Buyers

[GNick99]

If Habs keep playing like this...at least in race at trade deadline....would you be for putting a package together for a Corey Perry or Ignila? Say one of our 2nd round pick, a prospect like a Kristo and a player like a Eller or Diaz. Maybe for a Perry or Getzlaf that's probably too much for a Ignila. I think that is a fair offer for a star player. Look at similar past trades for stars?

Kovalchuk went for a first(in weaker draft than '13), Cormier(likely never make it), Oduaya who was immediately traded and a switch of 2nd round picks.

Hossa went for first, Esposito(never made it), Armstrong (who is 4th line player).

Forsberg went for a first, Upshall and a prospect who never made it.

[blny]

My gut reaction is to say no. I don't want to give up the picks we have this year, in such a deep draft. While anything can happen in the playoffs, I don't think were at the place where we can be called legit contenders or perennial powerhouses. To that end, I don't think it's wise to mortgage the future.

Iginla: Calgary should have cut bait with him years ago. They'd have gotten a lot more for him. I'm not saying he's done, but he's not a $7 million player anymore. He'll be 36 on UFA day. Are we gonna trade our captain to fit him in? I'm not really interested in signing 36 year old players to contracts at this point.

Perry: An interesting proposition. I like him a lot. He's coming off a down year, but he's still a big power forward with skill. We'd have to trade Gionta in this scenario too, as Perry is a RW. Perry will be 28 come UFA day. At least you get younger in this deal. That said, I wouldn't do it without it being a sign and trade. I'm not mortgaging for a playoff run. He arguably took a hometown discount to sign his last deal. He'll be looking for more than his $5.325 million per year this time.

Bottom line, no dice unless we can get younger and better and retain the acquired player long term.

[PTH]

While I can see us being buyers in the hope of winning a round or two, we aren't in a position to mortgage the future.

Price, Subban, Pacioretty, Eller, the two Gally's, aren't going anywhere. Even our older guys like Plek, Gionta and Bourque aren't going anywhere in the short-term.

In a couple of seasons though, if Markov is still there and the kids have developed well, who knows ?

The ONLY reason to try to make a run now, would be Markov. That being said, his kind of skillset tends to age well, and it's not as if he had a lot of footspeed in the first place, his game is skill and smarts. But given his injury history, basing any long-term decisions on Markov would be very, very iffy, IMO.

We could however use the deadline to try to retool some parts of the team... Say at that point Eller clearly isn't fitting in as our top 3 centers, Eller and Calgary's second for Neidereiter could help plug an organisational weakness (young scoring). (It's a bad example since NYI won't be buyers, but it's just an example...) In short, even if we could be be buyers, the deals as a seller might too good to pass up.