Montreal accepts and runs

Yeah, I was a little worried about that. Trying to look at it from another point of view. Maybe NOT conditional for the 2021? I really don't see them giving up a 1st when the draft is in MTL.

gus has 64 points in his last 85 games. he could definitely get a first+. idk why you're selling low

IMO there's two point of view :

Habs side : Gus is an upcoming UFA (so a rental). They would probably give like a 2nd and a prospect or something like that (put a condition for another pick or the 2nd becomes a first if he re signs)
Hawks side : Gus is near a ppg so he's worth a lot

Find out where you stand , both are okay.

IMO it should be something like :

2nd pick (1st if he re signs) in 2021 (since the draft is in Mtl)
+
something like fairbrother, harris kinda prospect

vs

Gus

I'm probably doing to much here to be honest. $3M+ off the books next year is pretty nice part too. The Hawks want to make moves and getting Smith off the books is a good thing. I'm also forcing the team to be MTL because they have a need for what Gus provides. Gus could be traded elsewhere and it would be the 1st rounder. The draft is in MTL so any deal with MTL (just by circumstance) has a lot of moving parts. But I hear ya! Thanks!

Montreal fans here... not enough going in Chi...
Change Peca for a better young prospect (Not a blue chip)
like: Evans or Teasdale, 2nd 2020 + cond 2nd 2021... I think it's fair for both side.
If Gus leaves after this season: Mtl would loose Teasdale+ 2nd(DeBrincat exemple)

2nd in 2021 that turns into a 1st if he resigns.
+
Prospect not named Caufield, Poehling, Suzuki, etc. (Evans, Juulsen, etc.)

No need for the extra garbage. Peca, Weise, Smith. etc just muddies the trade value.

Gus for a 2020 2nd, 2021 2nd or prospect is about right I would think but that is contingent on him playing well this year up until the above trade is made. The 2nd may be contingent on him resigning also. If not a 3rd.

And as for the people clamoring about the "64 points in 85 games" bla bla. Look he's a great "out of nowhere" story but most times when a team has a player like that they don't get rid of him. There is a reason Chicago fans were already trading him as soon as the numbers sky rocketed up with his trade value. He will command 6M+ in UFA and won't be worth it and they know it. Its not like the Hawks couldn't use a quality LHD themselves, yet they choose to keep Maatta, Keith and DeHaan over Gus. Ask yourself why? Other than Beaudin, most of their quality d prospects are on the right side so keeping one quality lefty would make sense. Especially over Maatta and DeHaan and with Keith looking like he's going off the deep end this year, might be wise to keep Gus to be honest.

IMO I'm down for trading for Gus, even paying a slight premium to get him if he shows he is the real deal this year but everything about him is screaming buyer beware from the Chicago fans which is confusing the heck out of most people.

If he is what you say is, you should be trying to keep him, not trade him. He's young and hes your best player at his position.

So instead of the 2 seconds, make it a first from next year (2021) and add Jake Evans. I'm from Indiana and live 30 minutes from Notre Dame. I love it when Chicago has Notre Dame boys on the team. Bring Evans to Chicago!

All good points but would note, Gus plays the right side for the Hawks exclusively and did last year as well prior to he acquisitions of Maatta and De Haan. As such, Boqvist is going to be ready and coming up on the right side along with Ian Mitchell and possibly Beaudin. With 3 ELC's on D being more then likely ready, re-signing Gus doesn't make much sense cap wise. In fact, the Hawks will likely not only not re-sign Gus but get rid of another defender like Murphy or Maatta. This is why the Hawks fans are trading Gus on here a lot.

Really? Wow wasn't aware of that. Always thought he was on the left side but played the right side on the PP or something. If that's the case than that make more sense for not wanting to keep him as Mitchell, Boqvist etc on the way.

With that said, if he has been playing solely the right side, all the more reason why the Habs shouldn't be trading for him.

Good thoughts from both of you guys. Just a few things. This is indeed an odd situation. We can all see that. CHI fans are trading him away because they can't sign him back. It's NOT that we dislike him or his play. We very much do, but as @ChiHawk mentions...WE believe we have his replacement already developing within our system and part B.) to that is that the Hawks really are much closer to the cap ceiling than most people believe. That 2nd point is why I include Smith. I think the Hawks would value shedding $3M+ quite a bit.

As far as the Gus LD vs RD. Another very interesting topic. Gus has been playing mostly RD the past year and a half. He was also fairly exclusively LD for the previous 5 years. Why is this?!?! It's actually pretty simple. The reason this happened is because he's really a LD...BUT the Hawks were desperate last year and needed someone to fill in with Keith on the top pair. With Murphy injured for the 1st half of the season...who goes there? Davidson, Manning, Dahlstrom, Slater, Rutta, Seabs??? I don't think so. They tried Gus and it was the best solution they had available to them. Since he was playing well they just stuck with it. This was why he was sent over to the right side. The reason he doesnt go back is because Stan went out and got 2 more LD...so now again where does he go? Hawks fans would likely say that versatility is a PRO not a con.

Lastly, as far as "Out of Nowhere". Sudden For sure, but there's a little more history to this. 2 years ago was a pretty successful season too. Started in the AHL with 17 points in 25 games and then promoted to the NHL getting 16 points in 35 games. Is that equal to his 60 points in 80 games? NO, but it's not starting from zero either. He's a play maker that's working on his defensively abilities.