Dvorak's a fine player. Probably better right now than KK is.

Will he be next year though? Or two years from now? That's a much tougher sell.

I just don't get how it even got to this point. Bergevin had to know there was an offer sheet out there. Hell, according to Friedman, Dreger and LeBrun, the Canes straight up warned him they were going to do this if Montreal wouldn't make a trade.

Just show a little faith in the kid, offer him 3 years at $3 million per two months ago and none of this happens.

I think Dvorak will do well in MTL likely 50 point guy and could be more depending on how he is used. He is no McDavid, Crosby or Eichel but this addition at least make us competitive to hopefully make the playoffs. Also I want to see how good Poehling can be as 3C
- habs88888

they were too green at the C position with KK in my opinion.

I expect Evans to start as the 3C and if Poehling does well as a 4C, they might switch them.

Dvorak's a fine player. Probably better right now than KK is.

Will he be next year though? Or two years from now? That's a much tougher sell.

I just don't get how it even got to this point. Bergevin had to know there was an offer sheet out there. Hell, according to Friedman, Dreger and LeBrun, the Canes straight up warned him they were going to do this if Montreal wouldn't make a trade.

Just show a little faith in the kid, offer him 3 years at $3 million per two months ago and none of this happens.
- BINGO!

Do we know what was the offer being made?

I just don't think KK wanted to be a Habs long term. Otherwise he would still be here.

It's a gamble by the Canes who are now over the cap, no? KK might becomes better but he may not.

I like your enthusiasm about Dvorak and I hope you're right, I haven't seen him play a whole lot but his stats are very okay-ish, and a lot of folks in here are basically saying he sucks lol
- Pat1993

Question of the day…. How Dvorak compare to Pleky at same age? Are they same type of player? How Danault compares to Pleky? I have the feeling they are same type of players…. How was Danault at age of Dvorak? I remember not being very impressed by Danault when he was 25…

Danault was a 1st round pick…. I think…

Bergevin was in trouble…. He payed a bit too much but he was not in best situation to get a good deal…. He was trying to buy an A/C in a heat wave….

Some fans are just unrealistic…. I just try to figure out what they were expecting in term of a deal…. MacKinnon for a first pick?

I am not happy about how we pick in first round in past 10 years, how we (frank)ed up some good talent and how Bergevin is cheaping out on contract negotiation with young talents but is giving away too big contracts to some « favorite » guys…. Price is overpaid, Gallagher is over paid…. His problem is that he falls in love with some players and overpay them…. Just look how he was during the playoffs emotionally speaking…. We are far from Lou Lamoriello or even BriseBois….The guy is just not made for that job and our owner is too weak to solve the problem…

It is what it is…

KK was about to be that 2 C


you forget that
- deadpoulet

Typically when you compare a 21 year old and a 25 year old, you anticipate more development from the 21 year old, let alone their "pedigree".

Do we know what was the offer being made?

I just don't think KK wanted to be a Habs long term. Otherwise he would still be here.

It's a gamble by the Canes who are now over the cap, no? KK might becomes better but he may not.
- deadpoulet

Jake Gardiner is going on LTIR so they' have another 2.5/3 ish to play with if they want.

Word was the last offer that Montreal gave was 2 years at $1.5 million per.

Do we know what was the offer being made?

I just don't think KK wanted to be a Habs long term. Otherwise he would still be here.

It's a gamble by the Canes who are now over the cap, no? KK might becomes better but he may not.
- deadpoulet

OK…. The real underlying question here is why KK did not want to keep playing for the Stanley Cup finalist? There is something bad going on with Habs management and kids just want to walk away…. Who is next ? Suzuki??? What will be the story next year???

Dvorak's a fine player. Probably better right now than KK is.

Will he be next year though? Or two years from now? That's a much tougher sell.

I just don't get how it even got to this point. Bergevin had to know there was an offer sheet out there. Hell, according to Friedman, Dreger and LeBrun, the Canes straight up warned him they were going to do this if Montreal wouldn't make a trade.

Just show a little faith in the kid, offer him 3 years at $3 million per two months ago and none of this happens.
- BINGO!

What you failed to consider is KK does not want to play in MTL no matter what happens this move needed to be made

OK…. The real underlying question here is why KK did not want to keep playing for the Stanley Cup finalist? There is something bad going on with Habs management and kids just want to walk away…. Who is next ? Suzuki??? What will be the story next year???
- TheInformer697041

Benching him in the Stanley Cup finals may have had something to do with it

Typically when you compare a 21 year old and a 25 year old, you anticipate more development from the 21 year, let alone their "pedigree".
- Takemedrunkimhome

he would not have been as good next season and we don't know how good he will be

Galchenyuk never got it together either. That thing happens with young players as well.

Benching him in the Stanley Cup finals may have had something to do with it
- Takemedrunkimhome

Now I was against that, but did he deserves to get benched?

Jake Gardiner is going on LTIR so they' have another 2.5/3 ish to play with if they want.

Word was the last offer that Montreal gave was 2 years at $1.5 million per.
- BINGO!

Imagine that you are KK and you feel that you were not put is best conditions to succeed (right or wrong) and Bergevin plays hard ball with you with a $3M for 2 years…. Do you want to stay? If Carolina put an offer sheet at $9M for 3 years, do you think Bergy is matching? If yes, why the (frank) he did not offer that contract to the kid? Oh yes, that’s true, he has to pay for Byron instead…. In today’s NHL, I think the time you can underpay young players is over….

Benching him in the Stanley Cup finals may have had something to do with it
- Takemedrunkimhome

I think this is more that that…. This may just be a cumulation of factors…

he would not have been as good next season and we don't know how good he will be

Galchenyuk never got it together either. That thing happens with young players as well.
- deadpoulet

May Kotkaniemi never reach his highest potential? Possible. But who is more likely to develop further:

Player A is a 21 year old, former high first round pick

Player B is a 25 year old, former late second round pick

Player B had a career high in points that is 4 more than Player A scored as a 18 year old rookie.

There is no opinion above, just facts. On paper, this whole thing looks bad. Could Player B ultimately be better than Player A? Sure. None of that makes any of this situation any better, it's a (frank) up even if it works out and, like the draft pick, it's self inflicted

Now I was against that, but did he deserves to get benched?
- deadpoulet

Team needed goals in the finals. Sometimes you need to gamble on goals and talent

Imagine that you are KK and you feel that you were not put is best conditions to succeed (right or wrong) and Bergevin plays hard ball with you with a $3M for 2 years…. Do you want to stay? If Carolina put an offer sheet at $9M for 3 years, do you think Bergy is matching? If yes, why the (frank) he did not offer that contract to the kid? Oh yes, that’s true, he has to pay for Byron instead…. In today’s NHL, I think the time you can underpay young players is over….
- TheInformer697041

What? Dvorak makes $4.5 million per, so.....

I think this is more that that…. This may just be a cumulation of factors…
- TheInformer697041

Absolutely, I agree. Doesn't mean benching him helped anything

May Kotkaniemi never reach his highest potential? Possible. But who is more likely to develop further:

Player A is a 21 year old, former high first round pick

Player B is a 25 year old, former late second round pick

Player B had a career high in points that is 4 more than Player A scored as a 18 year old rookie.

There is no opinion above, just facts. On paper, this whole thing looks bad. Could Player B ultimately be better than Player A? Sure. None of that makes any of this situation any better, it's a (frank) up even if it works out and, like the draft pick, it's self inflicted
- Takemedrunkimhome

That's just it. There's no reason any of this had to happen. Bergevin went hard into "win now" mode to save his own ass and now is paying for it. Carolina saw that, found an opening, and lobbed a grenade into the Habs' long term plans.

Question of the day…. How Dvorak compare to Pleky at same age? Are they same type of player? How Danault compares to Pleky? I have the feeling they are same type of players…. How was Danault at age of Dvorak? I remember not being very impressed by Danault when he was 25…

Danault was a 1st round pick…. I think…

Bergevin was in trouble…. He payed a bit too much but he was not in best situation to get a good deal…. He was trying to buy an A/C in a heat wave….

Some fans are just unrealistic…. I just try to figure out what they were expecting in term of a deal…. MacKinnon for a first pick?

I am not happy about how we pick in first round in past 10 years, how we (frank)ed up some good talent and how Bergevin is cheaping out on contract negotiation with young talents but is giving away too big contracts to some « favorite » guys…. Price is overpaid, Gallagher is over paid…. His problem is that he falls in love with some players and overpay them…. Just look how he was during the playoffs emotionally speaking…. We are far from Lou Lamoriello or even BriseBois….The guy is just not made for that job and our owner is too weak to solve the problem…

It is what it is…
- TheInformer697041

meh, again with the exaggerations, his team has just reached the Stanley cup final, so clearly he must be doing something right...

What? Dvorak makes $4.5 million per, so.....
- BINGO!

KK is not worth $6M but not with $1.5M either…

Yes he had to demonstrate more to get a big contract but…

I am very comfortable with Dvorak at $4.5M…. He is more mature and even if I don’t know much the guy, his stats are backing his salary….

Thé interesting part is what Bergevin will do with Suzuki…. It will be funny how he will try to save the face…. I would dream to be Suzuki agent when he calls…. LOL

That's just it. There's no reason any of this had to happen. Bergevin went hard into "win now" mode to save his own ass and now is paying for it. Carolina saw that, found an opening, and lobbed a grenade into the Habs' long term plans.
- BINGO!

it sucks, I liked the kid and I'm sure he'll do well, I just don't wanna see him have success in a damn Canes jersey lolll

meh, again with the exaggerations, his team has just reached the Stanley cup final, so clearly he must be doing something right...
- Pat1993

No worry… We will be back to normal this year(not making the playoffs…)

Last year run was just luck… and super goaltending…. Montréal had nothing to do in the Finals and we saw this very clearly…

Time will tell…

the Canes are the ones that were immature by adding that 20$ bonus in the first place, KK only did what any sensible person would do, which is take the money. it would've been foolish not to. and I don't know where this "he thinks he's better than he really is" comes from, you're saying this as if it's KK that had suggested the 6M.
- Pat1993

No but if he was mature he would have told his agent to get rid of that ridiculous clause

yeah his stats are kinda meh, I agree, I'm hoping he might be able to up his game a bit in MTL with better wingers but I guess I shouldn't expect that much of an improvement either, the "change of scenery" factor has its limits.
- Pat1993

If his stats are meh?? those 5 goals from KK should blow you away ahha

No worry… We will be back to normal this year(not making the playoffs…)

Last year run was just luck… and super goaltending…. Montréal had nothing to do in the Finals and we saw this very clearly…

Time will tell…
- TheInformer697041

putting the blame on him for the bad decisions but discrediting his successes by saying it was just luck isn't a very objective way of seeing things, but hey, you do you booboo.