The value is fine, but it's a "no" from this Duck fan. Steel is too important to our future (Josh Mahura is also shaping up to be another great D prospect) and I don't think Patches will push us over the edge in terms of contention.

I think the Ducks would hate to move Steel, but if you want to win with this current core I think you have to do it. And a guy who has scored more over the last 5 years than all but 3 players would certainly help.

I think that's exactly what MB wants. Also Mahura is already playing with Cale fleury, another D prospect of the habs, this year in Regina. They are a very effective pair and would be great to see them at the next level. I wish this would go through but not sure Anaheim would do this.

I didn't even consider the Fleury part. Good catch!

MB has to be patient. I'd be fine even if the pick moved down to a 3rd since those prospects are both shaping up to be good NHLers. But anything less (especially after what Duchene got for COL) and it's just as well to keep Max.

I might be more open to your proposal if that scoring prowess extended into the playoffs, but, given that Patches has disappeared 2 of the 4 times he's been in the playoffs, I'm really not interested in Patches at that price.

Mahura is moveable, but Steel is not. If MTL wants something around Ritchie/Jones + Mahura + 1st, I think BM considers it. I don't see him moving Steel unless it's for a better C prospect.

Here is the article referring to this trade possibility. Stu the Sniper why not mention the article when posting.
https://www.msn.com/en-ca/sports/news/montreal-canadiens-trade-target-josh-mahura/ar-BBICdX4?li=AA54y7&ocid=spartandhp

Yeah well, Jones is far from being a sure shot and same thing on Ritchie IMO. Did Ritchie ever played C in Anaheim? I see him as a no one Jenner or so from the little I've seen/saw from him.

That's an overused line. The playoffs are tighter, everyone's scoring goes down.

https://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2018/2/2/16955946/montreal-canadiens-trade-target-josh-mahura-defenceman-prospect-regina-pats-anaheim-ducks

Might as well quote the proper article... but that trade is not proposed in there. The prospects are mentioned.

What would you say about this:

Mahura
Morand
Comptois
3rd round pick 2018

he scores 30 goals with no center in mtl, imagine the possibility on a team that has two top flight centers. I think he would be a great fit for the ducks. Or montreal should keep him and sign a pair of centers in the off season, tavares, stasny, backlund. thorton or go after some rfa (strome, larkin, anathasiou, namesnikov). Montreal could contend with 2 centers and 1 good D. They have a solid 3rd line and 4 good wingers on top two lines. 4 th line has good parts and could tweak a little.

You're not wrong there, Ritchie has struggled at the NHL level. Some Duck fans have already written him off as a bust, but I see a guy that has most of the tool but hasn't put them together yet. He lacks a step and his hands need work, sure, but that can be worked on. My main concern with Ritchie is his apparent lack of hockey IQ. If anything is going to hold him back, it's that. Like I said, Ritchie has most of the tools down, but he just doesn't seem to have the IQ to put it all together. Now, if he does manage to do that, he'll be a top 6 NHLer, I'm sure. It's just a question of "if".

Conversely, Jones will have an NHL career, I'm sure of that. He works extremely hard, is great along the boards and pretty much dominated our rookie camp at the beginning of this season. His junior numbers don't look great this season, but he did come into this season looking for a roster spot on the NHL team and it is likely that being sent back to juniors was very demotivating for him. I'm not saying it is, but it could be that he feels he has nothing to prove at the junior level anymore. I mean, the kid is arrogant AF about his own game and speaks like he's the next McDavid, so...idk? The real question with Jones is where he'll ultimately end up. I could see him as a #2W guy, but I could also see him as a 4th line energy guy. Regardless, I agree with you that neither Ritchie nor Jones are sure things.



That's absolutely not true. Go look at Getzlaf or Silfverberg, both those guys actually up their scoring during the playoffs, and I'm sure there are many more examples of that happening. Regardless, even if "everyone's scoring goes down", "everyone" doesn't disappear off the face off the earth and that is exactly what Patches has done at least twice in his career. We don't need more no-showers on our team. Hey, I'd be willing to take a punt and hope Patches comes to the team and puts up some decent numbers come playoff time, but I'm not giving up Steel + Mahura + 2nd to find out.

This whole situation is quite amusing because this is exactly what happened with Andrew Ladd. WPG fans wanted a boat load at the TDL for him and gave a bunch of excuses as to why he had bad playoff number i.e. his role in CHI, injuries, etc., and CHI came in, gave them exactly what they wanted, and what does he do? 2 pts in 7 games for them and one of their worst playoff runs in many years. Stats talk and Patches stats, whilst decent in some years, are horrendous in others.



The article also talks about Terry. I'm not as high on Terry as I am Steel. Maybe post something like Terry + Mahura + 2nd. I'd consider that.



I'd have to check the $ next year, but, based on pure value, I'd do that deal.

Yeah, he's really good during the season, but we need him to dominate the playoffs to be worth that kind of price and he just doesn't do that. I'm not saying Patches is bad. I'd probably take him at the price given by Lehoulx, but I'm not giving up Steel for him. I don't want ANA to be in the same situation MTL is right now in 3-4 years time when Getzlaf declines to point of being terrible/retires. Even with Steel, that could still happen. Steel isn't a sure thing, but we're better off having him and hoping he turns out to be an elite C then not, am I right?

You obviously took it quite literally when I said "everyone", but my point was that many of the league's top players go down in production come playoffs. Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin, Kane... and if you actually watched the games, you'd know that even in series' where Max hasn't produced points, he's lead every player on both teams in scoring chances, so saying he disappears is just plain wrong.

Also, comparing Ladd to Pacioretty is ridiculous. He's hasn't scored 30 goals even once.

Are you better off waiting for Steel to maybe, possibly develop into your future #1C or trading him for a serious chance at the Cup this year AND next? He's your best shot at trading for a difference maker. Who knows where the team will be if/when Steel develops, as you said above.

That being said, what if MTL offers Poehling in the package, but that 2nd becomes a 1st and you add a 3rd?

Yes, when you make literal statements I interpret them "literally".

So comparing Ladd to Patches is ridiculous because Ladd hasn't scored 30 goals (he had 29 in 10-11 and 28 in 11-12, but, you're right not 30), but comparing Patches to Crosby, Malkin, Ovechkin and Kane is fine. All those guys are +1 PPG players during the season and maintain PPG status during the playoffs, Patches is a 0.8 PPG player during the season and then drops like a brick to 0.5 PPG during the playoffs. I don't have a problem trading Steel + Mahura + 2nd for a +1 PPG player during the season that drops to just PPG during the playoffs. Unfortunately for you, Patches doesn't produce those kind of numbers.

I don't know why you're getting so bitter about this? You've posted a trade and I'm giving you my opinion. I haven't said Patches is a bad player in general or that I don't want him. All I'm saying is that he's just not dominant enough during the playoffs to warrant that kind of return.

LOL you haven't seen bitter yet bud. Sorry if I hurt your feelings.

Again missing my point tho... I'm not comparing Patch to those players, simply pointing out that they too drop in production.

Are we better off giving away Steel in a deal for Patches, not winning the cup in the next two years and then stuck as bottom feeders because we have no one to replace a declining Getzlaf? Meanwhile, we watch Steel become one of the premier Cs in the NHL, but on the Montreal Canadiens. It goes both ways. You have to weigh up your options. Personally, I don't subscribe to the notion that one player will be the difference maker in us winning the cup or not. If the team isn't firing on all cylinders and you don't get a little lucky, you ain't winning it. Based on my assessment of the current roster we have and what other teams are offering around the league, I think the likelihood of us winning it (with or without Patches) is far less than the likelihood of Steel becoming an elite C. Therefore, I'm not willing to move him.

Ok, glad to hear it.

I think it's very fair TBH

That's the struggle you get with teams wanting to win the cup now attitude or wait for your prospects to develop and you have a new core. You can't have it both ways.

Are you more likely to win the cup if you sell your future for the now? Yeah, probably. Do you HAVE TO sell your future to win the cup? I don’t believe you do. Maybe I’m wrong.

Regardless, we’re a small market team. We can not afford to spend 2-4 seasons at the bottom of the league, nor do I think Patches makes us better than teams like NSH. So why sell the farm to acquire him? Again, this is all just my opinion. I’m sure other Duck fans would be all for going all-in.

Yeah, you missed my point with Ladd. I wasn’t comparing Ladd to Patches, simply pointing out that players with bad playoff stats usually continue to have bad playoff stats regardless of who you put around them.