I hate the idea of trading Guhle but I'd love Boldy... I don't see us actually trading Guhle but I see your point(s)

Yes we need scoring, but D`s is what wins you a Stanley Cup. We need a Balanced D core and Guhle is part of that.

We have tons of picks and young prospects to be able to trade for MB without having to trade Guhle

No we don't. We might if the Wild were starting a rebuild, but they are not. No team is starting a rebuild this year.

Yeah. It's tough. A good deal hurts both sides. One day other Habs D will have value, but we need to trade from the top of we believe the ones in the middle and at the bottom will eventually get to the same level.

So you don`t think we need a Balanced D core. You are willing to sacrifice the D for a goal scorer

Please tell me how you project the Habs top 4 to look in 2026-27 if you had to guess on the info you have now?

I believe Struble, Xhekaj, & Reinbacher will handle the lion's share of the defensive and physical workload in a few years. I think the Habs need to consider that the way the NHL is trending, you need to have an offensive blueliner on each pair.

Agreed, I'd much rather try to get creative and get MIN the value without giving up what I feel should be one of our core pieces though.

Maybe looking at a team that may need to move a contract due to cap? Stephenson/Karlsson in VGK? Add our 1sts this year? Mix up with who gets what? Idk, I gotta keep playing with it but I feel like there could be a value deal that gets made without Guhle going anywhere.

I don`t think this trade solves the needs for the HABS. There are other options and start by drafting Demidov even if it means to trade up and then sign some UFA`s who have actually won the Stanley Cup to compliment the team

I would think if the Wild were trading for an established d-man, it'd be to push a playoff run, so I doubt they would consider sending out Boldy in said trade.

... oops post.

Wild decline. We need dynamic, gamebreaking scorers more than anything. Boldy is the best one we got after Kaprizov.

Boldy is exactly the type of player you don't want in the playoffs. He's not what you think he is by looking at his size, he plays on the outside and simply likes to dangle. The type of player to get you to the playoffs and not through the playoffs.
Whereas Guhle is the polar opposite.

Not interested.



Yes trading Guhle would be a massive blunder ala Dubas but also trading for MB isnt the answer at all. Just look at Joel Armia. He is a more talented Armia. People here also liked the idea of trading for size in PLD but many including me were against it because of character issues. How did that work out? Its more than just size and its more than just metrics. Hockey is a complicated game.

the only way that trade would make sense would be if our d prospect showed they are able to play top pair minutes too.

until then, ghule is not luxury, he is a need.

Available UFA`s to compliment the HABS by 2026-2027 if they don`t sign with their current team

Connor McDavid
Jack Eichel
Kiril Kaprizov
Mitch Marner
Jason Robertson
Kyle Connor
Trevor Zegras
Jacob Markstrom
Artemi Panarin

"looking to be at least as good as Caufield if not better"? Matt Boldy is already demonstrably and indisputably better than Cole Caufield: he's bigger, just as fast, and plays a 200-foot game.

Caufield: 205 games, 81 goals, 68 assists = 149 points
Boldy: 203 games, 75 goals, 96 points = 171 points

Plus-minus is a coarse statistic, and Minnesota is far better defensively than Montreal, but the difference in plus-minus between the two (+23 vs. -39) is still meaningful.

Boldy is just as invaluable and untouchable to the Wild as Cole Caufield is to the Habs. Buffalo felt able to afford to trade Casey Mittelstadt because they have one of the best prospect pools in the NHL and other than #2C, all of their forward positions are pencilled in for the future. Minnesota doesn't have that luxury. This is a good idea -- I think the right idea -- but very unlikely to happen.

Truthfully, they'd be better off going for Marco Rossi whom has a connection to DR. He's already in the trade rumours according to Michael Russo, beat reporter of the Wild, and said it's a high chance that Marco gets moved for more scoring/size.
Marco would be a cheaper price and would fit a need in the center of the ice instead of relying on Dach's health and Beck to make the immediate jump. The Wild need scoring so one of Mesar/Farrell could easily be included with a Dvorak so this would fit the same model as the Newhook trade as the Habs get their promise and the other team Avs/Wild have the more established player Ross Colton/Dvorak

I mean could teach him to use his size? The size and skill is there, finish rounding out his game with physicality and he's a powerhouse. I can't see how adding Boldy to the top 6 would hurt the team. I mean I'm not on board with moving Guhle but finding a way to add a player like Boldy without moving any of what should be our core pieces I just don't see how it's a bad thing.

Of course it wont hurt the team.
That aint what I said.
But you have to manage your assets and not throw them away to fit square pegs in round holes. Boldy has struggled immensely in the past two post seasons and doesnt use his size.
He isn't what you think, was my point and the Habs should be looking elsewhere if they are paying a high price like a Guhle.
Marco Rossi isn't what the Habs necessarily need either but because Rossi is probably dealt at a bargain, you can manage your assets accordingly as Kent Hughes has been able to do thus far.
I would ignore the Wild, personally, but if you want to take a swing ala Newhook (whom I also didn't think was a good target) Rossi is the better option. And it's the sort of move Hughes has been able to establish so far in his tenure.

If Guhle could get someone like Boldy, then sure I'd be ok trading him. I just don't see it happening. Boldy is (or at least should be) one of MINs untouchables. Conversely, I'd say Guhle should be as close to untouchable for the Habs too... MTL has a plethora of LD sure, but Guhle is far and away MTLs best two-way player they have at that position. He's for sure their best skater (even more than Matheson), has a physical edge (where Guhle even admitted is going to be his off season focus to bulk up without losing any of his speed...), and is their most defensively reliable LD.
Comparisons are never 1 to 1, but Habs essentially have a younger version of Jacob Slavin with Guhle. Contending teams keep those players around, they don't trade them.

It's become a controversial topic among Habs fans (and it's a pretty even split), but if Habs move a Dman, it really should be Matheson... for a lot of the same reasons given here for moving Guhle.
On top of that, Matheson's value is at his highest right now, not just from his play this season, but from the fact that this offseason, the LD free agent market is very thin. Apart from maybe Skjei and Gostisbehere (I'd argue Matheson is better than both), there's really not much for offensive dman on the market. Not only that, but it also looks like there will be a new buyer on the market...Utah. and a vet LD would be exactly what they'd be looking for. Matheson probably doesn't get the same value as Guhle, but if Hughes can trade Matheson to Utah for a forward (my eyes would be on Lawson Crouse, who's 3 1/2 years younger than Matheson, and a pick/prospect added to him, I'd target Maveric Lamoureux). I'd prefer that over moving Guhle.

Rossi is definitely a prime candidate to be the next Dach/Newhook trade of this offseason. But for sure another Center or two would have to move out of MTL to do it (Dvorak probably being #1 on the list, but I think there will be a better market for someone like Evans. And Habs might want to keep some Left-handed Centers around like Dvorak, with Suzuki, Dach, even Beck all being righty's, although Rossi is a lefty...)

Not sure how much Rossi would cost... I hope it's not similar to Newhook, although I'm very happy with Newhook, looking back, a late 1st and early 2nd still feels rich.

I was not happy with that Newhook price. Hang up when Sakic calls, Kent. I was shocked that the Lehkonen deal happened at that price (i had him going for lower) but that trade did not age well for Kent with Barron looking very questionable. If Rossi costs the Jets pick plus, forget it. Minnesota is trying to move him. Let the deals come to you, they have lots of cap space and picks, many teams will be calling the Habs and I have confidence in Hughes. We will see.

Listen it's debatable for sure but... When you look at the total number of shots and the shooting percentages, I have a very hard time thinking Caufield won't out-score Boldy next year.

what about Rossi for Ghule ?

If we're being honest, this logic applies to anyone. Including Hutson or Matheson or Xhekaj, etc etc

I think the right thing to do is to see what you have in all these dmen first and then decide. We're not there yet.