2016-17 The Rumors Thread

[Regis22]

• Former Arizona Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette indicated that he would be willing to accept an offer from the Montreal Canadiens. [RDS]

And DD would be thrilled to play with him . Im sure you would

• David Desharnais stated that he looked forward to playing alongside Vermette, should the veteran centre land in Montreal

[ChiLla]

• Former Arizona Coyotes forward Antoine Vermette indicated that he would be willing to accept an offer from the Montreal Canadiens. [RDS]

And DD would be thrilled to play with him . Im sure you would

• David Desharnais stated that he looked forward to playing alongside Vermette, should the veteran centre land in Montreal

Short-term, I definitely wouldn't mind picking him up as a replacement for DD, but that's wishful thinking of course.

Funny though, Vermette just cleared waivers and nobody was willing to get him. So instead of playing in the AHL, he'd be willing to come to Montreal? What a generous and selfless act...

[PuckPundit]

I remembered during the off-season last year or two years ago, Vermette was one of the acquisition targets. But he ultimately chose to sign for Vancouver. Now when nobody wants him, he wants to come here .

[BigTed3]

Short-term, I definitely wouldn't mind picking him up as a replacement for DD, but that's wishful thinking of course.

Funny though, Vermette just cleared waivers and nobody was willing to get him. So instead of playing in the AHL, he'd be willing to come to Montreal? What a generous and selfless act...

I don't mind Vermette as a player. But he's another left-handed veteran center and he's already 34. So if he were to come here, it would be under the following conditions:

1. He would need to be on a tryout or a contract like what we gave Semin or Fleischmann. Clearly, he has very little value in the NHL market right now. So if he's looking for 2-3M a year, we have no reason to sign him. I'd give him 900k to 1.1M max. Make him earn a future deal.

2. It has to be as a replacement for Desharnais, not to play alongside him. We can't afford to carry both of them. So DD would need to be traded first, then it opens up a spot for Vermette. I see no reason to add another bottom 6 player without dumping one first, and the only reason to swap Vermette in is if we can save money on the cap (which means DD has to be the one to go).

[FirstStar]

I don't mind Vermette as a player. But he's another left-handed veteran center and he's already 34. So if he were to come here, it would be under the following conditions:

1. He would need to be on a tryout or a contract like what we gave Semin or Fleischmann. Clearly, he has very little value in the NHL market right now. So if he's looking for 2-3M a year, we have no reason to sign him. I'd give him 900k to 1.1M max. Make him earn a future deal.

2. It has to be as a replacement for Desharnais, not to play alongside him. We can't afford to carry both of them. So DD would need to be traded first, then it opens up a spot for Vermette. I see no reason to add another bottom 6 player without dumping one first, and the only reason to swap Vermette in is if we can save money on the cap (which means DD has to be the one to go).

Sadly, i don't see DD going anywhere.

It would help to silence certain media personalities who seem to think fans want Francophone players.

Replace DD with another local, Francophone, boy. Plus we'll be paying a 3rd liner, like a 3rd liner.

[tony5775]

Happily I do not see DD going anywhere.

However that said, Martin Havlat is looking for a try out. Would be a safer bet then giving a contract straight up, to Vermette or Hudler.

[FirstStar]

Happily I do not see DD going anywhere.

However that said, Martin Havlat is looking for a try out. Would be a safer bet then giving a contract straight up, to Vermette or Hudler.

No, doubt he's going anywhere.

We have to push his strengths if we want a hope of moving him.

Get him on the 3rd line & have play wing. He is a decent passer, has decent vision and with the exception of last season, has shown to be durable despite his small size. And last years injury, had nothing to do with his small stature.

So, a team looking to reach the cap floor, who looking for a pint size-poor mans Martin St Louis, might be interested.

We can always tell the rangers that, despite his name, he was born in the states. They love over-payed american born players.

[habs1952]

No, doubt he's going anywhere.

We have to push his strengths if we want a hope of moving him.

Get him on the 3rd line & have play wing. He is a decent passer, has decent vision and with the exception of last season, has shown to be durable despite his small size. And last years injury, had nothing to do with his small stature.

So, a team looking to reach the cap floor, who looking for a pint size-poor mans Martin St Louis, might be interested.

We can always tell the rangers that, despite his name, he was born in the states. They love over-payed american born players.

DD and St. Louis in the same sentence. Too funny.

[Regis22]

Happily I do not see DD going anywhere.

However that said, Martin Havlat is looking for a try out.

35 yrs old , pass

[BigTed3]

DD and St. Louis in the same sentence. Too funny.

Funny? I think DD would look great in a Blues uniform!

[habs1952]

Funny? I think DD would look great in a Blues uniform!

:lol:

[Habberwacky]

Talk of Vesey considering Habs still in the air. Not sure it will happen but we should be attractive for him, despite all the recent moves we could still afford his cost and have some major contracts expirin soon. Will konw soon enough. If he wanto to play on a team with potential I think we are the best bet. I was surprised we would even be considered but he may think the same way as Sekac gave us a shot.

[kinot-1]

Talk of Vesey considering Habs still in the air. Not sure it will happen but we should be attractive for him, despite all the recent moves we could still afford his cost and have some major contracts expirin soon. Will konw soon enough. If he wanto to play on a team with potential I think we are the best bet. I was surprised we would even be considered but he may think the same way as Sekac gave us a shot.

I'd say that at best we're 4-5 on his list.

[Regis22]

Id said the Habs are not even on his list of teams

http://thehockeywriters.com/jimmy-vesey-tells-red-wings-proximity-to-home-matters-report/

The leading candidates to land Vesey appear to be the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, along with the Sabres

https://www.nhl.com/news/jimmy-vesey-to-meet-with-buffalo-sabres/c-281130026

Some humour

http://www.habseyesontheprize.com/2016/8/16/12498226/jimmy-vesey-contract-montreal-canadiens-list-of-reasons-why-to-sign-with-the-habs-lol-yeah

[BigTed3]

Rumors out there that Valeri Nichushkin is unhappy with his situation with the Stars, especially after Dallas went out and added Hudler. He's apparently threatened to go to the KHL if he doesn't get the contract he wants... anyways, some sites have thrown out the possibility that the Habs and Ducks could be two of the more interested teams and that the Stars might want a D man back the other way. Speculation Habs would be offering Emelin as part of the package. If true, then yes yes and yes. Nichushkin is a very skilled player with good size. He'd be a tremendous add.

There are a few links about this. Will post one below, nothing on any really legit sites, so still waiting to see if anything materializes but FWIW, here is the story:

http://thehockeypress.ca/posts/24291005/nhl-trade-rumors--valeri-nichushkin-to-habs-ducks-etc--or-khl-----plan-b--bruins---fa---avs-coach--senators-pto---more.html

[kinot-1]

Rumors out there that Valeri Nichushkin is unhappy with his situation with the Stars, especially after Dallas went out and added Hudler. He's apparently threatened to go to the KHL if he doesn't get the contract he wants... anyways, some sites have thrown out the possibility that the Habs and Ducks could be two of the more interested teams and that the Stars might want a D man back the other way. Speculation Habs would be offering Emelin as part of the package. If true, then yes yes and yes. Nichushkin is a very skilled player with good size. He'd be a tremendous add.

There are a few links about this. Will post one below, nothing on any really legit sites, so still waiting to see if anything materializes but FWIW, here is the story:

http://thehockeypress.ca/posts/24291005/nhl-trade-rumors--valeri-nichushkin-to-habs-ducks-etc--or-khl-----plan-b--bruins---fa---avs-coach--senators-pto---more.html

Sounds (kinda) promising, Ted, but I would throw in DD (insert laughter here) as well.

A 6'4", 205# (should fill out to around 210# to 215#) 21 year old, LW could be our saving grace. IMO, he would be asking 3-4 mil.per, and rightfully get it. We would have to dump some salary tho. Methinks he would want some term to go along with his salary.

In theory,,,, he's just coming into his own.

[FireHabs]

Do we have a D man that can fill Emelin's spot?

[kinot-1]

Do we have a D man that can fill Emelin's spot?

I would go with Pateryn or Barbario.

[Habberwacky]

Not sure he can beat out any of our prospects or what we could offer as we do not have a lot of depth on defence. We could trade the two seconds we got for Eller, but that only further crowds our bottom lines

[BigTed3]

Francois Gagnon of RDS reporting there is interest in Nathan Beaulieu and that he could be seen as trade bait by the Habs. I don't know what has to happen for Marc Bergevin to stop wrecking this team, but how he could trade Beaulieu is beyond me. It's not that Beaulieu is an untouchable, but just look at the left side of the defence in general... the other players are an aging defensive liability (Markov), a slow defensive liability (Emelin), and a journeyman fringe NHLer (Barberio). How much will those players contribute this year and how long will they remain within the organization's plans themselves? Sure, there's Sergachev coming up, but how far away is he and hos sure a thing is he? Beaulieu is the one player on the left side who could potentially help us in the top 4 right away and remain a top 4 player for another 5 years. It would be foolish to trade him unless another equally young, equally skilled left-handed defenceman was coming back the other way.

[Regis22]

If you recall NB was out late partying with Thomas .

Thomas was subsequently traded .

So, it wouldn't surprise me if they are putting feelers out there.

But like you I don't think they can afford to move him cause the D is pretty weak .

DSP was at AG's house when AG's GF went nutz

DSP subsequently traded

But AG they know they need him so .............they deal with it

[BigTed3]

If you recall NB was out late partying with Thomas .

Thomas was subsequently traded .

So, it wouldn't surprise me if they are putting feelers out there.

But like you I don't think they can afford to move him cause the D is pretty weak .

DSP was at AG's house when AG's GF went nutz

DSP subsequently traded

But AG they know they need him so .............they deal with it

I don't think management knows they need anyone... they traded their best position player in a one-way deal and no rationale. So obviously their perceptions of attitude weigh more than anything else, and that could mean they trade Beaulieu or Galchenyuk or anyone else regardless of skill or actual worth.

[jeff33]

looking to trade bo, right up our alley

so its either 1 of 2 options.

1.a scoring forward, which handicaps our defence even worse since we just traded the best puck moving dman in the league and bo is all we have left, as many of us have pointed out this is our only real option to play with weber

2. an older shot blocking dman who has lots of character

take us all the way back to the stone age guys, lets do it

also i made a prediction here in the real world id like to get on record, since ted brought up trading galchenyuk.....that kid is not safe at all. what with his "dekes" and fancy pants selfishness

if he survives the caveman regime i will be overjoyed and im not just being sarcastic. i think there is a very real possibility.

[BigTed3]

looking to trade bo, right up our alley

so its either 1 of 2 options.

1.a scoring forward, which handicaps our defence even worse since we just traded the best puck moving dman in the league and bo is all we have left, as many of us have pointed out this is our only real option to play with weber

2. an older shot blocking dman who has lots of character

take us all the way back to the stone age guys, lets do it

also i made a prediction here in the real world id like to get on record, since ted brought up trading galchenyuk.....that kid is not safe at all. what with his "dekes" and fancy pants selfishness

if he survives the caveman regime i will be overjoyed and im not just being sarcastic. i think there is a very real possibility.

I agree. Galchenyuk is skilled but he's going to get labeled "flashy" and "a risk taker" by MB and MT before too long. They just have zero appreciation of talent. I have no doubt that if someone came along and offered MB a player like Giroux or Callahan for Galchenyuk that he would be drooling over adding "grit" and "character" to the line-up.

MB needed to make this team better, but he also needed to recognize his young skill core (Price, Subban, Galchenyuk, Pacioretty, Gallagher, Eller, Beaulieu, McCarron, now Sergachev) as being players to build around. He's already traded two of those guys this off-season, both deals which he lost badly (if you consider the Eller deal as for Shaw, Shaw's contract, and downgrading of two picks). And now he seems to be thinking about trading away his only young skilled left-handed defenceman. It's a disaster. If the GM trades Plekanec or DD or Markov or Emelin or so on, you can accept that those players weren't going to be around or playing at a high level for long anyways. But to deal youth in exchange for older or less skilled players is quite unacceptable.

[habs_93]

As others have said, you have to be open to all offers. If there's a good trade to be made involving Beaulieu, you make it. I just have no confidence in this regime to recognize value.