25 Feb 2024 21:54:11
MTL : Jordan Harris
LAK : Alex Turcotte

Former high draft pick with potential, who's also a pending RFA and has had mild offensive production at the pro level for a young mobile 3rd pair dman with some potential but has been dealing with multiple injuries this season.

LA probably gets an upgrade for their 3rd, MTL gets another pending RFA "reclamation" project and eases the logjam of young defensemen in their lineup

26 Feb 2024 10:03:42
- I agree that MTL will need to move some of their young D that they’ve developed, and that Harris is one of the likely candidates.

- I think Harris easily has top-4 potential, and I don’t see Turcotte as enough of a return for Harris. With so many teams needing cheap young D, I see Harris yielding more than Turcotte.

26 Feb 2024 13:09:01
I think Turcotte could definitely turn into a top 6 player still. Everything is there, just needs to put it together. I do think that Harris may be one they hold onto.

Correct me if I'm wrong Habs fans but future dpairings are potentially likely to look like this:

Guhle-Reinbracher
Harris-Mailloux
Struble-Kovacievic/ Barron

Assuming they all develop accordingly and no significant injuries that's a pretty well rounded d group to potentially have in the future.

26 Feb 2024 14:56:03
By the time Mathesson contract ends up engstrom and konyuskov will be NHL ready, and you forgot xhekaj, so I think Harris, stubble and Barron are expendable pieces for the habs.

26 Feb 2024 18:09:51
@Bfg2357 I'll be the first to admit I'm not well versed with the Habs prospect pool so if you as a Habs fan is saying that then I'll believe it. Think there's an outside chance qe could see Xhekaj move to forward and play a 4th line role?

26 Feb 2024 19:21:32
I tend to agree BFG.

No matter how it goes, some teams will get some good young D in trade with the Habs, who need to turn some of those prospects on D into a quality high-end piece up front. (Not Zegras. )

26 Feb 2024 22:58:20
I would like to see xhekaj as a forward, so when he fight, we still have 6 d available, but I don't think they will do it, he's a good bottom pairing D with some offensive upside.

27 Feb 2024 10:01:17
I hear what you’re thinking about turning X into a forward, but his vision from the point is sneaky good too, and he just won the Habs’ hardest shot contest when he fired a 106 slapper.

I totally understand the creativity of the suggestion, especially given the glut of young D, but this guy just seems like he’s perfectly suited to being an intimidating F. O. defender with some sneaky offensive skills.

27 Feb 2024 12:23:47
Damn that's a bomb from the point. I was looking at it from the standpoint you move him upfront and you still keep the majority of young dmen coming up. Seen it before with Deslauriers and a few other guys who played D and got moved up front. I think him on a 3rd or 4th line would be fun to see especially with his brother (think mighty ducks d2 ?) . But very hard to justify moving a guy who can hammer the puck like that from his natural position back there. Hopefully they utilize him a bit more on the PP and give him the chance to get his offense going.

27 Feb 2024 16:57:42
Future dcore would imo look more like this
Matheson reinbacher
Hutson Guhle
Mailloux (xhekaj struble)

27 Feb 2024 18:29:29
That's awesome MG, and I forgot the Deslauriers was a d-man. I love to box and have a soft spot for the ham 'n eggers. The character it takes to do that job is something I respect very much.