3 appropriately sized scoring lines

Created by: jonh514

Team: 2025-26 Montreal Canadiens

Initial Creation Date: Apr. 4, 2024

Published: Apr. 4, 2024

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Legend

Left Handed

Original Team

Waivers Exempt

Right Handed

Position

Trade Clause

Max Perf. Bonus

Expiry Status

Term Remaining

McDavid, Connor

$12,500,000 ( Performance Bonus

$250,000)

NMC

UFA - 5

Description

It's often said that this is a copycat league. The teams that win the Stanley Cup do not have multiple players per line under 190 lbs. You need heavier players in the playoffs, as they say, "some guys get you to the playoffs, and some guys get you through the playoffs". It's not that smaller guys can't have some of the largest impacts (thinking of guys like Briere, MSL, Marchessault) but they need to be surrounded by bigger body linemates and defenders.

In this post I'm trying to embrace that way of thinking. Aiming for a better balance of Size & Skill.

Big assumptions:

1) Habs draft Eiserman and work to round out his game
2) Caufield's shooting percentage rebounds next season
3) Dach hits the ground running upon his return from injury and solidifies that 2nd line center spot
4) Roy keeps showing progress and looks like a consistent middle six forward
5) Kakko trade happens in the 2023-24 offseason

Free Agent Signings

RESERVE LIST	YEARS	CAP HIT
Kapanen, Oliver	3	$950,000
Xhekaj, Florian	3	$950,000
Hutson, Lane	1	$975,000
Tuch, Luke	2	$975,000
Fowler, Jacob	3	$1,000,000

RFA	YEARS	CAP HIT
Slafkovsky, Juraj	8	$8,000,000
Guhle, Kaiden	8	$7,000,000
Xhekaj, Arber	1	$1,400,000
Struble, Jayden	3	$1,500,000
Barron, Justin	1	$1,400,000
Kakko, Kaapo	3	$3,500,000

UFA		YEARS	CAP HIT
Gignac, Brandon		2	$850,000

CREATED		YEARS	CAP HIT
Eiserman, Cole		2	$1,000,000

Trades

MTL

Kakko, Kaapo [RFA Rights]

Additional Details:

2nd line RW with NHL size and skill. Needs a fresh start.

NYR

Additional Details:

Habs fans will probably see this as an overpayment, but between Dach, Newhook, Kapanen - Beck (while nice to have) is actually not really as needed as a 2nd line RW 6 with size.

Mesar - still has a lot of promise, but there are only so many small body forwards you can play in your top 9. I am limiting it to 0-1 per line and I don't see a place for Mesar unless we trade Newhook or Caufield, and I prefer the bird in the hand.

MTL

ANA

Matheson, Michael

Additional Details:

Traded anywhere for fair market value during the 2024-25 offseason

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2024
2025
2026

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

EMBED

TEXT-EMBED

ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
23	$92,000,000	$69,297,500	$0	$1,500,000	$22,702,500

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Caufield, Cole $7,850,000$7,850,000 LW, RW UFA - 6	Suzuki, Nick $7,875,000$7,875,000 C UFA - 5	Slafkovsky, Juraj $8,000,000$8,000,000 RW, LW RFA
Eiserman, Cole $1,000,000$1,000,000	Dach, Kirby $3,362,500$3,362,500 C, RW RFA - 1	Kakko, Kaapo $3,500,000$3,500,000 RW RFA
Roy, Joshua $835,000$835,000 LW, RW RFA - 1	Newhook, Alex $2,900,000$2,900,000 C, LW RFA - 2	Xhekaj, Florian $950,000$950,000 LW, RW RFA - 2
Anderson, Josh $5,500,000$5,500,000 RW, LW M-NTC UFA - 2	Kapanen, Oliver $950,000$950,000 C RFA	Gallagher, Brendan $6,500,000$6,500,000 RW, LW M-NTC, NMC UFA - 2
Tuch, Luke $975,000$975,000 LW RFA - 1	Gignac, Brandon $850,000$850,000 C UFA

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Guhle, Kaiden $7,000,000$7,000,000 LD/RD RFA	Reinbacher, David $950,000$950,000 ($1,500,000$2M) RD RFA - 1	Montembeault, Samuel $3,150,000$3,150,000 G UFA - 2
Hutson, Lane $975,000$975,000 LD RFA - 1	Mailloux, Logan $875,000$875,000 RD RFA - 1	Fowler, Jacob $1,000,000$1,000,000 G RFA
Xhekaj, Arber $1,400,000$1,400,000 LD/RD RFA	Barron, Justin $1,400,000$1,400,000 RD RFA
Struble, Jayden $1,500,000$1,500,000 LD RFA

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
		Price, Carey $10,500,000$10,500,000 G NMC UFA - 1

Top Comments

Apr. 4 at 8:59 a.m.

Voice_Of_Thruth

Tony Ferguson Fan

Joined: Feb. 2024

Posts: 54

Likes: 40

I still don't know what yall see in Kakko that makes you want to pay that much for him.

I get rangers fans want to keep him fot the off-chance that he suddenlty hits his stride but other teams shouldnt pay that much.

MTLaveragefan and Shanesaw9 liked this.

Apr. 4 at 9:07 a.m.

LuckyMoneyPuck

SkateOrDie

Joined: Feb. 2024

Posts: 2,200

Likes: 373

appropriate sized.... 5'9 4th liner
It's not just being big.... there are plenty of big players who play like wimps. They need to have the right attitude. Because if they don't you get guys like Bjugstad. Throwing your size around is a mentality. Some have it others don't.

As for Eiserman, he'll most likely be playing at Boston the year this ACGM is done. He's already committed.

jonh514 liked this.

Apr. 4 at 9:09 a.m.

MTLaveragefan

I post sometimes

Joined: Jul. 2017

Posts: 5,777

Likes: 1,690

Quoting: LuckyMoneyPuck

I'm pretty sure MTL management are happy that he will get to develop in a good NCAA program. It did wonders for Caufield.

jonh514 liked this.

Apr. 4 at 9:17 a.m.

jonh514

HuGo is a Boss GM

Joined: Dec. 2021

Posts: 6,998

Likes: 3,054

Quoting: LuckyMoneyPuck

This is 2025-26...

Apr. 4 at 9:20 a.m.

jonh514

HuGo is a Boss GM

Joined: Dec. 2021

Posts: 6,998

Likes: 3,054

Quoting: Voice_Of_Thruth

Look at his game log for the past 25 games. He IS hitting his stride as we speak. Maybe he's a 50 point 2nd liner who plays a good 2-way game. Who does that sound like? Arturri Lehkonen maybe? Would you like Lehkonen with more size on your RW? I know I would!

Fox_Czar_Cup liked this.

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3 appropriately sized scoring lines

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Description

Free Agent Signings

Trades

MTL

NYR

MTL

ANA

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