Gee, I would leave Weber, Edmundson and Chariot unprotected. If Seattle takes ones, you have cap space for a replacement and then it gives you the ability to protect Evans and Lehkonen.

Absolutely

Thank goodness weber doesn't have a nmc

Might as well take advantage of it

Cale Fleury ✔

Best combo of upside and cost controlledness

Is that a word 🤔

Allen, doesn't matter if you go 4-4-1 or 7-3-1

Edmundson is protected no matter what, but I'm with you on Weber. Just go 7-3-1 and protect Chiarot over him.

Fleury, Allen, Evans, in that order.

But I echo the sentiments of @palhal and @Radu47 -- protect Evans, Lehkonen and another forward and Fleury and expose Chiarot and Edmundson.

The coaches and GM all want the top4 on D back. Edmundson, Chiarot will be protected or they'll be a deal in place with Seattle to grab a different piece.

Smart thing to do would be to leave Weber exposed. Seattle wont touch him despite past Duncan Keith rumours there, Weber's deal is another level of risk for a Seattle team that shouldn't be a contender and should have an onus on cap space for future dealings.

This.

Unpopular opinion (apparently), but Weber was MTL's best defenseman in the playoffs... maybe if Petry wasn't injured vs the Jets but Weber was huge. He played the most minutes, the toughest minutes, and he had the best goal differential on the team.

And if it's the contract realistically he will retire in two years anyways and MTL will need that cap space for Caufield.

Let's put it this way, why would you protect depth role players like Lehkonen, Evans, and Fluery over top 4 D like Edmundson, Chiarot and Weber?

Evans and Allen are the only players I'd be disappointed to lose. I thought someone would make a case for Drouin... he would have never been exposed had he finished the season but I can't see him playing another game with MTL after sitting out the entire playoffs. Doesn't mean a change of scenery wouldn't be good for him.

I think the question will be: what strategy does Seattle want to take?
Do they want to copy Vegas and go for it right away? Then take Drouin and hope he can duplicate what we saw from guys like Marchessault in that draft.
Do they want to go for the most valuable trade chips and build their team through trades/signings? Then go with Allen.
Do they want to build a team of futures that will get high picks in the next two years when guys like Shane Wright and Connor Bedard will be available and lots of cap space to weaponize? Then Jake Evans or Cale Fleury would be the way to go.

Excellent post, there is a case to be made for all of those players.

Well the reason you expose Edmundson or Chariot or Weber is that if Seattle selects them, you have that cap space to fill a roster spot, and if this case if all three unprotected, the Habs could protect two more forwards.

Seatles takes Evans or Lehky

The risk isn't that Seattle might select Weber and keep him but that they'll choose him and then pass him on to a contender after retaining. Weber at $3,928,572 might be pretty appealing to a contender.

Absolutely agree. Evans and Lehkonen are replaceable, much more so than Chiarot, and Edmundson.
The Weber contract isnt bad for Montreal but the fact that it stretches 5 years beyond is still something that you have to account for if you are Seattle.
Much unlike Ken Holland didnt account for the fact that he'd probably need a 2nd round pick this season instead of making the 3rd rounder conditional which freezes both picks for possible trade, yikes!
Montreal should already be prepared for those years. The question would be if Seattle can stomach that sort of unpredictability when they are already starting with nothing but questions throughout the starting lineup come October. You cant rely on Weber retiring for a team that needs cap flexibility to build a foundation down the line. The risk would seem calculated to expose Weber but he'd be a massive loss if the Habs lost him this offseason

True but with the flat cap it's an affordable risk. That cap hit stretches 5 years down the road. I dont think Seattle will eat 4 million in cap space each season for the following 5 years

Exactly, and Weber only actually makes $6M this year, $3M the next, and only $1M the remaining three years so Seattle would really just be retaining his cap hit not much actual $$$. What did TB just give up to get Savard for one playoff run? TB gave up a 1st, a 3rd, and a 4th... would have to think SEA could get more than that for Shea Weber.

I'm assuming Bergevin would have those discussions with Weber... if Weber plans on playing out all 5 years then absolutely time to move him, cannot be stuck with his cap hit.

I have a hard time believing Weber would blow up his team over $1M a year... he could just go on LTIR if he wanted to.

My point was for Seattle's cap.

Well if Seattle goes the salary retention route then they would get a big return for Weber at less than $4M cap hit and only like $6M remaining salary over 5 years... that is huge financial savings for a team that might be hard pressed for cash from the pandemic.

And it's very probably Weber retires or goes on LTIR before he finishes that contract.

That wouldnt be worth it at all for Seattle. What team risks 4 million of dead cap space each season for the next 5 years to get what a few draft picks that have maybe a chance of being an nhl'r. That's almost a Tyler Johnson contract that is twice as long. Yes Weber could retire but Seattle cant take that kind of risk.

Like i said its a calculated risk not foolproof

All that 2 steps ahead big brain thinking and his career is probably done.

This is why protecting him made no sense

Weren't you just arguing with me about how Weber could be in the league for 5 more years? This is why I said I doubt he plays more than 2.

In light of this new information problem solved... MTL no longer has to protect Weber, he can go on LTIR and possibly play in the playoffs, MTL can use his $7.8M to improve the team.

I wasnt arguing. I was actually agreeing with you, if you read properly. And you kept going in circles about Seattle trade partners when i was talking about Seattle cap situation not their trade partners. You were big brain thinking