What is this ? an actual counter offer? It can't be ahahah

Thats for sure -> but look what you can buy with the same cap space -> it is a far stronger team even if you lost Drai!!

Washington matches Carlson at 7M, though.

I mean, if you went to 10, they'll sign Green for 5 and trade for Karlsson, for a net improvement by committe, even if Karlsson never makes a 100% recovery from an injury that's apparently accounted for a year of awful defensive zone play. And you could do that. But isn't that money better spent on Leon Draisatl?

Trade wouldn’t go through per two (2) reasons:

1. Montreal wants to rebuild and getting Leon is a big plus, absorbing Lucic and Sekera contracts would have them over the cap.
2. Leon has a high value but Lucic and Sekeras contracts are dumps and would bring Leon’s value down and not worth all that you would get back. Montreal can absorb the cap dump if they gonna rebuild for maybe 1-2 years but the 2 contracts are longer term

MOntreal cap seems to work... even if they under pay Danault by 1M, they still can trade Schlemko 2M away for a high pick.
And probably Shaw LITR will shed some salary as well.
https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/633535

Anyway... this plan can work only if only Edm get ONE TOP D at UFA (Carlson would be perfect @ 8M)
Becoming a great NHL Top4D IMO

Yeah, it only makes sense if they're guaranteed to land those UFAs - so it would be too big of a risk IMO. They might be better off to keep Drai, hope for Lucic to bounce back, sign Grabner to add a speedy winger, sign Green for 2-3 years and draft Bouchard/Boqvist to replace him at the end of the contract.

The way I see it, we all agree that Draisaitl >> Pacioretty. But at what point does adding cap dump contracts and adding picks and prospects to this deal make it Habs value >> Edm value?

Habs get the best player in the deal but they also take on two big contracts that right now, nobody wants. That over 10M in cap not including Draisaitl's 8.5M. THEN Habs still give up their best pure goal scorer, two young roster/prospects players and a 1st and 2nd round pick?

Ottawa offered to make Karlsson available for a cheaper price if someone took Ryan off their hands too. This doesn't feel like Edm is bringing Draisaitl's price down to take Pucic and Sekera's contracts off their hands at all.

I 'd prefer the Habs to trade all of those pieces individually instead for picks in order to draft that stud centerman.

You offer a soft turn-around! need a heavier shake!

EDM wont improve with BIG UFA contracts. Just look at what he have now. Lucic, Sekera, Russel. Even more fantastic all 3 are NMCs.

Improvement has to start from within. We have to think long-term before it's too late.

Larsson, Bouchard and Bear could be our RHD's
Puljujärvi or Yamamoto needs to become a legit TOP6 option
Lucic needs to bounce back and be a +15g 45p player.


The way I see it we do one of two things in the draft:
1. Draft one of the solid D's coming up, and keep RNH or Drai with McD as a winger.
2. Or we draft Zadina as LW and make a move with RNH to secure a RHD. Something like RNH+Caleb Jones+2nd for Faulk+Rask