TSN 690 Grab Bag: Caufield’s contract, UFA signings and trading down in the draft

[Lalonde: The Habs are laying the foundation](https://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/lalonde-the-habs-are-laying-the-foundation-1.1969782)

* McKenna starts off the interview by talking about the Cole Caufield extension, describing it as a “win-win”. Lalonde agrees, saying that both sides seemed to want a long term deal. Caufield seems happy to be here in Montreal and wants to win in this market. He also gets a lot of money up front. On the flip side, the cap hit was very appealing for the Canadiens. Lalonde then talks a bit about how exciting it will be to have Suzuki and Caufield locked up for the next 7 years on manageable contracts.
* Starr asks a bit about the contract, saying that he thinks that Caufield took a bit less than he could have asked for and put the team first. Lalonde says that Caufield is a very humble guy and is someone who will praise his team before himself. Not every star player has this type of mentality, but Suzuki and Caufield seem to. Lalonde also brings up Connor Bedard as another player who always praises his team before himself.
* McKenna brings up how Caufield’s contract is slightly less than Suzuki’s, and how we seem to have an internal cap. McKenna asks how sustainable this strategy is, especially with the cap likely to skyrocket in the next couple of years. Lalonde says it was quite remarkable for Hughes to get Suzuki and Caufield signed long term for under 8 million, but doesn’t know how sustainable this will be. If we end up signing a big name via free agency, it will be hard to keep them under that limit. She brings up Connor Hellebuyck as a big name we might target that would probably command a hefty salary.
* Lalonde talks about how it is exciting to see a management team and players who seem to want to build something long term and are willing to sacrifice to improve the team’s chances to win.
* McKenna brings up the draft, saying that 5th selection seems to be the most dramatic pick. McKenna gets the sense that Hughes and Gorton have been trying to prepare fans for them passing on Michkov. Lalonde is unsure, saying that management seem to think Michkov is a “calculated risk”. Starr says that he is firmly on team Michkov while McKenna is less sure, citing Basu’s recent article which says Michkov would be another Caufield type player (ie. small and skilled).

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[Denis: Will the Habs splash the pot in the UFA market](https://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/denis-will-the-habs-splash-the-pot-in-the-ufa-market-1.1967746)

* They talk a bit about Patrick Roy, and rumours that the Columbus Blue Jackets may be interested in him for their head coaching position. Denis says that his name is in the mix, but that is all he knows. Either way, this is likely Roy’s last year with the Ramparts. McKenna asks if there is still any baggage from the way he left the Avalanche. Denis doesn’t know, but there were hard feelings at the time.
* McKenna asks about the Habs off-season plans, and if we should be targeting any UFA’s, or is the slow and steady approach is the way to go. Denis thinks that we should proceed slow and steady. With the excitement of our your players, and the new coach and management breathing life into the team, many want us to take the next step right away, but Denis doesn’t want to see us rush things. A move like the Dach trade last year would make sense as it builds for the future, but we don’t need to be targeting any big name UFA’s.
* Denis thinks it would be smart to wait until we can iron out our cap situation before we try to take that next step. When we are ready to be competitive, we will want that cap flexibility to make those moves that take us to the next level. It also gives us time to figure out our goalie situation. We can take some time to see if Montembault is our guy, or if we need to shop around for a goalie. Starr agrees, saying he would be disappointed if fans want us to rush this rebuild.
* Starr talks about a comment that St. Louis made about Caufield, saying that he can’t teach Cole to score, he’s been scoring since he held a stick. What St. Louis wants to do is teach Caufield to be a more complete player. Starr asks if this will mean Caufield will score less when he becomes more complete. Denis doesn’t think so, and that becoming a more complete player may give him more opportunities to score. He gives an example of how being better on the boards could give him the chance to retrieve the puck and have scoring opportunity that he may not have had if he was looking for the pass from someone else. It’s also important for a player to be able to help the team when they don’t have the puck.
* McKenna brings up the Stanley Cup final, saying that both teams are very big and strong. He asks how a smaller team like the Canadiens views this, and if that effects their team building strategy at all. Denis says that both the Panthers and Knights are teams that make it tough to get scoring chances down the middle. They let teams get a lot of perimeter shots, but keep the high danger scoring chances to a minimum. Vegas in particular also has a punishing defense that makes it difficult to get in close.

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[D’Amico: There’s no way the Habs trade the 5th pick](https://www.tsn.ca/radio/montreal-690/d-amico-there-s-no-way-the-habs-trade-the-5th-pick-1.1968442)

* Jon starts the interview off by asking what the Canadiens biggest off-season priorities are. D’Amico thinks their first priority is to move one of our big contract, referencing Armia, Hoffman and Dvorak as names that we should be shopping. He also thinks Edmundson getting moved is a “forgone conclusion”. The second priority would be to identify teams who are hurting for cap space, and try to pull another Sean Monahan type cap dump. The third priority would be to try and find some scoring to the roster, specifically a young scorer. He cites the Dach trade as an example of the type of deal he is talking about. He says that we tried that with Gurianov, but it didn’t really work out.
* In reference to priority three, Jon brings up Brock Boeser as a player that can score and is on the market. D’Amico likes the player, but thinks he would be too expensive, and that his age puts him a little outside our window. D’Amico would take a look a Kakko in New York as someone who is stuck low on the depth chart, but might explode like Dach did if given an opportunity here. He also mentions Alex Newhook as another potential target for a change of scenery.
* Jon asks if there are any free agents this year that are flying under the radar. D’Amico thinks Matt Dumba is someone who could be very appealing. He’s a right shot D that can hit and score, which is pretty rare. He also mentions Alex Kerfoot as a player that can play a middle six role very well.
* Jon talks about how many teams are right up against the cap right now, and how Monahan could be a real good get for a team looking for a cheap, productive 3rd line centre.
* They play a clip from Corey Pronman who says that if he were in the Canadiens shoes, he would pick Michkov at 5th. He says that we have some talent in Suzuki and Caufield, but Michkov could be on another level. Jon then asks if we pass on Michkov, would Reinbacher be a reach at 5th. D’Amico says that anyone outside of Bedard, Michkov, Carlsson, Fantilli and Smith is in a lower tier. Reinbacher is the best defenseman of that teir, but it would still be a reach for us. He thinks that Arizona will draft Reinbacher at 6th however. Reinbacher is a safe pick, and will likely be a number 3 or 4 defenseman, with some potential to be a top pairing guy. He’s not flashy, but he is an overall solid player.
* D’Amico thinks the Habs are high on Ryan Leonard. He plays a game similar to Timo Meier, playing with physicality and can score in many different ways. He can score from out far with his shot, but also from in close with deflections and crashing the net. D’Amico says that Dvorsky is also someone the Habs like.
* On Michkov and the fears of his status in Russia, D’Amico thinks they are overblown. No Russian player since the fall of the Soviet Union has had any trouble coming to the NHL once their contract was expired. Jon thinks that all this Michkov will ultimately be pointless, saying that he thinks the Sharks will draft Michkov as they can afford to wait.
* Jon asks if the Canadiens could trade down if Michkov is not on their board and he drops to them. D’Amico doesn’t think it will happen, and doesn’t think it is worth it. Just pick the guy you want, even if it is a bit of a reach. Trading down might mean you miss out on the guy you want anyways.

by BlazeOfGlory72