Habs
Joined: Apr. 2016
Posts: 2,224
Likes: 384
The duchene trade is a big overpayment, for all the attention he gets he has barely out produces plekanec over the past 3 seasons. Plekanec has negative value but I think he will bounce back a little next year, he found some good chemistry with byron gallagher and lehkonen.
I made another trade for carter and brown in a team before this one howevery I traded McCarron, Shaw, Beaulieu, and Lindgren. Shaw offsets the cap hit for brown somewhat, plekanec does not. Montreal would be in definite future cap trouble in your version of the trade. Lindgren should be traded instead of McNiven who finished 2nd in OHL MVP. McNiven is far younger and can take over for price many years from now, lindgren will on in free agency before he takes the starting position from montreal. He is also more of a fit for LA who is looking for a young backup I believe. Juulson is also the only RHD prospect in the system with top 4 potential and shouldn't be traded. Beaulieu, McCarron, and Lindgren are all expendable and would be good fits in LA.
I somewhat disagree with your opinion of Bergevin. I agree he hasn't been trying that hard during the offseason but galchenyuk, plekanec, and desharnais all failed to meet expectations and it's pretty hard to acquire a 1C during the season when other teams aren't willing to trade them (look at the price Minnesota payed for Hanzal!!) I don't think Bergevin is an idiot when he says stuff like trades aren't easy etc., he's telling the truth. Sure that duchene trade is a sure thing but massive overpayment and you would be fired for it. The thorton and carter acquisitions aren't realistic, Carter would require more assets and thorton more $$$. Montreal hardly has the assets to aquire one top 6 C, which is why I say this is unrealistic, other teams would.make better offers than this (except the duchene trade which is a big step backwards)
I don't think it's likely thorton will come to montreal to play next season every team would like to add thorton and I just don't see him picking montreal but crazier things have happened I guess.