IF we draft 1st OA, there’s no scenario were Dach isn’t playing top 6

If you think MTL would be better with a Matheson-Mailloux pairing & Hutson-Xhekaj pairing you are mistaking…

With Celebrini, the forward group would look like this :

Caufield-Suzuki-Slaf
Newhook-Celebrini-Dach
Roy-Dvorak-Anderson
RHP-Evans-Gallagher

I would like to see Roy having a good shot with Cell & Slavs

I agree that Dach would be top 6 but, I would say that Newhook would be 3C between Anderson/Armia and Gallagher and Roy 2LW. That would leave RHP-Evans-Anderson/Gallagher as the 4th line. The D here is all messed up though, if Hutson makes the team Guhle is paired with Matheson for sure, Hutson will get either Savard or Reinbacher (if Savard is traded) and Xhekaj gets Mailloux. Also Barron's rights would be traded

Yes I agree Dach TOP6... just wanted to built a first youth line... on a competitive team Suz become the second C

at D: I don't like seeing Ghule at RD... never look good there...
Pairing Mailloux with Mathy make sense... and I would prefer Guhle & Reinbacher... being our top first pair in 25-26

Matheson and Mailloux are basically the same player, mostly offensive with some serious defensive flaws (caught out of position a lot) so you can't pair them together otherwise we would be giving up too many odd man rushes. I would love to get someone like Hronek to pair with Guhle or Hutson and move out Matheson to make a really strong top 4 but I just don't see how we can get that type of D man via trade.

I will talk to both of you here
Newhook >> Roy
Kent Hughes didn’t brought in Newhook to be a 3rd liner
Roy have what ? 1 goal ? Maybe 2 ? Monahan gave him an open net on his 1st NHL goal. I remember Roy shooting from long range and the puck tipped against an opponent defender. Newhook right now is a better player than Joshua Roy and should play higher (if no injuries). There’s no reason really to have Hutson and/or Mailloux playing in Montreal next year unless we move Matheson for a RHD

Campabee, I just had a good idea. Luke Hughes is struggling in New Jersey, maybe we could swap Mike Matheson vs John Marino ? Give less minutes to L. Hughes at 5 on 5 and use more Matheson

MTL :

Guhle-Marino
Xhekaj-Savard
Harris-Barron
Kovacevic

NJD :

Siegenthaler-Hamilton
Matheson-Nemec
L.Hughes-Bahl (or vet)
Bahl (or vet)

The reason for swapping Roy and Newhook isn't due to skill, it's just that Celebrini and Dach are both better players and both are centers, so having 3 centers on the same line and having to find another center to play 3rd or 4th line doesn't make a lot of sense, so playing Roy at 2LW allows for us to have 5 centers in the lineup but without playing Dach as the 3C when he deserves to be in the top 6, the other option is to play Anderson at 2 LW but Anderson hasn't shown he deserves to be top 6 this year.

I like the Matheson Marino swap, just not sure Jersey would, I suggested Hronek because the Canucks could run into an issue with him. Hughes is their best D man but is signed to a team friendly 7.85 mil deal and Hronek has played well enough this year to warrent 8 mil, the Canucks might not be willing to pay Hronek more then Hughes even though he deserves it. If Hronek goes to arbitration he likely gets 7.5+ mil on a 1 year deal walking him to FA next year where he would get 8+ anyway, so the Canucks need to figure something out to fit him into their salary structure without paying him more than Hughes but also that makes sense for him long term. I don't think he accepts less than 8 on a long term deal when he can go to arbitration get 7.5 for 1 year then sign for 8-9 mil for 7 as a FA, that doesn't make much sense for him as an individual to do.

Suzuki
Celebrini
Dvorak
Evans

Don’t where you are lost

Dvorak is on the taxi squad, which I assumed meant he was being moved. Also if you add Dvorak back to the lineup then you have to waive RHP and he likely gets claimed but then you also have to move one of Roy, Anderson or Gallagher to the 4th line. I was also looking at my lineup as spreading the talent between 3 lines instead of creating a top heavy lineup like the Leafs, which IMO is a better team layout.

Dvorak chance at moving are low. He doesn't hold a lot of value and he is appreciated in the locker room. Kent Hughes could do some magic but let's wait and see.
Caufield-Suzuki-Slaf
Newhook-Celebrini-Dach
Gallagher-Dvorak-Anderson
RHP-Evans-Armia
Pezzetta

Just send Roy in Laval, stack the top 6 and hope that 3rd line doesn't go -100 in the regular season

I get what you are saying and why you might be tempted to do that, I just think we need to spread the talent through the lineup better cause we don't have the same quality of top 6 as Toronto, Edmonton, Colorado, Florida or New York Rangers. We are going to have to score by committee and hope foe a healthy Dach next year even with Celebrini IMO

Even with Celebrini & Dach healthy we won’t make the playoffs …