SalarySwishSalarySwish
Avatar

Blazingbat11

Molson beer is meh
Member Since
Jan. 1, 2017
Favourite Team
Montreal Canadiens
Forum Posts
3736
Posts per Day
1.4
Forum: Armchair-GM17 hours ago
Forum: Armchair-GM19 hours ago
Forum: Armchair-GM22 hours ago
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 2:36 p.m.
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>Huge_Caniac_Abe_Lincoln</b></div><div>I imagine Lundell will have a similar acquisition cost as Newhook, that being a late 1st and mid 2nd. Is Barron's value around there? I don't know. Based on games played this year it looks like he hasn't cracked the lineup full time, was he injured and doing a conditioning stint in Laval?</div></div>

I'd say Barron is still worth his late 1st value. If that's biased from me, then him being worth a mid 2nd is more than fair. And I did write MTL could add WIN's 2024 1st, so Barron + late 1st would be spot on.


The reason Barron trades are popping up like daisy's on here lately, is simply that he's been surpassed on the depth chart by Reinbacher and Mailloux, and is currently playing below both of them in Laval. The main reason he's not on the Habs current roster is due to him being waiver exempt over guys like Harris and Kovacevic, and he hasn't been as consistent defensively as Xhekaj and Struble.
Barron, offensively speaking, has very much proven he's a top 4 NHL dman... defensively he's been really inconsistent, which makes him a "work in progress". When he was playing in MTL, half the time he was paired with Matheson and looked like a legit puck moving top 4 D, the other half he looked completely lost in his own end and getting caved in.

I don't believe he's actually available, but with Reinbacher finally arriving in North America, and the emergence of Mailloux and his really good rookie season in Laval, Barron has become expendable in the eyes of Habs fans.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 2:20 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 2:16 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 1:59 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 1:34 p.m.
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>jonh514</b></div><div>Thanks for sharing your position.

I have been asking a lot of Habs fans who say that to do a small exercise. Can you please project for me what your 3 D-pairs are in 2025-26? Is Xhekaj on the 3rd pair? If yes, can you please tell me why a 3rd pair defender based on our depth cannot be traded to shore up the top 6?</div></div>

That's an overly simplistic way of thinking. Just because Xhekaj is projected to play behind Guhle and Hutson at LD in 2025-26, does not equate that he'd be a 3rd pairing defensemen in terms of value by then. Ideally if you have "perfect" defense squad, you could divide the playing time almost equally 20minutes a game per defense pairing.
If Xhekaj develops how Habs management want him to, he could still log close to 20 minutes a game and put up 15g 15a 30pts seasons, and absolutely destroy opponents physically, all while only being on the "3rd pair" on paper...

That being said, if MTL projects Lundell to be a center worth more than what they project Xhekaj to be, then sure. You can definitely make an argument to do that trade. imo I don't see that being the case. Listening to the Basu and Godin podcast, Arpon suggested after a conversation with Hughes, that he feels Habs management have put Xhekaj in the same "not for sale" category as Guhle. I'm paraphrasing, but that's high praise! Many might disagree, but I think it's true since Eric Engels essentially said the same thing a few months ago when Xhekaj was playing well in Laval.


I'd like Lundell (which is why I traded for him in my thread too!), but I believe if FLA asks for Xhekaj in return, MTL turns it down for better or worse.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 12:34 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMYesterday at 12:29 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMMon. at 1:10 p.m.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 13 at 6:08 p.m.
Thread: Hmmmm
Forum: Montreal CanadiensMar. 13 at 5:57 p.m.
<div class="quote"><div class="quote_t">Quoting: <b>GradyTheOtherXhekaj</b></div><div>I'm only going to be picking 3 to analyze and hopefully we have more people chiming in.

David Reinbacher - i don't feel like we talk about him enough, he is struggling in Austria, which could lead to one of 2 scenarios,
1: Reinbacher stays with Kloten and development continues overseas.
2: Hughes brings him to Laval for a change of scenery and hopefully a confidence boost
either way i think it's a long road forward, but good news, he's a teenager and our defensive pool is great.

Lane Hutson - I can't see him not being put in Laval at the very least, he is our next guy in my opinion, of course it helps playing with the #1 pick next year on the #1 ranked team in the country but he has shown his individual skill on a level that will make dangerous in Laval.

Owen Beck - Beck is in a bit of a middle ground, but i don't expect him to make opening roster, eventually our health issues will prevail and hopefully he will be called up and produce well, but hopefully in Laval he shows why he can be a future top 6 for us.</div></div>


Reinbacher is in Switzerland, and he's on arguably the worst team that's gone through 3 separate coaching changes. Hard to assess what's going on with him until he comes to North America, which is hopefully within the next couple weeks.

I highly doubt Hutson gets games with Laval this season. Once he signs when his NCAA season is over, he'll play games for the Habs to try and burn the first year of his ELC (which is what happened with Farrell last year). Depending on how well he does then and during training camp, will determine where he plays next season. If the World Juniors were any indication, his size won't be an issue no matter where he plays.

Newhook - Beck - Roy is hopefully the Habs contending team 3rd line of the future. Habs can take a similar approach with Beck as they did with Suzuki during his rookie year. Pair him with a vet Center for the first 15-20games (Suzuki was playing with Thompson on the 4th line, Beck could be with either Dvorak or Evans) then slowly faze him to center and give him special unit time. PK and faceoffs are Beck's bread n' butter, and there's a huge opening on PP2 unit at Center.
Then, all that's left is to get Dach healthy for #2C and two more top 6 wingers (wishful thinking is having Mesar's chemistry with Slafkovksy be elite, and put both with Suzuki, which frees up for a Caufield - Dach duo, and sign someone like Toffoli to go with them.

Caufield - Dach - Toffoli or other vet signing or acquisition
Mesar - Suzuki - Slafkovsky
Newhook - Beck - Roy

If Mesar isn't ready (most likely situation), I'd say re-sign Monahan, who could also cover at center in case of injuries. The 4th line can be whatever is left (ideally RHP at LW, either Evans or Dvorak at C, trade the other, Gallagher at RW. Fire Anderson into the sun. Trade Armia. Pezz is fine as the 13th forward. And none of this takes into consideration who the Habs pick at the draft, if it's another D, that leads to my other topic...



My "out of the box idea" is acquiring a top end Goalie with the defensive logjam on D. Lot of Habs fans keep trying to trade our excess D for more offense. I say go for another Goalie to pair with Montembeault. Try for a young stud (Askarov comes to mind). Heck I'd even go for Markstrom or Saros. Use WIN's 1st rd pick with some of the Habs defensemen, and I think you could easily acquire one of them.
Forum: Armchair-GMMar. 13 at 4:35 p.m.