PLD for Kuzy straight up.

From the Caps' perspective you would have to assume he just accepts his QO and goes to UFA after next year. They get the better player and a bit more cap space but as a rental. WPG gets an immediate replacement at 2c with one extra year.

Nah kuzy has been not great lol was more thinking a 2023 first 2024 Conditional first and prospects

I know Kuzy hasn't been great but no other deal makes sense from a WSH perspective. If there was any willingness to sign long term I think they would definitely be interested -- they are reportedly in on Chychrun after all -- but every indication is that that is not the case and this team is not at all in a position to be giving up futures (especially their 23 first at ~12 OA) for rentals. Also worth noting that while Kuzy has been bad this year his peak was much higher than Dubois' was, always a chance he gets back to 2018/2019 form.

Why not trade kuzy and then trade foe Dubois for what he gets? If kuzy is as valuable as you say you should be able to get a return on him. I see Washington as a retool on guys they can't keep but overall want to compete while having ovi

Edit saw that kuzy has a 15 no trade list and you gotta assume that jets are on that list so looks like that 1 for 1 wasn't even possible to begin with as him even waiving is unlikely

Dubois would 100% make the team better when he's there regardless. The fact is the trade value might be high sure but the asset you're getting is top teir not available many other ways. The fact he's local does charities there, grew up a habs fan. Even if it's a lot what's stopping the habs from having Dubois the rest of his career? Yes a trade can be expensive but there is also value in games played for a team. Common Example of this is the evander kane deal to buffalo. We got many players from the deal but if you look at the deal not many aspect are left. Tyler Myers played a lot of games, armia, Stafford, roslovic played some as well. In this deal both teams got assets and kane was flipped for assets that recouped many of what was traded. Does this mean that the jets got nothing for kane? No but the games and years that the player plays on the team where he improves the overall outlook for a team is key. If Dubois got traded for a lot but was an active member of the community, was a good player and provided many aspects that mtl don't currently have. Sure they might not make the playoffs next year with Dubois that isn't the point. He could be there for 10 plus years 800 some games and just be someone everyone loves on their team. Trading for dubois would open themselves up to more opportunities with other players wanted to play in mtl with an up and coming team. If they make a splash with this deal it would be the beginning of the turnaround. The rebuild wouldn't be over but steps in becoming more competitive for playoffs are in place. A team that shows that they are trying to emerge from a rebuild and be a contender with the underlying assets many other options for trade and ufa will want to come based on the projection. Dubois accelerates this projection and thus the likelihood of more impact players wanting to come to mtl.

Look I get you want to get some huge package for Dubois, I would too if I were a Jets fan. The thing is the Habs have 3 options with regards to PLD

Option 1 - Wait until FA and hope he signs like he says he wants to, if you miss out you miss out but didn't give up a huge package.
Option 2 - Trade a huge package for him after the season ends and sign him to an extension, problem here is the package will hurt as you eluded to the equivalent of Meier most likely
Option 3 - Wait until the opening of FA this summer then OS PLD at his QO (6.3 Mil) potentially giving up just a 2024 1st and 3rd. Now what this does is force the Jets to negotiate a more palatable trade package or they match and Montreal signs PLD in FA anyway. The Jets can't flip PLD at the 2024 TDL if they match the OS cause you can't trade a player for a year after you match an OS. So this really puts pressure on the Jets to either match and let PLD walk for free after 2024 or not match and let him walk for a 1st and 3rd or negotiate a trade that both sides can live with. This is the route I would take if I was Hughes and I didn't like the asking price.

I think that a deal that works for both sides will be worked out either at the draft or shortly before FA opens on July 1st. By that I mean something in the range of the Panther's 1st or the Habs 2024 1st + Mesar + Barron + a fringe roster player. Fans on both sides are going to complain about the cost/payment but it will be something that both GM's can say was fair from their perspectives.

Then the 2024 pick is unprotected I'm that case and like you said mtl isn't likely to be a playoff team right away so an OS on Dubois would be risky especially because with how injured the team is now there is no guarantee that isn't 1st ovr. I would say the Florida first mesar barron and kidney with Hoffman or Dvorak as the cap to make it work. This is obviously less than meier as meier got an equivalent of 3 first plus where this deal is basically what you said but add in kidney to have a center coming back could also add in a pick as well like a 2024 3rd rounder

Mesar has been playing center this year for the Rangers and exceling (basically a ppg in his rookie OHL season). Also the value in my original offer was 2 1sts (Mesar and the Cats 1st) + 2nd (Barron) and I was thinking someone like Harris or Dvorak as the roster player not just a straight cap dump like Hoffman lol. I don't think we need to add in Kidney to make the deal work though.

Edit** the OS wouldn't really be that risky for the Habs though even if we weren't a playoff team since PLD would be better than even the top pick in the 2024 draft and we have already established that he is worth between 2 and 3 1st round picks. Like I said though I would rather work out a fair deal then force a deal with an OS

I feel like the jets would want kidney in the deal which is why I suggested to add a 2024 3rd. I see Dvorak as a 0 asset like Hoffman tbf as he has more term and in the same position as he isn't good enough to be a 2nd liner and having him and Lowry in the bottom six ain't bad just expensive cap wise.

So my deal
To mtl
Dubois, 2024 3rd, reichel, and 2024 6th

To winnipeg
2023 fla first, mesar, Barron, kidney and Dvorak

My apologies I thought you meant Montreal adds the 3rd as well as Kidney. This is something I think both sides can live with Habs would say "we had to pay more but we got the player we wanted" Jets probably say "we took a bit less but it's still a good package"

No the deal I mentioned probably works both sides as both teams would question it but live with it

That is what I meant lol