yeah we're not trading Eberle Nuge and Puljujarvi unless Sergachev is involved and why would we want picks when we're in a win now mode

"and why would we want picks when we're in a win now mode"

My expectation was that EDM would use those picks to go get the pieces they really want. Clearly the Oilers don't appear to want RNH or JE, and Puljujarvi was an insignificant member of the 16-17 team. That's not to say he's not talented, but having 2 first rounders to trade means the Oilers could get two solid pieces of the puzzle for one talented player who wasn't a regular contributor and for whom there is still more "prospect" in him than "player."

Sergachev won't be involved in any trade (at least not until the Antichambre turns on him in 2 years a la Beaulieu). Scherbak or Juulsen might make for a reasonable discussion.

There's also a take-it-or-leave it element here for the Oilers.. If the Oilers want to get rid of $72M in cap over the next 6 years in order to be free to build around McDavid, then they might need to add a little water to their wine. This is not a bad deal if the team is serious about winning in the next 1-3 years. Gallagher, Plekanec and Beaulieu are all solid NHLers, regardless of the crap that the French media throw at them. The Habs won their division for a reason and it was more than just Carey Price. Carr is a decent pro with great hockey smarts, and McNiven appears to be a very solid prospect for when Talbot ages out.

But then the picks lose value because this trade makes you guys better which in return will create a higher pick. And it was JP's first year not every prospect is a stud first year, Sergachev wasn't apart of your 2016/17 squad so based of you're logic why not trade him? And we want RNH idk where you got that from we value him highly

The news seems full of RNH criticism. To Montrealers, that's all too familiar. If you believe our coverage, Alex Galchenyuk is the worst pick ever and Nate Beaulieu is only in the NHL because he has kompromat on Marc Bergevin. So if RNH and his 40-50 points at $6M is good for the Oilers, the Habs have other options in Thornton and/or Duchene. Eberle is a solid young guy, but with two years left before UFA, his value is pretty limited.

As to the picks losing value, hard to say. The 2017 pick is etched in stone at 25. If Price or Weber gets hurt next year, the 2018 pick could be a #9 or higher -- like in 2016. Who knows?

The imperatives for the two GMs are different. Habs don't pretend to be building for a "winning now" moment. Canadiens have never played that way. Instead, they shoot just to make the playoffs and then see what happens. So building a ladder of talent, of which Puljujarvi and Sergachev would be the young end, is the Habs' normal way. Chiarelli and the Oilers -- from the City of Champions who spent 10 years out of the playoffs and have a shiny new rink -- have a very different set of priorities.

Isn't worth it to bank on the team doing bad in order to get a high pick, were better off spending the value of the players who help us now instead of spending their value on picks. And you just said that our media is all over RNH but you're telling me not to believe the media coverage on Gally lol and I don't care how this trade works for Montreal but it doesn't work for Edmonton

That's fair. It takes two to tango.

If I were Edmonton, I'd struggle to part with RNH. Eberle is a very good player too, just a better fit at $4.5M than $6M. My sense was there was impatience in Edmonton and that Edmonton was choc full of skaters and scorers but lacking core players. The Oilers also have a looming date with the paymaster over McDavid and Nurse.

Gallagher and Beaulieu are solid, and Carr would play on most teams in the league that weren't overstocked with the same style of players. McNiven is the wildcard. Would be be a first rounder or high second today, given how he has developed? And the much-maligned Plekanec helps on the PK, which was 17th in the league (though better in the playoffs). He will also be worth a 2nd-rounder to a team at the trade deadline if he's not as useful as he could be to the Oilers.

Maybe the best trade for both clubs is Plekanec for Eberle, which would help both teams and clear some cap room for McDavid and Nurse a year earlier.