Thoughts? Over the cap, 3 players short in the roster. Tavares isn't coming to Montreal.

With the Islanders winning the Belmont bid, Pretty sure Tavares is staying you've a 20 man roster here and are nearly $1 million over the cap and Kane isn't signing no 3 year deal try more like 7 years.

Because you're a mind reader.

I think JT will resign with Islanders. Agree we should trade Patche, but believe Barrie is Rhd, we need a left

Well, I didn't have to read anyone's mind when I see the cap and roster size. Why don't you add Green, Neal and Stastny too, to make a roster of 23. OK, what's the big enticement for Tavares to come to Montreal when he will get about the same money anyplace else. Hardly a team that screams top 4 potential for years.

While I agree, JT probably isn't going to MTL, this is just fantasy palhal. Have to leave something up to the imagination.

People nitpick on the most insignificant things when other glaring errors are more obvious.

It doesn't hurt to allow the assumption that Tavares will go to free agency. If we don't allow for that assumption, there's no point in including UFA's, in any team, ever. The rest is relevant.
If we're speculating as to why Tavares might choose Montreal:
1. He's needed
2. Hockey madness
3. Change of scenery
4. Better/stable goaltending

Tavares has spent his whole career in NYI and IF he were to choose to leave, it might be because he has lost faith in the organization. Snow hasn't necessarily done a good enough job of providing Tavares with a sufficient supporting cast. While they are currently one of the top offensive teams in the league, they are simultaneously one of the worst defensively. They also have some key free agents and roster decisions to make, so changes could be on the horizon. Add that to another relocation, and he may just want to play somewhere that is more organized. I'm not saying that place is Montreal, but don't assume he will re-sign now, simply because the arena situation is settled.

Why would anyone pick the Canadiens at this point? Their roster is no better than the Islanders and gives him no greater chance to win. I'd agree that MTL needs a good UFA, but I don't think he's going to leave in the 1st place.

I laugh about the thought of JT losing faith in Snow after his Strome and Eberle trades, yet having faith in Bergevin and his Subban and Sergachev trades. Also how you're basically stating that MTL has a better supporting cast than NYI is pretty funny. As for his preference, I think he's a pretty chill guy and wouldn't find playing in MTL as a huge positive. I don't think he'd be looking to leave the NYI's to a team that needs him, as he's needed just as much for NYI. A change of scenery I guess is possible, but again why would that make him want to go to MTL at this point. Better goaltending? Only if Price bounces back which probably should happen, but that isn't a guarantee that it will. The fact that you gave 4 possible points and they are all rather weak makes me think it's possible even you yourself don't believe he would ever go there and that you're trying to convince yourself as well as us that it's a good spot for him. You basically flip flop in your argument saying he wants to play with better players, yet he wants to go where he's needed. I don't believe for a second that if he wants to play with better players on it that he'll also want to play on a team that will need him just to barely make the playoffs. I don't believe for a second that MTL is in a good position to make the playoffs next year without him either. I think Tavares to MTL is extremely unlikely as much as they want / need him.

The only possible point that I would find even remotely convincing as to why JT would pick MTL apart from all the other options is if they did some kind of tour of a special room they had with all their history of winning and a very smart guy, maybe the owner or someone else prominent kinda got in his ear and made him think that MTL was where winners go because they've won the most cups. It'd be kind of a sales pitch type thing, but that's really the only thing that would set Montreal apart at this point. If JT decides he just wants to win so bad that he's simply convinced if he goes there that they'll win again it could happen. Anything else Montreal can offer at this point can be offered by better teams with higher chances of winning.

Read more carefully. I don't think it will happen either. I said there's no point including ufa's if we don't allow for the assumption that they will sign with another team.

I then said IF he were to go that route. There are a few possible reasons. Both organizations might be a mess but there are differences which might make one preferable. Depends on Tavares' thought process and how he views the situation of each.

I also said I'm not saying that place is Montreal but not to assume he's staying put either.