Take out campbell before ANA fans notice
Their Goalie Situation is stocked already with term, its a non starter for them
They'll riot. They wont even take Primeau without getting angry about not needing a goalie

Why does Anaheim want Campbell? Why are we moving 1sts out the door? Zegras fits with Boston, NYR, or even Detroit but not Montreal.

The package you put together is just a hair more than the price to dump Campbell alone. You'd need to add another 2 1sts + young roster player if you want Zegras coming back

Anaheim doesn't want Campbell. No one wants Campbell, but in this hypothetical 3-way trade it would be necessary to make the cap work for Edmonton. Edmonton would have to compensate MTL (and in turn ANA) for this, as I said in the description I'm not sure what that value is.

Why is Zegras a fit with BOS, DET, NYR but not MTL? MTL needs scoring more than any of those teams.



I disagree that it would take another 2 1sts... Holloway and 3 1sts to dump Campbell? Let's get real...

Regardless, if you read the description:

"If I'm off on the cost to dump Campbell add it into the return for Matheson which is flipped for Zegras."



"If I'm off on the cost to dump Campbell add it into the return for Matheson which is flipped for Zegras."

Kudos for the creativity. 3-Team trades are always hard to do. Personally, I think the deal dies at the EDM-MTL part as Matheson is not the type of defenseman the Oilers should target - they need a Tanev or DeMelo type more IMO.

Indeed they are, 2 way trades are hard enough as it is!

The logic is that with Ekholm, Nurse, Ceci, Desharnais the Oilers have enough Tanev Demelo types. Matheson gives the Oilers an elite skating PMD, a sure upgrade over Kulak. There aren't many teams in the league that truly "need" Matheson, but there are a few teams that will be aggressive when it comes to pushing for a cup - I could see EDM being one of those teams.

There isn't a chance ANA does that. They'd rather just keep Zegras than add Campbell to get that package with him.

TBH i think its smarter for MTL to sell at TDL
Re-visit Zegras at the Draft and trade a top 10 pick for him with another piece
There's Quality in the Draft and if someone like Eiserman is left on the board they'll jump to get him

MTL should stockpile assets
Move out Matheson to EDM in a deal for Campbell, Holloway and a 1st
Cap works out about the same after they send a Goalie to the AHL its 250k difference roughly
MTL gets what it needs and can Bury Campbell in the AHL to back up Dobes which is actually a good fit for the next season and a half.
Then we can buy him out after that

The added 1st makes it easier to give up a top 10 pick and another piece.
Plus MTL will have assets from moving Monahan among others.

So Anaheim is trading away Zegras for free?

At least we get proper compensation for eating Campbell’s contract

The concept here for me is that Matheson + CGY 2025 1st Round Pick is pretty close to fair value for Zegras from MTL's perspective, the caviet being that Anaheim has no interest in Matheson.

So if MTL can flip Matheson for assets that Anaheim would be interested in then their could be a match. I feel if the return isn't enough to take Campbell for Zegras then it likely isn't for Matheson either.

If I'm off on Matheson + CGY 1st = Zegras then that's where I'm missing it, in which case I would stay clear of Zegras and explore other options.

The difference in salary is good until you add in Zegras $5M, in addition to Campbell's. Right now the recent rumors have sparked interest in habs fans regarding Zegras because we could see immediate impact. It's fun to look at these types of trades but honestly MTL should just sell like you said and I would keep that top 10 pick, that players window should align better with MTL's window of contention once the defense is developed and Gallagher, Price, Anderson contracts are over.

I do think they should try to trade a D for a top 6 forward, Zegras is one option but there are others.

Anaheim has zero interest in Jack Cambell so they pass.

It would take Holloway+1st just to unload on Campbell's contract, So sorry one 1st isn't getting you Trevor Zegras. Unless Hughes wants to unload on one of Slafkovsky or Reinbacher. Montreal doesn't have the pieces for Zegras. Anything they'd offer would easily be beat.

Yeah I get it. IMHO I think you are underestimating the cost of dumping Campbell. Either way, ANA isn't moving Zegras if Campbell has to be involved. That is counterintuitive. They can get good assets for him without having to be bootstrapped by one of the worst contracts in the league.

Simply trade Matheson to a team that doesn't have to send back a Campbell type contract and then use those assets (Plus others if need be) to acquire a Zegras type player. That way everyone is happy.

Thats cause you're counting TDL cap
Ton of it will be gone as will other contracts this year
After that there's no cap issues
I had 9m left over by letting kids play and Veterans walk or trading them
That was with Campbell buried

Which goes two ways. The Habs would be giving away Matheson for nothing with that gorilla math.

Oilers can easily buy out Campbell at 1.5M AAV the next two years without the bonuses to be paid in all in window. Campbell aint worth close to a 1st round pick plus A prospect to be dumped. Chicago takes worse contracts for 2nd round picks.

He fits those teams because they are either cup contenders or further along in the rebuild like Detroit is. We are no where near ready to be sending 1st rounder out the door.

When asked today if the habs would be willing to trade draft picks for young players that could help the habs right now (like they did with Dach and Newhook) Hughes answered "there is no question".

That would be a nightmare to trade for Zegras with his question marks health wise, performance wise and needing another deal in a few years as opposed to a free agent even they can sign without the question marks while using their large available cap space.

That doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do.

Respectfully, I disagree. Zegras reminds me of Nylander who just cost $11.5M for the leafs to sign (UFA status, at age 28).

You say the habs can just sign free agents but they never do, and the ones that have the potential you hope Zegras has are going to cost you because you will be bidding with the entire NHL compared to acquiring Zegras' rights now and signing him when he is still an RFA at 25 years old, likely before he even hits his prime.

I would give up Matheson and a 1st round pick (ranged 20 - 32) for Zegras in a heartbeat. The truth is not all of these 1st round picks are going to play for the habs, if you have the opportunity to acquire an elite talent like Zegras by spending some of these assets (that you have plenty of already) you do it, because in 3 years Matheson will probably be replaced by Hutson and the 2025 1st round pick may or may not even be an NHL player, while Zegras could be playing 1st line with Dach and Caufield.