Struggling with Danault

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Created by: Habs4ever

Team: 2020-21 Montreal Canadiens

Initial Creation Date: Oct. 20, 2020

Published: Oct. 20, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Description

Didn't do any trades, nor paid any attention to the salary cap. My entire post is about Danault.

Most would agree Suzuki will be this year or next the #1 C on the team. He is a special player, good on PP & PK.

Maybe not this year but the following KK, takes over at #2 C. I also really like Evans at #4 C. Super smart player. Doesn't cheat. responsible and plays 200 feet. Is Danault a good player, absolutely. Team player, plays 200 feet. Good on PK, shut down other top lines. Will he accept to eventually play #3 C and at what price? He has played 4 full seasons as the #1 C yet never had more than 13 goals in a season. 50 goals in his career. That's a goal almost every 7 games. 3.8 to 4.9 million would be my offer. Now some will say, he deserves more. Does he? will he get more elsewhere? yes he will. People compare him to Pageau's contract at $5. The Islanders only have 8 million in cap space and need to sign 2 d-men and 1 forward. That 1 forward's name is Barzal. If you overpay, it pinches elsewhere. Now what about Poehling? could he be your #3 C. Maybe not next year but the year after? perhaps!

Bergeron, has 11 seasons of over 20 goals. I even looked way back to Jacques Lemaire that was a defensive C, between two snipers in Schutt and Lafleur. Lemaire had 12 seasons of over 20 goals. Danault has zero and never has had more than 13 goals. On the PK, MTL has Suze, Byron, Armia, Lehky & Toffoli plenty of options

What are peoples thoughts on this?

Buyouts

Karl Alzner: $3,958,333

Draft	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5	Round 6	Round 7
2021
2022
2023

ROSTER

LONG-TERM OUTLOOK

EMBED

TEXT-EMBED

ROSTER SIZE	SALARY CAP	CAP HIT	OVERAGES	BONUSES	CAP SPACE
23	$81,500,000	$75,141,309	$0	$3,137,500	$6,358,691

Left Wing	Centre	Right Wing
Drouin, Jonathan $5,500,000$5,500,000 LW, RW UFA - 3	Suzuki, Nick $863,333$863,333 ($425,000$425K) C UFA - 2	Toffoli, Tyler $2,125,000$2,125,000 RW, LW UFA - 4
Tatar, Tomas $4,800,000$4,800,000 LW, RW UFA - 1	Danault, Phillip $3,083,333$3,083,333 C UFA - 1	Gallagher, Brendan $3,750,000$3,750,000 RW, LW NMC UFA - 1
Byron, Paul $3,400,000$3,400,000 LW, RW UFA - 3	Kotkaniemi, Jesperi $925,000$925,000 ($2,500,000$2M) C UFA - 1	Anderson, Josh $5,500,000$5,500,000 RW, LW UFA - 7
Lehkonen, Artturi $2,400,000$2,400,000 LW, RW UFA - 1	Evans, Jake $750,000$750,000 C UFA - 2	Armia, Joel $2,600,000$2,600,000 RW, LW UFA - 1

Left Defense	Right Defense	Goaltender
Chiarot, Ben $1,750,000$1,750,000 LD/RD M-NTC UFA - 2	Weber, Shea $7,857,143$7,857,143 RD UFA - 6	Price, Carey $10,500,000$10,500,000 G NMC UFA - 6
Edmundson, Joel $875,000$875,000 LD/RD M-NTC UFA - 4	Petry, Jeff $5,500,000$5,500,000 RD M-NTC, NMC UFA - 1	Allen, Jake $4,350,000$4,350,000 G UFA - 1
Romanov, Alexander $894,167$894,167 ($212,500$212K) LD RFA - 2	Juulsen, Noah $700,000$700,000 RD UFA - 1
Kulak, Brett $925,000$925,000 LD/RD UFA - 2
Mete, Victor $735,000$735,000 LD/RD UFA - 1

Scratches	Injured Reserve (IR)	Long Term IR (LTIR)
Weal, Jordan $1,400,000$1,400,000 C, RW, LW UFA - 1

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:31 p.m.

#26

TheEarthmaster

Good Opinion Haver

Joined: Jun. 2018

Posts: 1,834

Likes: 938

The golden rule is don't try to solve a problem before you have to. Otherwise known as the "don't trade Artemi Panarin two years before his contract is up because you're worried about his extension" rule.

You're worried about KK and Suzuki eventually taking the top two center spots from Danault, which may or may not happen. They had a good playoffs. But KK underlying numbers have shown he has not been an effective NHL player over the course of a full season yet and was literally in the minors last year. His future is still very much unknown. Suzuki less so but I'm not sure you want to give him the top C job just yet when you don't have to.

My point is, re-sign Danault now and worry about the consequences later. Consequences that aren't all that dramatic. Realistically, Kotkaniemi will be under team control for the entirety of Danault's next contract. By the end of said contract Danault won't be a top six center. If Danault can be had for Pageau money, that's perfectly fine, plenty of good teams payed their 3C five million, including Tampa and the Blues. And if Gallagher didn't get a full no trade, then Danault won't either, and centers are always in demand.

This isn't a problem that needs to be solved right now. You more-or-less have the cap space. You still need centers for all four lines. Keep as many good players as you can until something- the salary cap, a player's demands, etc.- forces your hand otherwise.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:33 p.m.

#27

Habs4ever

Thread Starter

Habs4ever

Joined: Jan. 2017

Posts: 2,728

Likes: 1,195

Quoting: Bmersereau73

Exactly, I think if Montreal wants to do some damage in the playoffs they need Danault, to take that key face off at any point in the game, or shut down a star player, he's capable of it, he was a big factor of shutting down Crosby / Pittsburg. And Poehling is an interesting question, I couldn't tell you who the real Poehling is, that's why I think its too risky to expect him to be Danault's replacement. I think his absolute ceiling would be a Kevin Hayes type, but that's his ceiling, I don't know if he is going to reach that tbh, he has the tools of an NHL player, but in reality he could end up being no better than a decent 4th liner.

agreed. Finally the team has good players and the coaches have good options to counter. On paper this team looks very good!

Bmersereau73 liked this.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:35 p.m.

#28

Bmersereau73

BM73

Joined: Dec. 2017

Posts: 710

Likes: 196

Quoting: Habs4ever

agreed. Finally the team has good players and the coaches have good options to counter. On paper this team looks very good!

I agree, I'm normally a more pessimistic Habs fan, but I got to admit, I'm excited for this years team, I think we got really good depth, which will be key for the up coming season, and MB addressed all of the needs. I think whether Montreal plays in the Atlantic or the "Canadian Division" they should be a playoff team.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:36 p.m.

#29

Habs4ever

Thread Starter

Habs4ever

Joined: Jan. 2017

Posts: 2,728

Likes: 1,195

Quoting: TheEarthmaster

excellent points. This should finally be a good year. The team on paper looks very good. I can't wait for the season to start. If this team gels and they all play well, watch out!

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:39 p.m.

#30

Habs4ever

Thread Starter

Habs4ever

Joined: Jan. 2017

Posts: 2,728

Likes: 1,195

Quoting: Bmersereau73

ya, that's another thing. Will they play in Atlantic or all Canadian? but what a shopping list. He got a check mark on all four major needs. We needed a solid back up, a rugged hitting d-man, a power forward and a sniper. Did Bergevin finally figure out how to be a GM or was this his plan all along? to build through the draft and make smart trades. He's put a good team together.

Bmersereau73 liked this.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:42 p.m.

#31

Bmersereau73

BM73

Joined: Dec. 2017

Posts: 710

Likes: 196

Quoting: Habs4ever

I'd say the Canadian Division is likely, just makes sense for Travel and the Border issue, even if I'm not a fan of it. Yes MB checked all 4 major needs, plus he added another need, Stanley Cup Experience. Toffoli, Allen, and Edmunson all have cups, and lots of playoff experience which will be huge for our young team, and as a bonus he extended 2 core players we couldn't afford to lose for reasonable contracts (Gallagher and Petry). MB had one hell of an offseason.

Habs4ever liked this.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 1:51 p.m.

#32

Jfstompers

Pop Pop

Joined: Feb. 2018

Posts: 14,593

Likes: 8,268

Quoting: Habs4ever

I agree with you. Sadly what all of us, do not know is how does Danault see himself and at what amount? also does he see himself as #1,2 or 3 C on the team going forward. Maybe not this upcoming season but the following?

Can he be a 2nd line center on a cup team maybe in the right circumstance but hed be nobodys first choice. I think its a wait and see.

Habs4ever liked this.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 3:19 p.m.

#33

Habs4ever

Thread Starter

Habs4ever

Joined: Jan. 2017

Posts: 2,728

Likes: 1,195

Quoting: Bmersereau73

yes the cup experience is invaluable. Huge! man, start the season already!

Oct. 20, 2020 at 6:31 p.m.

#34

Habs_Hfx10

Joined: Jan. 2020

Posts: 441

Likes: 159

With the way Montreal is built every line can be effective, I really don’t see it as a 1st, 2nd, 3rd line scenario. If Danault wants to resign then he will and he knows what kind of contract he’s going to get, he won’t ask for more money than Gally and knows that he will always have good linemates and be played in every difficult defensive situation. If he wants to try for a bigger pay day the have at it, truthfully with Gally signed and the team heading in the direction it is I see Danault wanting to stay with the habs long term. As for contract I’d like to see a 5 x $5mil.

Oct. 20, 2020 at 8:20 p.m.

#35

Habs4ever

Thread Starter

Habs4ever

Joined: Jan. 2017

Posts: 2,728

Likes: 1,195

Quoting: Habs_Hfx10

Well laid out. Its going to be an interesting next few years.

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