we are not desperate at all. We will even keep all of our D till the next TDL if we do not receive a premium offer for one of them.

A 40 pts winger for 6 million is not worth

Habs have cap space but are not interesting

Habs decline

Rather lose him for nothing on Waivers in 2025-26 then take a cap dump and pay for it.

No he's right its getting close but we're not there yet (tho we could just sell 2 vets/2 young guns at TDL and overstock the AHL but thats risky)
Harris requires waivers now for like 4 months
Struble requires them in 20 games
Guhle does in 40 some games, Xhekaj in 60 some games, Barron in 70 some games or 1 season
Hutson, Reinbacher and Engstrom will all be in Laval or MTL next year with Mailloux

These are just the guys we're considering for next year.
We got Captain Kony the 21 year old KHL Captain and playing 22 + minutes a night.
We got Kostenko who after a mediocre KHL debut last year at 20 he went to the KHL's version of the AHL and has dominated similar to Mailloux in the AHL this year.

We got to move players but if we're willing to give away or lose Savard/Kovy for next to nothing then our youth can all survive another year.
But it will make 2025-26 real dicey if any of them standout as it will basically demand that Matheson be moved so they can grow

Then Habs fans should stop trying to dump Harris on Calgary.

Mature Response
Harris isnt a dump
The only people who complain about him in trades do so because MTL fans want a 1st + back and he's not worth that much
But thats fine CGY never really high on any Habs fans list of trade partners
They only include CGY now cause you blew your team up and are rebuilding under new management
This happens everytime a team does that regardless of fanbase they cheer for

This being a bad Trade doesnt go away cause you try to diminish Harris to build up Manipane
Anyways i feel like at this point im likely wasting my breathe as i suspect you'll just respond with a Troll

Just move Struble in AHL for next season until one of Barron Kovacevic Harris are traded (close to tdl or at tdl). There is really no rush here.

i kind of dont get it, Calgary will need to uprage their defence next year, dont you think more options would be good?

Build lines for both NHL and AHL
No matter what people are left over because of who can and cant go down.
5 rookies in the same season has his downside, this is it.

Matheson-Savard
Guhle-Kovacevic
Xhekaj-Harris
Hutson

Struble-Barron
Engstrom-Mailloux
Trudeau-Reinbacher
Sobolev who was Suzuki version of Alexi Emelin on his Memorial Cup Run as a rookie and is now doing it for Florian Xhekaj.(Unlike Emelin he'll fight if they're dumb enough to try)

This is before we factor in word is Kostenko might be making the jump to NCAA which after the season he had wont be a bad idea actually and put him in the mix.
Captain Konyuskov the 21 year old RD playing 22+ minutes in the KHL is growing into a real Markov type Defender we'd be foolish to discount completely


We also got AHL Bisson a local boy the Coach in Laval has groomed into a real option for a call up especially given he went from a Defensive Shot block anchor to offensively inclined one Reinbacher was paired with him. I dont see MTL giving up on him too easily either due purely because he's French , Local and thriving beside Reinbacher

Thats assuming Luke Middlestadt stops progressing and he doesnt make a case for himself same as Harris did.
Thats without factoring in we're in a Draft with like 12 first round ranked D of which many are ranked top 20.
MTL could wind up with Silayev falling into their laps aka a 6'7 Mobile Defensman having a great rookie year as a 17 year old in the KHL who's ranked top 3 by many but so is Dickinson & Levushonov.

Even with Savard and Kovacevic leaving you're just delaying the inevitable hoping all your D who's been overachieving suddenly just stop and the new one's drag ass for the first time ever. Only way to keep the Majority is Trade Matheson at the draft or in the summer. Then let Savard & Kovacevic be moved next TDL giving the rookies the rest of the year to show Hughes who stays.

We can acquire or sign a Veteran if needed the following Summer and this way we only lose a Harris .
Possibly a Struble in the next 2 years depending on Mailloux's progress this playoff run

They seemingly need a guy who can play a Xhekaj type roll on their back end
We really got none to spare but if we did Struble would be the closest thing that would meet their needs
Someone who would thrive learning from Weager while adding Grit

Barron isn't waiver exempted so you need him in NHL. Engstrom plays on the right side. I would play Hutson a full season in AHL before using him in NHL due to his size!

Has Mangina Pain really fallen off that bad?

Barron is for 74 games more or 1 season i believe it was while we can send him down we shouldnt given we got 2 pending UFA's we'll need him to gain momentum
But with all the players we have there might not be a choice sadly unless we move Harris or Struble this summer
Even if Hutson plays in the AHL this remains true as Harris playing 7th D again this year only further devalues him and given after next year he will need a contract again we shouldnt mess with him too much

Engstrom does it all which is why he'll get minutes under Houle
He can play LD as well as RD without being a defensive liability

But again trading Matheson buy time for these young guns to establish a value for themselves while making their case to edge out almost a dozen prospects for 6 spots long term.
Matheson eats up a ton of minutes and moving him opens them up to play at a higher level and gives players like Harris , Struble,Barron and maybe others a year to establish their value before Hutson,Reinbacher,Engstrom,ext start pushing their way into the mix.

No but he is a little overpaid now and he's a 28 year old middle 6 player who will be UFA a year from now. With the team looking to get younger and bigger it might be time to move him. Calgary would be getting another decent young right shot RD prospect with good size + a 3rd and gain significant cap space too.

A player we could keep if we like him enough or use as part of a package for a pretty good player in another trade. We'll have plenty of cap space to afford pretty much anyone who is available this summer.

we still have enough room and time.

Matheson Ghule
Xhekaj Savard
Harris Kovacevic
Barron

Stuble Mailloux
Hutson Reinbacher
Trudeau Engstrom
Bisson

Not if we want Growth and Value in anything more then our Veterans who very clearly cant remain short or long term.
I mean Matheson once his terms up in 2 more years is done , Savard is done next TDL as is Kovacevic.
Waiting too long isnt smart nor is expecting to be able to hold down that much talent in the AHL the entire year.

We can sneak it out punishing the youth but it gives them a really small window to get minutes and show what they can do.
You'd basically be sacrificing Value for a chance to limp into the playoffs half cocked.
I'd rather do like LAK and CHI selling high even on D we value while building around a core in the same age range.
Both brought in experienced D Vet's as needed but built upon Keith once Byflulgien got him settled in to take over
No one in CHI wanted to give up Byfluglien but it was required just like no one wanted to give up Leddy but it was needed.
Sometimes hard choices need made

Otherwise you wait too long like LAK now
They keep having to sell low on D and still end up losing some on Waivers for nothing
They waited too long on Walker and Roy then came to regret it as it cost them Durzi,Bjornfot,Granz and counting

None of them are yet ready no need to rush them. Anyway yes by next TDL one will be gone, but who!

They're ready Harris showed it last year while Matheson, Savard and half the team was on LTIR
He was thriving at 20-22 minutes a night as a regular top 4 guy playing on both PP and PK.

He struggled after we took that away
we're trying to make a Brodie into a Zadorov and its not working

Most of the others are overachieving
But Harris is at the point this log jams had a negative impact on his game.

All of this is moot tho if Hutson comes up and plays as dominantly here as he has everywhere he's ever been.
That would force MTL's hand as he's past where he finished last year offensively and also in the Frozen Four 2/2 possible times.
With 2 possible games to go and a possible NCAA title on the line who knows what kind of momentum he'll roll into MTL or Laval with this year IF he does turn Pro

What about next season we manage TOI for our youngster and give them more ice while we shred Matheson's TOI or even Savard to see if they can fit the job? As I said earlier we have enough place to manage a lineup wether we go with 7 or 8 defensemen next season.