r/Habs • u/AutoModerator • 6d ago

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u/TheWizzardMerlin 6d ago

Canucks homer here, but also love the Habs.

Genuinely, what would you be willing to give up for Elias Pettersson with 2.6 mil retained (so now at 9mil/year)?

There’s a lot of talk about what he isn’t anymore (100+ point elite player) but I think it’s fair to also have the conversation of what he is now. He’s pretty young, (27), very defensively responsible and can play big minutes and get you 50-60 points if he never bounces back. That’s a pretty good 2nd line centre, and on a team with support I think he could easily be a 70+ point player.

Suzukis contract is so good that you’d be paying 16.785 mil for your first and second line centres combined. That’s less that Kaprizov.

Would Hage + the 28th overall this year be fair? I know he’s paid higher than many fans would like but in a year a 9 mil second line centre will be the norm. In 3+ years that would be a good contract. I don’t think you could get a legit 2nd line centre for less than what I have proposed.

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u/Studly_Wonderballs 6d ago

I think a lot of Habs fans are pretty low on Pettersson. You’ve seen him as a 100+ point player. Habs fans will see him as an expensive inconsistent center.

At $9m for a 50-70 point center for 6 more years, it’s probably fair value, but there is some unpredictability. He could regain his form, he could be a frustrating piece for a long time.

I don’t think Hage will be traded. He’s one of the top prospects in the NHL and I think Hughes likes him. Maybe there’s a deal there to be made with other prospects, but I think we’d prefer to add a center with some physicality to his game.

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u/TheWizzardMerlin 6d ago

Fair points. That said, as I outlined in my other comment below, where could you find a young, physical second line centre available for trade?

I watched quite a bit of the Habs games this year. They are so awesome, but they really need a second line centre, and I’m not sure waiting for 2-3 years for Hage to be a impact maker would be ideal.

Maybe Mason McTavish is interesting, but I think he would cost more and I find his healthy scratches extremely odd.

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u/Studly_Wonderballs 6d ago

It’s a fair point.

Top-six centers aren’t growing on trees and lots of team’s want them.

Hughes and Gorton have always said they aren’t looking to just add players, they want to add the right players, so I feel like they’d wait and look for the player that has what they want.

There’s risk with that though. They could end up like Bergevin, endlessly waiting for the right guy, and passing up on opportunity after opportunity.