Jackets decline. LD is probably the position they're deepest at currently. Chinakhov is also part of a trio with Marchenko and Voronkov that seems to have very high potential if Pascal Vincent could get his head out of his ass and let them play.

Fair. I've been puzzled by that too... I'm high on both Marchenko and Chinakhov.

I'm skeptical Montreal would even want to make the qualifying offer owed to Kunin, which means they probably decline.

They'd get out of 3.4mil from Armia though, their cap situation's tight.

Montreal has almost 10 mil in cap space with a mostly full lineup and only a couple of RFAs that wont be due major raises. That includes Price's 10.5 mil which can be put on LTIR. Their cap situation isn't anywhere close to tight (for the first time since 2020).

But even if it was, Kunin's QO is 3mil. They'd save less than half a mil. Assuming they want to keep Kunin, who is a player that suits their needs less, was much worse this season and a pick. Its just not worth the effort.

Everybody is deep at LHD nowadays

K?

Montreal cap is tight ?! Huh ?!?!?!

I’d rather have Thrun than Bean or Svozil, tbh. But yeah, not at the cost of Chinakhov.

There is not enough RHD in the league, you have to play someone on the right side, and that does not make you strong at LHD, you have to consider defense pipeline as a whole

Good points, for whatever reason I had it in my head that Josh Anderson and Brendan Gallagher's contracts were crippling MTL's cap situation, which indeed isn't the case, similar to how Vlasic's contract isn't for SJ (not anymore, at least).

Having said that, getting 3.4mil in cap space is always a plus, especially if you're looking to add UFAs. Armia's contract isn't unmoveable (it was a few years ago), but still, Kunin isn't obliged to sign his qualifying offer and can sign for cheaper in MTL if there isn't a market for that QO, or MTL could just let him go and use the 3.4mil elsewhere.

The Jackets are already overcrowded on the right side before they've made a permanent spot for David Jiricek. Their left side is nearly as crowded with Mateychuk and Svozil coming up. What in the world makes you think I haven't considered their entire defensive situation before commenting?

If Benning is healthy again after his surgery, Tampa Bay probably accepts

Actually Armia was playing great hockey in the second half of the season. Habs probably wanted to move that contract last year right before the start of the season but now, they probably will play him with Newhook and Gallagher. That line had something going in the last 15 games. If Armia have a good season, they might get a 3rd round pick out of him without salary retention.

Like all your UFA signings. Unfortunately the only one that is likely to happen is Trenin.

Why Thrun for Chinakhov?

Yeah I agree, still hopeful though.

That's actually been something I've been thinking long and hard on of late. Chinakhov is/will be a very good middle-six winger, which is about the same value as Thrun, who as of now projects to have his ceiling as a 2nd pairing guy and floor as a bottom-pair guy. I look at the Sharks roster and they have that in Ferraro. Mukhmadullin will need to be eased into things for at least 2 more years before sniffing top-pairing minutes (and only potentially if everything goes right at that). So Ferraro and Shakir take those two bottom spots (and I think they'll do fine there), that to me leaves Thrun as an odd man out.

Tangent: This is assuming that we want everyone to stay on their natural left sides and not play out of position. I know many have countered and have said that it's not as big a deal as we make it be but I strongly beg to differ, especially as someone who's played the game myself. They say they're professionals but that's exactly my point -- this is the top league and it's highly preferable to maximize the potential out of each and every guy and not have them play with any handicap of being on their off-side since the margin of error is so thin that it'll be exposed. I know they CAN play their off-side, obviously, but anyone who's played the game, and specifically defense, knows that it's much more difficult if you want to maximize your full potential.

Back to the main point: Moreover, I wasn't thrilled with Thrun's growth this year, which no one was thrilled with though it wasn't anything wasn't anything obviously egregious, but the difference with me is that I think it may be something. Obviously we all agree that we asked much, much too much from him, but even still, I just didn't see enough to think that he's solidified being on the right track and definitely don't think he's a cornerstone guy that you can't separate from. SJ NEEDS a top pairing guy like Skjei, and there aren't many two-way guys like him in free agency or even available in trades. Grier should do everything he can to land him, and if he does so as this roster has it, to me, that makes one of Ferraro or Thrun expendable, and I think Ferraro is both the better player for now and even in the future as well as a better fit for what this team needs with his size and high-energy, especially if his minutes get reduced as they should and he really starts putting in his all with the minutes he's given with the reduced workload like he did in his first year with the Sharks.