No, they are not ready to contend. They have atleast a few more years of being meh

Trading a top 8 pick in this draft would be a mistake imo

They only gonna get worse over the next few years. Their team just isn't good and farm system pretty overrated.

lol

But he's right, your best player this year was an aging Weber. Price is still nasty but 10M+ for a goalie obviously hurts the team and while Suzuki and Caulfield are good they butchered KKs development and neither of the other 2 are superstars which in todays league is what you need just for playoffs

And how does Price Salary hurts this team?? Over the last 2 season they where around 10 millions under the cap. And Leon Draistail played is first season at 19 years and wasn’t good he was even send back to junior and look at where he is today. Kotkaniemi was still the 4 youngest players in the Nhl this season. He is only 19 years old can you gave him a break.

$10M for 6 more seasons after this one hurts your cap when any competing team needs to be right around the top.

Never said he was gonna be a bust but he's not gonna be impactful for at least another year meaning it would be pointless to trade your first round pick when your future core isn't even playing. Also the Draisaitl comparison makes no sense, he played half a season the year after he was drafted and he clearly wasn't ready so they developed him and his first full season he had 50+ points. Habs rushed kotka to the nhl thinking they were ready to compete and it showed that he wasn't ready this season.

I think you're WAY OFF when talking about the Habs prospects and potential.
There's a lot of hockey experts who clearly think otherwise.
for example:

https://thehockeywriters.com/nhl-farm-system-rankings/

I can slightly agree with you on KKs development but the ship is being righted by having him carve out his game at the AHL - like others here have pointed out - he IS still just 19.

However, just to give you an idea of the Habs prospects

Suzuki looks poised to be an NHL star - maybe not superstar status - but definitely headed in the right direction of NHL star status and at 20 years old - there's a lot more to come.
Add to that the HIGHLY touted forward prospect of Caufield, and then add in KK, Poehling (believe he'll transfer to wing), Evans, Olofsson and Ylonen - our F prospect pool is well stacked for now without even mentioning lesser known prospects who can seriously break out in terms of depth next year in the AHL (ie. Teasdale, RHP, Ikonen)

Price and his contract isn't the problem right now nor has it been in the last few years (considering the unspent capspace) - what has been the problem is a decent back up....having one alone would better Prices' stats tremendously with the lighter workload and with this his 10M contract wouldn't even be a discussion - while a decent back up for next season should be found the habs still have Primeau as a decent prospect and heir apparent to Price. As prospects for G position goes, the Habs are pretty well set as well with the aforementioned Primeau along with McNiven, Demchenko, Lindgren and Dichow.

Agree Weber has been our best player and yes, he is aging. But he's the backbone of the Habs D and will be instrumental in acclimating the young D new comers to the NHL and team.
Mete, Fleury, Romanov, Juulsen (with Harris, Struble, Brook, and Norlinder on the way.) all will benefit from having Webers' mentorship in the next 2-3 years.
So the D prospect pool is pretty solid there as well.

You may think this is overrating, but this is what hockey analysts and experts have been saying this season. Like most NHL teams though - its a wait and see approach and I don't think you or I have a glass ball to see into the future for certain.

Lastly, to hit on the title of this AGM - I think its a terrible idea to trade a 1st or evan a number of 1sts unless its for the right return.
IMO - the habs are a scoring winger, top pairing LHD, and decent back up away from being a legit playoff team.
Our C position looks set for the next 2-3 seasons with Danault, Domi, Suzuki and Evans.
LW - set with Tatar, Drouin and Byron
RW - Galagher and Armia (could use a jolt here)(nothing that giving up a first would fix that can't be done for less)
RD - set with Weber, Petry, Fleury, Juulsen
LD - top pairing needed this is the only way I would give up a first (ie. Offersheet/trade for Sergachev) which would leave you set for years to come.
G - set with Price - back up needed (nothing that giving up a first would fix that can't be done for less)

If it's. Top 8 pick and KK, would you trade them for mantha?

Of course the Habs would trade their First Round pick! But like some people mentionned, it has to be for the right return.
I could see Bergevin dangling his picks (All/any of them!) and 1-2 prospects to get that solid piece on the Left D or Right Wing.
2 problems though:
1- An early draft gives the Habs almost no options of doing that...
2- Other teams will be looking to part ways with overpaid, soon-to-bee-UFAs and not controlable assets. So it doesn't fit Bergevin's needs...

Nope. Because we are still unsure about KK's ceiling. His rookie season numbers were similar to Joe Thornton's... But last year was a set back... Let's wait until next year to give up on him!

Mantha have put number similar to Max Domi in is career. Why would he be worth a top 10 pick and a Top young players.

Hey body KK number where much better than Thorton who had only 7 point in is rookie season

Guy it was a question that someone floated to me and I wanted to get the Montreal take on it, would you do it based on the thread starters question. I wasn't like mantha for 8th overall and KK is an absolute steal of a deal you have to do it right now.

Ahahahahah insulting people behind your screen making you feel once in your life like a real man !! Probably have the syndrome of the small ,that a common thing among your type. That explain why you are so frustrated.

Ahahahahaha yep you got it! You are probably the next in line for a nobel prize.

Well, yeah... I kinda cheated a bit and took first 2 seasons for both... knowing that Thornton played like 8 minutes a game in his rookie season... But really began to play great the second time around...

Fair enough! You can look at Draistail to. He was drafted at 18 years old since is birthday is in october sonis first year he was 19 and had 9 point in 37 games and was send back to junior. Kotkaniemi had 8 point in 36 games beiing 19 years old to.

Ahahahh if you want to take a shot come to Sherbrooke in Quebec. I can even get you my adress if you want to settle this like a man.

Makes all the sense in the world now, C'est la vie

Hahahas oui exactement continue de faire ton tough en arrière de ton écran les femmes capotent la dessus. T’es drôle en maudit en tk, tu me fais ben rire

Absolutely not. The only way the habs trade their first is if they’re trading up or down.