This isn't realistic at all. MTL don't do that trade. Why would even Tkachuk get a better return than Suzuki? And Kakko, Kravtsov, Suzuki, Reilly and Carter don't take those contracts.

a few more last ones to realize YOUR still rebuilding. Just like Benning.lol

that suzuki contract is god awful

You should have stopped at NMC Kreider waiving for Montreal. Then those UFA signings

First rules of a trade: you need to agree with the other team... You misunderstood the value of N. Suzuki.
Here's a trade Mtl would accept:
Suzuki
Vs
Lafreniere
K.Miller
1st (2022)

Now that’s a contract fox would definitely sign. Doubt the rangers would though, walking him right to UFA wouldn’t be too smart.
Suzuki cost 3x that in trade, and contract.

Thats an easy no from Montreal, although the drama between Kreider and Price would certainly be interesting

Both these returns for Tkachuk and Suzuki are good but there's 2 problems :

- it goes against Montreal's needs which are at center. They have a lot of depht on wings so Kreider isn't a need and their best prospects are D-men so Miller, while being an awesome young player, isn't needed as much as Suzuki.

- the value for Tkachuk is good but Ottawa SHOULDN'T make a quality for quantity deal for him. They actually need to do the opposite as they just have too many young players growing and a massive logjam will ensue. For Tkachuk, they have to find a 1 for 1 (or something close)



Lafreniere is worth comfortably more than Suzuki

Miller + 1st is already pretty good value but it seems that Miller is still pretty underrated

Patently untrue (bold). Perhaps down the road, but it isn't even close right now. That doesn't mean you give up on Lafreniere, because he might eventually be the better player, but if you do make that decision, you have to deal in current performance value.

There's value in projection. Which is why GMs don't want to trade their blue chippers for established players. For example, Dallas (rightfully) didn't want to trade Heiskanen for Erik Karlsson.

Lafreniere is more than 2 years younger and hockey people will see him as the most valuable piece for now (I think it would be the same for most hockey fans). Maybe it changes in 1 or 2 years if Alexis doesn't improve enough but until then, it's not really a debate. Which is why I find your "Patently untrue" opinion a bit surprising to be honest.

Proven performance is (almost) always more valuable than potential. Obviously if you aren't competing then you'll probably keep the potential, but when you're talking about trading a prospect for someone who is currently a better player, the better player is simply worth more.
So IF a Lafreniere for Suzuki trade were to materialize, it would take more than just Lafreniere to make it happen.

I know everyone is entitled to his opinion and it's ok, if you want to continue believing that Suzuki has more value than Lafreniere on the NHL market right now, it's within your rights.

That being said, as I expected your answer, I went ahead and made a poll on another website with hockey fans of every team. I asked "Who do you think has more trade value? Alexis Lafreniere vs Nick Suzuki"

Here are the vote options and the results at the moment I am making this post :

Alexis Lafreniere 36 vote(s) 55.4%
Nick Suzuki 13 vote(s) 20.0%
Habs fan - Nick Suzuki 4 vote(s) 6.2%
Habs fan - Alexis Lafreniere 9 vote(s) 13.8%
Rangers fan - Alexis Lafreniere 3 vote(s) 4.6%
Rangers fan - Nick Suzuki 0 vote(s) 0.0%


Even Habs fans think it's Lafreniere (9 vs 4)

I'm used to message boards, I know you will spin this one way or another but just wanted you to know what the real reality is. You can be sure 31 GMs would value Lafreniere more in a trade. It could change in a year or two, depending on the trajectory these 2 players take but as we speak, Lafreniere was a 1st OA pick for a reason.

That's people judging value based on potential, which is fair to a point, if there's no reason to consider otherwise.
If you are trading Lafreniere for Suzuki, it's because you value the more established player over the potential of the other. The gap might not be large in value, but it definitely isn't reversed.

Even though they are human beings, players are assets

NHL teams have a specific way to value players, and it's monetary. It's not their salary but a value attributed based on age, performance, contract, etc

Before being players, they were draft picks, which are currency. On the NHL market, Lafreniere is worth a currency, Suzuki is also worth a currency. Potential or not, it doesn't matter : what is your asset worth today?

Brady Tkachuk for example is much more proven than Lafreniere and has a much bigger impact than him. I would trade Tkachuk in a heartbeat to get Lafreniere and would probably add a nice piece or two.

"What is your asset worth today" is my point?
Suzuki is a young, right-handed, top 6C. Immediately more value than a young top 6W. Having more production and experience is added value.
That's today.

You're talking about value ON the ice BEFORE this season. I was talking about value on the trade market at this very moment. Maybe you understood differently from the start when I said "Lafreniere is worth comfortably more than Suzuki"??? Can't see any other rational explanation

Lafreniere was not a second round pick or even a late first round pick, he was a 1st OA pick LAST YEAR for a reason. Players drafted in that position have tremendous value until they prove that they're not that good (Yakupov). So until Lafreniere really disappoints, he's going to have more value than most NHL players. One 19 y/o rookie season doesn't change that, and Lafreniere actually shown more towards the end of the season once he was getting more comfortable. I mean, the NHL is a pretty big step from junior and there's a massive difference between being 19 y/o and 20 y/o. At this age, 1 year is a crucial difference.

So updating the poll results

Alexis Lafreniere 87 vote(s) 55.4%
Nick Suzuki 17 vote(s) 20.0%
Habs fan - Nick Suzuki 8 vote(s) 6.2%
Habs fan - Alexis Lafreniere 12 vote(s) 13.8%
Rangers fan - Alexis Lafreniere 7 vote(s) 4.6%
Rangers fan - Nick Suzuki 0 vote(s) 0.0%

NHL fans : Lafreniere 84%
Habs fans : Lafreniere 60%
Rangers fans : Lafreniere 100%

You want to be in minority, it's your right but it's easy to see what the reality looks like.

I'm comfortable being in the minority on this one.

If you have Suzuki and someone offers you Lafreniere, you most likely say no, regardless of your team's situation.
If you have Lafreniere and someone offers you Suzuki, there's a fair number of teams that would say yes, if for no other reason than he's a center.

Obviously we aren't going to agree here.

Agree to disagree is the adult way to do it! Instead of start throwing insults like I often get lol


Anyway, you'll just have to track these 2 guys and see how they do... Lafreniere being 2 years younger has time on his side but if he doesn't become as good or better than Suzuki during the next 2 years, then yeah his value will go down. For now, he's still the CONCENSUS 1ST OVERALL PICK IN A VERY GOOD DRAFT.

I understand that as a Habs fan you value Suzuki deeply. As a Sens fan, I wouldn't trade Josh Norris or Shane Pinto for Suzuki either (i realize you will find this "outrageous"). But I'd do it in a heartbeat for Lafreniere though. Elite players (what he will become) don't grow on trees.