Team: 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens

Initial Creation Date: Sep. 1, 2020

Published: Sep. 1, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

OEL Trade: ARI gets a familiar roster player to play 2nd line center + an A prospect + picks to restock the shelves. They also get out of OEL's contract as ARI's owner reportedly mandates salary cuts. MTL gets a top 2 left handed puck mover to compliment Weber.

LAINE Trade: WPG will have tough time resigning him again next offseason and takes gives him up early. They are entering a "retooling" phase and desperately need to rebuild the backend. This isn't an easy trade to make for MTL as it hurts giving up an A+ NHL-ready prospect but in return you're hopefully getting a 35-40 goal scorer for the next ~15 years to pair up with the other Finns on the team. This trade goes through after the OEL trade meaning MTL makes this deal knowing they have OEL on the LD for next 7 years.

UPGRADES ON BOTH ENDS: Both trades give MTL two high scoring lines in the top 6 and one of the NHL's top shutdown 3rd lines. Defensive pairings now all include mix of puck moving defensemen (including the breakout of the Kulak/Petry pairing during both playoff series). Immediate upgrade for a consistently bad PP.

NEXT SUMMER (Seattle Expansion, 7F - 3D - 1G): MTL elects to protect and expose the following players:
- Forwards (protect): Laine, KK, Danault, Drouin, Armia, Lehkonen, Gallagher
- Forwards (expose): Byron, Evans
- Defensemen (protect): Weber, OEL, Chariot
- Defensemen (expose): Kulak, Mete
- Goalie (protect): Price
- Goalie (expose): Dell
**** Tatar & Petry are both UFAs that summer and do not need to be protected unless extended prior to draft.

NEXT SUMMER (Signings): 8/12 forwards plus Petry are on expired deals and ~ 31mil in cap space so MB will have a very busy offseason.
- Pending UFAs: Gallagher (~6.5), Danault (~5), Armia (~3) equals ~14.5mil
- Pending RFAs: Laine (~10), Lehknonen (~3), KK (~3.5 bridge) equals ~16.5mil
*** MB can then decide to trade off Dell or Byron + finally buy out Alzner to sign one of Tatar or Petry at ~ 6mil

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