Centennial Year at closer inspection.
Okay, I’ve been looking at the current roster as well as the current cap hit and how the team changes as it enter’s the centennial year of the franchise.
As it stands, if Bob Gainey does nothing, this is a possible roster for next season with an estimate cap hit of around 38.36 million.
Higgins – Koivu – S. Kostitsyn
A. Kostitsyn – Plekanec – Kovalev
Kostopolous – Chipchura – Latendresse
Begin – Lapierre – Dandenault
Markov – Komisarek
Hamrlik – O’Byrne
Valentenko – Yemelin
Price
Halak
Now, with that being said, due to the recent skid of the Habs, I for one doubt that “nothing” will be done. Not only do I doubt that, I pray for something to be done. I know trading our “junk” is absolutely not going to get us what we need in return. HOWEVER, let us look at what our options are and what it could do for the team.
Prospects (to name a few)
Archer
Fischer
McDonagh
Subban
Valentenko
Yemelin
Grabovski
UFA’S
Ryder
Huet
Smolinski
Streit
Brisebois
We know that Smolinski will walk due to his no trade clause, Brisebois is likely to retire, which leaves Ryder, Huet, and Streit as PIECES to trade with. THEY WON’T GET US ANYTHING IN A PACKAGE FULL OF UFA’S!
Fischer and McDonagh are still a bit too young for the NHL so that leaves them off next year’s roster. Subban’s development seems to be coming along nicely. Grabovski has been struggling to crack the top six, partially because of Carbo’s defensive coaching style.
Players with potential availability (I say potential because it could depend on contract extentsion struggles etc.)
Hossa
Marleau
St. Louis
Richards
Lecavalier
Ovechkin? (rumored contract extension problems)
Now let us think of a few scenario’s that could be interesting.
To MTL: Ovechkin, Brashear
To WSH: Huet, Higgins, Ryder, Latendresse, Valentenko, Grabovski, 1st rnd pick
To MTL: Hossa
To ALTA: Higgins, Latendresse, Ryder, Archer
To me, the only answer to our woes in MTL is to get a scoring winger, and some grit not a centreman. We have two great centremen and Koivu deserves a cup in the centennial year. He’s been nothing but loyal to Montreal.
If we were to make the Ovechkin trade (for example) the roster would look like this.
Ovechkin – Plekanec – Kovalev (15.3 mil)
A. Kostitsyn – Koivu – S. Kostitsyn (6.8 mil)
Kostopolous – Chipchura – Brashear (2.86mil)
Begin – Lapierre – Dandenault (3.85 mil)
Markov – Komisarek (7.65 mil)
Hamrlik – O’Byrne (6.3 mil)
Yemelin – Fischer (2 mil)
Price (.85 mil)
Halak (.5 mil)
Total cap hit = 46.11 million
POTENTIAL CUP CONTENDER?!
I’m just using this as an example to show that we have good things to give, and WE WILL HAVE TO GIVE GOOD THINGS to get something good in return. I’D EVEN GIVE UP MARKOV IT THE TRADE WAS PROPER. If we paid Ovechkin 9 million a season with an extension we would end up with 46 million dollar cap hit. Is it worth it? I THINK SO!
And just to show what the other side of the trade would look like if they could sign the UFA’s.
Higgins – Nylander – Latendresse
Semin – Kozlov – Ryder
Grabovski – Backstrom – Clark
Pettinger – Sutherby – Fehr
Poti – Pothier
Eminger – Valentenko
Clymer – Schultz
Huet
Kolzig
The Washington roster is rough. I didn’t do all the research. But I’m willing to bet it falls well under the cap and it looks like a better all around Washington team to me.
Anyway, enough with the speculative trade stuff, my point is basically that we have the tools to make a trade, we just have to be willing to give up a guy like higgins or markov. If it gets us that scoring winger, like they say in poker, I’M ALL IN!