Todd Cordell
I think this is a good deal for Montreal.
Though poor puck luck was probably more of a factor than age in Max Pacioretty's disappointing 2017-18 campaign, he will turn 30 a little over a month into the season and is past his prime. He also has just one year remaining on his contract and it was common knowledge the Canadiens weren't going to pay a premium to retain him.
Knowing that, the return they fetched was solid. In Tomas Tatar, they acquired a pretty good scoring winger who can help replace Pacioretty's offense. The latter is clearly the better player, of course, but Tatar has scored one (1) less 5v5 goal over the last two years so it's not like he is some useless throw in.
They also landed a top prospect in Nick Suzuki. He is a smart, versatile two-way player who sees the ice extremely well and makes an impact in all aspects of the game. I don't think he's far off from NHL duty.
The 2019 2nd round pick is a useful piece and pushes the Habs' draft choice total up to nine for next June.
Pacioretty will certainly help the Golden Knights but I think the Canadiens did well here given the circumstances.
Peter Tessier Given all the trouble, headaches, and challenges Marc Bergevin has had he managed to pull a rabbit out of a hat. Not necessarily a great one but he did it. Now the question really comes as to what direction the Habs are going when you get future assets but still have Carey Price and Shea Weber?
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