Lindholm addition is interesting! Wondering if he doesn’t like the longer term deals being offered he could very much try something like this! Habs would be a good one to get a bunch of play time too! Win-Win for player and team I’d think (also Celebrini will be a sen so you may have to make adjustments in the top 6 lol 😉)

Of course!

Thanks for the positive feedback!

Yeah no way Lindholm goes for that. He's having a pretty strong playoffs and is still going to be the #1 center on the market this summer. Boston will be all over him and obviously they are far closer to winning a cup than Montreal. If he were to take a 1 year deal it would be with a team that has the best chances of raising his value or Boston, Carolina, NYI, Toronto, Dallas, etc. the only non-playoff team I could see him going to is Columbus because of the vacant center spot, Gaudreau connection, and cap space. And that will be on like a 50M+ deal

Thanks for your response. You raised some interesting points and I want to respond with my personal perspective:

Lindholm is not having a strong playoffs from my perspective with 1 goal and 1 point in 3 games. I'll admit I have not watched the games, but he was brought in to provide secondary scoring and I think he's falling short in that regard.

You're right that he's one of the bigggest name forwards available to sign a deal, but you are wrong in assuming any team is gonna offer him a 7 year deal at big money after a 15 goal and 44 point season. He had a chance to rehab his image in Vancouver. He failed. If he wants to sign a big-money deal, he's going to have to go short term and have a comeback season next year, which I believe he can.

As to why he might accept to do it in Montreal. I would make the argument that Kent Hughes has established himself as the sort of GM who keeps his word. He promised Monahan he would give him ice time and trade him if the team was not in the playoffs to a contender and that's exactly what he did. Not all GMs would make a similar guarantee. I think being guaranteed power play time and a 2nd line role would be an incentive, and the Habs have shown a capacity to make those kinds of handshake deals.

Anyway, we'll see what happens, but I would be shocked if he got a 50M deal. The GM who offered that would go right on the hot seat.

Boston looks very slow this post season. Toronto should be winning this series if not for Swayman.
It is something crazy like 2-1 high danger chances for Toronto. Boston is only up because the Leafs PP is terrible!
The best thing for Boston would be to take a step back or two, trade a bunch of assets like Ulmark, other Lindholm, let Debrusk walk.
This team badly needs another retool like when they let Hamilton go for 3 picks from Calgary and got a bunch high picks that Summer.
Just this time maybe don't screw up the draft so spectacularly and the B's can still compete for a cup in 2-3 years with Swayman/McAvoy/Pasta primes.
Just a thought.

Although it's unlikely, this team would be so set with Celebrini.

I don't think Lindholm would go for that, but that would be a great move for Montreal.

I don't think MTL necessarilly needs to lose a forward, Dvorak and/or Anderson can just go to Laval and maybe they will find their game again like Armia. Doesn't make sense to trade Evans either just for the sake of trading him, but I wonder about an Evans for Pageau swap. Similar players, but Islanders need the cap space right now and MTL doesn't so maybe they could get a good pick as compensation.

For me Harris is the odd man out, at least Kovacevic has size and can kill penalties, plus I'd rather have balanced LHD + RHD pairs. Hutson (5'10" LHD) knocks Harris (5'11" LHD) out instead of Kovacevic (6'5" RHD).

I don't think the Canes will have interest in Evans or Pezzeta, but I could see them trading a third for Kovacevic.

Appreciate the response!

On Harris, I find he's a better overall player, but I am OK with trading him. IMO they will both be gone in 2 years.

On Lindholm... 44 points in a mostly healthy season. He's gonna have to take less money or term than most think.

Harris might be better overall (it's debatable) but if you believe that then I presume you think he should hold more trade value as well. If so I would say trade him instead, as I don't see how Harris fits in this lineup, he doesn't really compliment anyone - his two best D partners are Kovacevic and Struble, both of which aren't on your roster. Kovacevic at least plays good with Guhle or Xhekaj, and I bet he'd do well with Hutson too (he was also good with Struble or Harris).

I can still see a desperate GM giving Lindholm that money with term instead of just one year. This year is a pretty big outlier.