) coming up in the KHL this year. It's still early but he's looking to be just about as good as Demidov so replacing Laine really shouldn't even be considered a necessity in my eyes.

What Montreal needs desperately is a number two center. Kirby Dach isn't the guy, loads of potential sure, but he's also a glass cannon. If anything I'd like to see habs management keep their powder dry on the trade market this year because (I know this is a long shot but hear me out) I think they should be preparing for the potential of a big talent center like McDavid or Mathews wanting out of their respective teams to chase a cup. Especially with McDavid, he left money on the table but only signed a two year extension which tells me it's time for Edmonton to shit or get off
the pot where winning a cup is concerned. If Edmonton misses the playoffs this year and doesn't do much the year after I don't think it will be out of the question for Montreal to pick him up either through trade or free agency. Again long shot I know but the Habs have time on their side, they are expected to make the playoffs again but aren't expected to make a deep run so finding immediate replacements shouldn't be the priority. Finding the best replacements should be the priority.

I'm least concerned with defense and goaltending. With the addition of Dobson I don't think there's much to be concerned about on the blue line. Montembault has been genuinely awful but Dobes has been an outright stud. Fowler has had some teething problems in the AHL but it's also his first year in pro hockey so I'm not particularly worried at the moment. As much as I think most habs fans would like to see the team play Dobes more than Montembault, I think it's still going to be important to get Montembault back to where he was last season and he's going to need to play some games to regain his confidence. I think a 1A/1B situation is going to be best going forward. Montembault should be taking the weaker teams and Dobes should be taking on the better teams.

All in all I like where Montreal is heading and I'm quite confident that they will be back in the Stanley Cup finals in the next two to three years provided things keep going the way they are