Officially 2 weeks (and a few hours or so) away from TDL. Ah, finally the Habs will come out nicely to renew their team and get back on track for the series or close to!
I will link this AGM to my previous one here : https://www.capfriendly.com/armchair-gm/team/4913041
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24-25 : Phase 3 of Kent Hughes rebuild : The BUBBLE TEAM
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In this AGM I will offer a lot of intakes (my hot take somehow) on how I see the Habs rebuild and why I've built those trades, signatures, and even offer a full mock draft for Habs picks. I hope that all of you will take the time to read me (and correct my English too lol) because a Yes or No or unconstructive reply won't be of any need at all (we're doing AGM because we dream our team to get better, not to build a CV and become the Next GM of an NHL team lol).
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The NHL Trade-day Limit 23-24
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Only 2 little minor trades :
1 - Colorado - MTL :
In this trade, I'm trying to help the Laval Rockets and get a young waiver-exempted goalie in Justus Annunen who I think will be the perfect filler until Jacob Fowler is NHL-ready. Primeau is actually older with more NHL experience he has also better numbers as a number 2b goalie. He's not a huge upgrade and this minor move is more of a lateral swap, but taking out the Johansen contract will help the Colorado TDL and 24-25 salary cap.
2 - Pittsburgh - MTL :
Pittsburgh needs to grab a Carter replacement for 24-25 and someone who will fit in the Pingouins system. I do think that RJo can bounce back in such a situation. He doesn't fit at all in Colorado. Smilanic is a long-term project.
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The NHL Draft 2024
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I've listed my reason for the 2 deals on draft day in the AGM boxes, here I'm going to do a Mock Draft
Habs own 11 picks :
* Win Loto for 2nd overall
1st round :
¤ *MTL 2nd - CAYDEN LINDSTROM, forward : LEFT HANDED, 6'4" / 193 cm, 216 lbs / 98 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/739213/cayden-lindstrom
¤ MTL 12th - TIJ IGINLA, forward : LEFT HANDED, 6'0" / 183 cm, 185 lbs / 84 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/679717/tij-iginla
2nd round :
¤ COL 58th - JULIUS MIETTINEN forward : LEFT HANDED, 6'3" / 190 cm, 207 lbs / 94 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/709575/julius-miettinen
3rd round
¤ MTL 72th - ĒRIKS MATEIKO forward : LEFT HANDED, 6'4" / 194 cm, 201 lbs / 91 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/620208/eriks-mateiko *** QMJHL ***
4th round
¤ MTL 104th - MATVEI KOROTKY forward : RIGHT HANDED, 6'2" / 187 cm, 190 lbs / 86 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/803120/matvei-korotky
5th round
¤ MTL 136th - ALEXIS BERNIER defenseman : RIGHT HANDED, 6'1" / 185 cm, 190 lbs / 86 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/654403/alexis-bernier *** QMJHL ***
6th round
¤ MTL 168th - MATYAS MELOVSKY forward : RIGHT HANDED, 6'0" / 184 cm, 183 lbs / 83 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/527443/matyas-melovsky *** QMJHL ***
¤ PIT 173th - NATE MISSKEY defenseman : RIGHT HANDED, 6'3" / 191 cm, 198 lbs / 90 kg :https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/647080/nate-misskey
7th round
¤ MTL 200th - MAXIME LAFOND forward : LEFT HANDED, 6'4" / 193 cm, 201 lbs / 91 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/618905/maxime-lafond *** QMJHL ***
¤ WSH 204th - DOMINIC PILOTE : LEFT HANDED, 6'2" / 188 cm, 181 lbs / 82 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/654404/dominic-pilote *** QMJHL ***
¤ EDM 216th - HUNTER LAING forward : RIGHT HANDED, 6'6" / 197 cm, 192 lbs / 87 kg : https://www.eliteprospects.com/player/747334/hunter-laing
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The NHL Free Agency - SUMMER 2024
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Two big summer contract moves :
1 - Habs need to go full ahead for Elias Lindholm : He is the best complementary option to Nick Suzuki and offers us a real established centerman.
2 - Habs need to buy out Dvorak.Here are the penalties for the 2 next seasons :
24-25 : $616,667
25-26 : $1,916,667
Two minor moves:
1 - Sign Dakota Mermis for 1 season : perfect filler to suit a 7th 8th depth defenseman duty
2 - Sign Kasimir Kaskisuo to a 3-year contract (created player) : he earned a recent 2-way deal for the remainder of 23-24 with Ahl affiliate Laval Rockets
One transaction :
1 - Los Angeles - MTL :
I've got the feeling that the Kings will go with Erik Portillo and a vet in 24-25 so I've made a little deal with Krebs and Allen to offer them new players
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NHL affiliate - Laval ROCKETS : potential lineup
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FORWARDS
Emil Heineman - Filip Mesar - Martin Chromiak
Sean Farrell - Owen Beck - Xavier Simoneau
Brandon Gignac - Jared Davidson - Micheal Pezzetta
Cedrick Guindon - Riley Kidney - Lucas Condotta
Jan Mysak
The unsigned players by Habs from AHL affiliate :
Nathan Légaré, Riley Mckay, Gabriel Bourque, Alex-Olivier Voyer
DEFENSEMEN
Calle Odelius - Logan Mailloux
Lane Hutson - David Reinbacher
William Trudeau - Miguël Tourigny
Adam Engstrom - Brady Keeper
The Habs need a 2nd line center they also need to rebuild the forward corp depth so yeah they will draft a lot of forward in the top 3 rounds in the next 2 years or so now that the goalie and d-corp are okay for the time being. AHL affiliate The Laval Rockets should be a playoff team in 24-25 with all those new cool kids in their club. The d-corp needs to push the NHL-level defenseman out. The Habs are also now in phase 3 : try to target a playoff spot. A bubble team, hoping that everyone stays healthy and plays to their full capabilities.
- Offer cap space to the Avalanches, but they pay a fair price to dump Johansen. Many will argue that losing Annunen is bad but instead of the usual Allen offer, this time I'm open to offering Primeau who's still young and fits your team's window.
The Habs get a younger goalie waiver exempt to play at the AHL level. Rockets are looking for a playoff spot and having Annunen in Laval, and KASKISUO in Trois-Rivières will help our organization's goalies situation.
Dobes needs to be 2nd goalie for the time being.
2.
MTL
2024 6th round pick (PIT)
2026 3rd round pick (SJS)
Additional Details:
TDL 2024:
Jeff Carter
This offers a new Center/Forward to the Pingouins with cap control in 2025. Yeah he's not the best, nor playing any good, but I've added a youngster to goble and accept the deal as a works-in-progress project.
Penguins don’t need a sixth 30+ center in their line-up when their clearly stated goal is to get younger, and even if they did, they’d be receiving the draft capital for the cap dump, not trading it away. Wrong player, wrong team, wrong value, no deal.
Penguins don’t need a sixth 30+ center in their line-up when their clearly stated goal is to get younger, and even if they did, they’d be receiving the draft capital for the cap dump, not trading it away. Wrong player, wrong team, wrong value, no deal.
they're going to trade Karlsson, Carter, Guentzel, and Eller. Johansen could help them to get goals and o-zone control. I know that you're sensitive but you need to look at the whole picture too.
Not sensitive, just logical, but I’m talking to a Habs fan, so 😬
Carter isn’t agreeing to go to Montreal.
Pens could trade Eller directly to Colorado in a package deal including Johansen, but Pens will be receiving draft capital, not trading it away for a cap dump.
Not sensitive, just logical, but I’m talking to a Habs fan, so 😬
Carter isn’t agreeing to go to Montreal.
Pens could trade Eller directly to Colorado in a package deal including Johansen, but Pens will be receiving draft capital, not trading it away for a cap dump.
Yeah you bought hard on one Avs fan on here going for that, don’t see COL doing that and I’ll give my reasons. Annunen is rounding into form just had a great performance and is waiver exempt until the end of the season. RyJo hasn’t been particularly good except at face offs where he literally takes all the key face offs even on the pk. His play even has improved and ironically it has been in part because of who he is playing with in Parise and Lehkonen. Primeau isn’t waiver exempt and Ylonen is another winger that COL just doesn’t need. Getting RyJo off the books for next year is nice but unless COL has another move at center lined up don’t see any reason they do this.
Yeah you bought hard on one Avs fan on here going for that, don’t see COL doing that and I’ll give my reasons. Annunen is rounding into form just had a great performance and is waiver exempt until the end of the season. RyJo hasn’t been particularly good except at face offs where he literally takes all the key face offs even on the pk. His play even has improved and ironically it has been in part because of who he is playing with in Parise and Lehkonen. Primeau isn’t waiver exempt and Ylonen is another winger that COL just doesn’t need. Getting RyJo off the books for next year is nice but unless COL has another move at center lined up don’t see any reason they do this.
the reasoning I do is that Colorado will have 2 to 3 trades to complete their playoff team, so yeah this deal is a second part of a bigger one.
Isles pass on offer. We are not giving up our 1st rounder which looks like it's going to be a top 15 pick for Harris who's an undersized (5'11) defenseman.
Isles pass on offer. We are not giving up our 1st rounder which looks like it's going to be a top 15 pick for Harris who's an undersized (5'11) defenseman.
Question : Is Lou gonna draft and wait 3 years or deal and try to win now before well ... he retired?! Harris might be limited by size but he's half the salary of Reilly and offers a cap controlled in 2024-25.
the reasoning I do is that Colorado will have 2 to 3 trades to complete their playoff team, so yeah this deal is a second part of a bigger one.
I figured as much I just don’t see what the appeal of Ylonen is for the Avs when they have guys like OO, Foudy, Meyers, and Poulin already in the AHL. If you wanted to do a change of scenery trade of prospect type guys sure Ylonen’s speed is interesting but those trades are usually done in the off season.
Question : Is Lou gonna draft and wait 3 years or deal and try to win now before well ... he retired?! Harris might be limited by size but he's half the salary of Reilly and offers a cap controlled in 2024-25.
It's not a question if he'll wait. Mgmt is not going to let him trade another 1st rounder (4 in the last 5 years). If we do, I think we can get better value than Harris. I rather get a good young Top 6 forward instead.
It's not a question if he'll wait. Mgmt is not going to let him trade another 1st rounder (4 in the last 5 years). If we do, I think we can get better value than Harris. I rather get a good young Top 6 forward instead.
It's more : Harris + 1st (Sacha Boisvert is at number 22 so far) + Kostenko + 3rd vs Iginla + Odelius
I figured as much I just don’t see what the appeal of Ylonen is for the Avs when they have guys like OO, Foudy, Meyers, and Poulin already in the AHL. If you wanted to do a change of scenery trade of prospect type guys sure Ylonen’s speed is interesting but those trades are usually done in the off season.
Ylonen is a contract match for taking RJo not much but can help as a 14th forward