Habs dont do that. As much as I hate Anderson, were not desperate enough to pay to get rid of him

And what are we even gonna do with 2 rental? Do we look like a playoff team to you? Please dont make trades to MTL based on the players being from Qubec ever again

MTL is kind of desperate to move Anderson and\or Gallagher out, they're occupying roster spots now and in the future and playing minutes that need to go to younger players. Buying them out at the end of there deals is an option in 2-3years time when the team is ready to compete but dead money is never a good thing.
The rentals are there specifically because the contract ends, the quebec thing is for the local fans. If you're not from french Quebec\Montreal you wouldn't understand why they'd want this even if it's only for 20ish games.

1. Habs aren't desperate to move out any lockerroom leaders, even if they are on bad contracts.
2. Habs can easily trade, waive or buyout other players to make roster spots (Armia, Pearson, Allen, Savard, Newhook, Ylonen, RHP, Pezzetta, Harris, Matheson, Dvorak, Evans, Primeau, Kovacevic, Wideman and Struble are all options with varying degrees of value, hell even Dach can be traded if need be), How many roster spots would you like to open up?
3. All of Gallagher, Anderson and Armia's buyouts are relatively cheap, so no need to pay to dump them.
4. 80% of Habs fans aren't from French Quebec/Montreal so why make trades to appease 20% of the fanbase over actually trading for pieces that improve the team?! That is just bad management.

No were not. We dont have any forward prospect ready for the NHL other than Roy at this point. Even if we did we could just let anderson and gallagher chill on the 4th line and put our young guns on the 3rd or 2nd line.

Just like you said, we are looking to be competitive in 2-3 years. Thats exactly when their contracts expire, and gallagher is likely gonna have to retire earlier do to injuries too.

The Quebec thing is blown out of proportion. The media makes it a big thing but it really isnt that important. I am from Qubec so yes I do understand what im talking about lmao

Roy - Suzuki - Caufield
Newhook - Dach - Slafkovsky
RHP or Farrell - Beck or Dvorak - Armia or Gallagher
Pezzetta - Evans - Armia or Gallagher
Next year this is the most likely lineup assuming health and no major FA signings, if you keep Anderson and Gallagher you take away spots for a young guy that has earned a full time NHL chance.
You can waive Armia and play Anderson and Gallagher but, Armia is the best of the 3 and only 1 year left on his deal.
When\if the Habs get competitive in 2-3years time you don't want dead money stopping oppurtunities at acquiring players that could help when the time comes.
Losing a late 1st round pick to clear out a problem that everyone can see coming is a fairly small price to pay

Also I work at a French hospital in Quebec, I can guarantee quebecois people LOVE french players, the Habs visited and Savard, Montembeault, RHP and Matheson got a crazy amount of love, more than Slaf. And in what world are French Canadians the minority of Habs fans? Even if you counted Habs fans around the world it's closer to 50\50 than it is 20\80

Broke down what I think the lines will look like in another reply, Farrell and Beck are two guys I think might break into the 3rd line next year.
If Gallagher LTIR retires that would be a crazy blessing but, having watched the guy play for years do you really think he's the type to just stop. He's more likely to try harder to play than respect the team asking him to hang it up.
Both deals are ending right when it starts or are still in effect for 1 year will it starts, I wouldn't risk it. Now if moving a guy like Harris or Struble can get it done instead of the pick cool but, a late 1st to make some room on the roster is a fair price IMO.
Working at a french hospital in Montreal I can guarantee quebecois people love french players

No chance the Panthers do that.

Buffalo accepts

These values are all over the shop.

Roy isn't getting first line minutes with the way Slaf has gelled with CC and NS.
Newhook isn't turning out to be much of a top 6 forward and Dach is always injured so IMO they are both expendable.
RHP isn't a top 9 guy, more like a 4th line energy guy who can play higher in a pinch. Farrell and Beck still need AHL seasoning. Dvorak will likely be traded in the offseason and Armia at the TDL or in the offseason and Anderson brings mare than the 2 of them anyways. Pezzetta is a 13th forward you bring in for added toughness or injuries. Evans is more expendable than Anderson given play style and leadership. Evans is a great 4th line center but anyone of the kids can fill that hole (Mesar, Kidney, Beck or Kapanen if he comes over). Anderson still fills a role that none of the other guys do, later maybe Rohrer or Tuch take that role but those are about the only two prospects that can fill that role. Right now we have Xhekaj, Anderson, Savard and occasionally Pezzetta who are keeping other teams honest cause one or another is almost always on the ice, if you remove Anderson then you open up more opportunities for the other team to take shots at our more skilled players.

A lineup of:

Caufield-Suzuki-Slafkovsky
Roy-Dach-Anderson
Newhook-Beck-Gallagher
RHP-Evans-Armia

Is better than playing Roy, Newhook, RHP/Farrell and Pezzeta above their heads and I would still be open to upgrading Newhook, Dach, Armia and Evans since I am not convinced Newhook is a top 6 guy, Dach can stay healthy, Evans is necessary and Armia isn't obsolete with the emergence of Roy and Slaf.

As for the French BS, as I said only about 20% of the fanbase cares about Quebecois players the other 80% would rather ice the best team possible even if it meant having no French players. 80% is > 20% so why bend to the minority? Just ice the best team possible and build properly.

Okay now I get it, you don't watch hockey. Saying Anderson brings more than Armia is all I need to see. Armia is playing much better than him, watch a single game and that's clear.
Have a good day

LMAO, Armia is a bottom 6 winger, he is amazing on the cycle and defensively but his skill limits his ability to play higher up the lineup. Anderson typically is good for 20 ish goals a season, is strong on the forecheck, is a good leader, plays a north south game and is willing to drop the gloves, all that is more important to the Habs than a higher paid Ylonen or Roy. Armia is just easier to replace than Anderson, that is the plain and simple truth

I mean next year Florida needs to clear out some capspace to bring back Reinhart(8.5mil), Forsling(5.5mil), Montour(5.5mil), Lundell(2.75mil) and Cousins (1.5mil) maybe OEL (for this example I won't add him and the dollar values are what I'm guessing the deal would be could be more or less)
That would leave Florida 3.4mil to fill in a 3rd and 4th line forward spot, a top4 and bottom dpair spot and the usual 2 league minimum scratches, obviously they need to create cap somewhere.

Statistically Knight is having a poor year in the AHL and who knows how his mental illness will affect him going forward, moving him is the easiest move possible and his value is lower than it was before he came back is only getting worse. Allen is a decent backup I had at 50% retention so that frees up 1.5mil from a buried Knight and almost 3mil from a rostered Knight.
Kulak is a versatile defenseman who plays left or right and can fill in for the top4 but will mainly be on the bottom pair.

Maybe Florida could do better but, I find that hard to believe

Armia is a bottom 6 winger, who is clearly playing better than Anderson every game they've both played this season (playing less minutes, with worse linemates and less games and less PP).
Could Anderson bounce back next year, maybe but no need to take the risk, if he gets worse it's just worse for Montreal and his style of play has never aged well he's falling off sooner than expected.
What leadership does Anderson bring, you're the first person to call him that.
Habs already have Gallagher occupying the overpayed leadership role don't need another, Xhekaj fights and fighting isn't a need in today's NHL, Armia's contract ends after next year so it won't affect the teams future to have him on the 4th line (3rd based on Gallagher's play)

I don't know why you are focusing solely on this season as if their overall careers don't mean anything. Anderson is the better player and he has a good chance at bouncing back to 20+ goals per season which is higher than any single season Armia has ever put up. BTW, Anderson is outscoring Armia even in his current "down" season (16 points for Anderson vs 13 points for Armia). Is Anderson overpaid sure by about 500k to 1 mil but so I'd Armia, sure Armia's contract ends sooner so there is thar aspect but given the choice between paying to move Anderson or trading Armia, logic says trade Armia and keep Anderson and hope he can bounce back.

If fighting isn't a need in today's game, then why does every fanbase (including the Habs) want Xhekaj to keep other teams from taking shots at their players?! The simple truth of the matter is that fighting has always and will always be a need in the NHL, otherwise teams 3rd and 4th line players are going to take cheap shots at their top players. Besides that, take a look at today's skills competition results, Xhekaj set the Habs all time record for hardest shot and if it was an NHL sanctioned even he would be 3rd all time in the league, behind Chara and Weber, hell if he was at this year's event he would have won handily, you said previously that I don't watch games but then say Xhekaj doesn't do anything but fight, I think you are the one who doesn't watch the games

Interesting idea on the Avs trade but I think the Avs decline. They need either an experienced 2C or one showing more than HL has so far.

When did I say all Xhekaj does is fight? I said he does fight and the reason everyone wants him is toughness with some underrated mobility, most teams want him because they think on a team more devoted to developping him he could breakout since Montreal doesn't have Wifi as a priority in comparison to Guhle, Mailloux, Hudson, Reinbacher and Barron who are higher drafted players with perceived higher ceilings.
Like I said Anderson's games ages poorly, this year could be an anomaly but, unlikely

AHHHH, stick'em between Rantanen and Lehkonen, he'll figure something out lol