AROUND THE LEAGUE - 26-27

[donlever]

A potential intersting dynamic there.

Montreal is Canada's likliest "hope" to bring a Cup "home" over the next few years.

Their window is an extended one but I would suggest not current.

Not sure they can get through Florida or Carolina "yet" from a logical (not a shit happens) perspective.

This is why they are reportedly in hard on Larkin as his presence flips that evolutionary progress immediately.

McDavid is signed through next year.

So do the Habs go hard on the Larkin card or continue their growth and development and chase McDavid post '27/28 season.

Consider this.

With that relatively young, yet highly impressive, talent group in Montreal signed at the favorable numbers they are, you bring in McDavid they could win 2 or 3 Cups.

We started the McDavid conversation using the term legacy.

Being a big part of bringing the Cup back to Canada but also in Montreal and then winning multiples.

THAT would be legacy and put him smack dab in the middle of best ever conversations.

[theman]

Montreal also has 11 mil (2 aging forwards) salary coming off the books after this season.

If McDavid really wants a legacy that rivals Sid, Mario or Wayne bringing the cup back to Canada would be it.

[Ronning's Ghost]

...Montreal is Canada's likliest "hope" to bring a Cup "home" over the next few years.

So do the Habs go hard on the Larkin card or continue their growth and development and chase McDavid post '27/28 season.

If I were the Habs' GM, I would be working towards a scenario where my team looked like an attractive destination for McDavid in '28.

I would have said TFG's should be trying for the same, except I don't see any way they can be ready by '28, and I can't see why McDavid would want to wait around until '30, however impressive the Canucks' pipeline looks by '28. Best case scenario for the Canucks, he might be looking for shorter contracts, and if he doesn't love his chances in Montreal, he's available in '30 or '31.

...With that relatively young, yet highly impressive, talent group in Montreal signed at the favorable numbers they are, you bring in McDavid they could win 2 or 3 Cups.

...THAT would be legacy and put him smack dab in the middle of best ever conversations.

The limitation of that scenario that I can see is that a few of their better players are on the smaller end. As we know all too well, that gives the League an outsized say in how far they can go into the playoffs.

I hate that, but it would take considerable willful blindness to ignore what the Canucks had their noses rubbed in.

I don't know, maybe Montreal is on the "most favoured franchise list", and a Stanley Cup Championship would not be considered an affront to League business goals, but I'm inclined to doubt it.

[Madcombinepilot]

New Jersey trying to create a team where Quit Hughes will want to play.

NJ is still an imperfect team even with Helleybuck. The question is what they'll have to give up to get Quitt. Guerin is not going to let him go for free. Whoever trades for him won't do so without a near-certain chance he'll sign with them. If NJ wants Quitt, they'll have to talk with Billy Guerin, and Quitt won't come cheap. Maybe that's why, as decent as the return is for Helleybuck, it still leaves NJ with some assets to go hunting for other players in trade - but with a significantly-reduced arsenal.

NJ just has to make space.

Quitt will walk himself to UFA