[Rumour] Habs interested in Baertschi prior to signing Kovalchuk

[joe-max]

7 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

Bergevin won't trade for Baer because a) it makes sense, and b) he's not french.

 

Swiss-German just isn't Swiss-French. 

French is official language in Switzerland and obligatory to learn for every primary school kid. Baertschi is probably the best fit after Roussel and Brisebois.

[theo5789]

5 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

it also has potentially a lot more upside too. Right now, Baer could play up and down their top 3 lines and has more potential to be useful 5 on 5 and on the PP than a well past his prime Kovy. Taking back Weise, a guy they don't want anyway, makes it free for this year. 

 

But sure lets worry about next year, maybe this year they get a high pick in the lotto. Bergevin inherited a contending team in its prime and has driven it into the ground. 

Well they have to be concerned about next season because he would affect their cap. This is also the reason why we want to get rid of him. Kovy has no risk for next season should he not pan out and he costs next to nothing. This season and last, he's been on pace for about 43 points, which has been Baertschi's previous best points per game average anyway, so there's the same benefit offensively. Baertschi is better defensively, but if they're looking for offense then the past his prime Kovy fits the same bill as the concussion risked Sven that has an extra year on his contract. Weise is a million cheaper and a year less of contract, we could take him back, but we would still need to add. It's like suggesting we take on Alzner for Baertschi, would you not expect more back in return because of the extra year and higher cap hit?

 

It would make more sense for Montreal to acquire Gagner for Weise if they're looking for a spark at forward.

 

I agree that Bergevin hasn't done an amazing job, but the team on paper has been decent. They just don't seem to be getting full value out of the lineup and now they're going through injuries.

[theo5789]

2 hours ago, Quantum said:

The deal that would make the most sense for the Canucks/Habs would probably be:

 

Sven Baertschi

Zane MacIntyre

 

for

 

Keith Kinkaid

Hayden Verbeek

Late Round Pick

 

--

 

Keep Keith in the minors (essentially taking the place of MacIntyre), his salary sort of evens out with Sven's and Kinkaid's contract expires in June. Kinkaid basically takes on MacIntyre's role on the team and he gets to "mentor" DiPetro for half the year. Verbeek is a throw in as a depth prospect to even out the contracts and to help relieve the pressure that is on the Utica Comets right now in the fact that all of their C's are basically injured or called up. Verbeek has 2 years on his deal so it gives the Canucks time to determine if he could be part of their future or not. Verbeek has bounced around the AHL and ECHL this year, so I don't see the Habs being that worried about losing him. Pick to balance out the fact that the Canucks are helping the Habs out with their scoring/winger woes at the NHL level.

 

That's just an idea. Doubt Baertschi goes to the Habs but I wouldn't be shocked if a deal for him was centered around those players if a move were to be made.

Kinkaid's contract is half the amount of Baer's and a year less term and they will be giving up a late pick to boot? Teams could've had Sven for free, I think teams want us to retain or want us to give up assets, both of which we don't seem interested in doing.

[qwijibo]

8 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

Bergevin won't trade for Baer because a) it makes sense, and b) he's not french.

 

Swiss-German just isn't Swiss-French. 

Or he didn’t want to commit cap space to a borderline nhl’er for another season to solve a short term injury issue 

[JM_]

3 hours ago, theo5789 said:

Well they have to be concerned about next season because he would affect their cap. This is also the reason why we want to get rid of him. Kovy has no risk for next season should he not pan out and he costs next to nothing. This season and last, he's been on pace for about 43 points, which has been Baertschi's previous best points per game average anyway, so there's the same benefit offensively. Baertschi is better defensively, but if they're looking for offense then the past his prime Kovy fits the same bill as the concussion risked Sven that has an extra year on his contract. Weise is a million cheaper and a year less of contract, we could take him back, but we would still need to add. It's like suggesting we take on Alzner for Baertschi, would you not expect more back in return because of the extra year and higher cap hit?

 

It would make more sense for Montreal to acquire Gagner for Weise if they're looking for a spark at forward.

 

I agree that Bergevin hasn't done an amazing job, but the team on paper has been decent. They just don't seem to be getting full value out of the lineup and now they're going through injuries.

thats what happens when you bleed out talent. 

 

I'm not a fan of Bergevin, at all. Where are they going to be when Price and Weber begin to decline (it may have already begun with Price actually) with all that cap still locked up in them? 

[JM_]

2 hours ago, qwijibo said:

Or he didn’t want to commit cap space to a borderline nhl’er for another season to solve a short term injury issue 

cool. The lotto is fun tho, rite? 

[qwijibo]

47 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

cool. The lotto is fun tho, rite? 

Because BaertschI would  make all the difference in the world right?  

[theo5789]

49 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

thats what happens when you bleed out talent. 

 

I'm not a fan of Bergevin, at all. Where are they going to be when Price and Weber begin to decline (it may have already begun with Price actually) with all that cap still locked up in them? 

Which is probably why they went with a cheap fix rather than spending more assets to fix the roster or adding more risk by adding a player that might not work out and be stuck with them for another year as well.

[6string]

21 hours ago, kazin! said:

What do you have against him? One of the best.

He's a former Raptor play by play and Blue Jays reporter who never played hockey.

 

 He attended Western U and never graduated.

 

I'd much rather have a hockey personality than the nice guy schtick people eat up.

 

I don't watch or read his stuff. I prefer to read from this forum!

 

[wai_lai416]

Baertschi will rot in Utica before the canucks will trade him with cap retention. i don't think Aqualinni will be happy to pay more salary for players to sit in the pressbox or play for another team.. we have almost 10mil worth of cap space not including luongo's recapture that when the lineup is fully healthy is either playing in the minor.. bought out.. or sitting in a pressbox.. we are looking good now but imagine if we miss the playoff this year and next.. a big reason is going to be we have 10mil cap space + the 3mil luongo recapture doing absolutely nothing... or imagine how much better we could actually be if we had the extra 10-13mil to play with.

[JM_]

12 hours ago, qwijibo said:

Because BaertschI would  make all the difference in the world right?  

he's more useful that Kovalchuck. So more of a difference. And he'd be had for free from an asst pov. 

 

12 hours ago, theo5789 said:

Which is probably why they went with a cheap fix rather than spending more assets to fix the roster or adding more risk by adding a player that might not work out and be stuck with them for another year as well.

If thats all Bergevin could come up with Montreal is &^@#ed. 

[Alflives]

2 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

he's more useful that Kovalchuck. So more of a difference. And he'd be had for free from an asst pov. 

 

If thats all Bergevin could come up with Montreal is &^@#ed. 

Baer is a way better player than Kovi.  His contract is bad though, and goes beyond this season.  

[JM_]

4 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Baer is a way better player than Kovi.  His contract is bad though, and goes beyond this season.  

I get that, but holy cow its not like its 6 mil for 5 more years. He's easily buried or bought out, or traded to Ottawa e.g., since MTL has a lot of extra picks in the later rounds if its a total disaster. Bergevin has wrecked a contending team but somehow he's getting credit for a 'no downside' deal with Kovy, but it isn't no downside, they passed on a free better player even with the extra year thing. Maybe Marc wants to win the lotto for his hometown draft. 

[qwijibo]

17 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

he's more useful that Kovalchuck. So more of a difference. And he'd be had for free from an asst pov. 

 

If thats all Bergevin could come up with Montreal is &^@#ed. 

And then they’re stuck with a useless player for a season and a half at a cap hit of $3.4m instead of a guy who is only signed this season and has a cap hit of $70k in the minors.  Montreal has a good top 6 when 3/6 of them aren’t hurt.  This is a short term solution. Baertschi ties their hands down the road to a much bigger degree than Kovalchuk. I’m not sure how you don’t get that. 

[Alflives]

10 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

I get that, but holy cow its not like its 6 mil for 5 more years. He's easily buried or bought out, or traded to Ottawa e.g., since MTL has a lot of extra picks in the later rounds if its a total disaster. Bergevin has wrecked a contending team but somehow he's getting credit for a 'no downside' deal with Kovy, but it isn't no downside, they passed on a free better player even with the extra year thing. Maybe Marc wants to win the lotto for his hometown draft. 

Maybe the fix is in, and the Habs are getting Lafreniere?

[theo5789]

2 hours ago, Jimmy McGill said:

he's more useful that Kovalchuck. So more of a difference. And he'd be had for free from an asst pov. 

 

If thats all Bergevin could come up with Montreal is &^@#ed. 

There's not much Montreal can do without a major shakeup or selling assets to have a stop gap solution. I'm not too certain that Baertschi is that much more useful (Baertschi doesn't really play any minutes different than Kovy would and he producing at his "worst rate" which would be equivalent to Baertschi's best to date), but certainly more risk involved.

[JM_]

3 hours ago, qwijibo said:

And then they’re stuck with a useless player for a season and a half at a cap hit of $3.4m instead of a guy who is only signed this season and has a cap hit of $70k in the minors.  Montreal has a good top 6 when 3/6 of them aren’t hurt.  This is a short term solution. Baertschi ties their hands down the road to a much bigger degree than Kovalchuk. I’m not sure how you don’t get that. 

meh, hyperbole. Its not that big a contract and he has more upside and usefulness than Kovy. 

[PhillipBlunt]

Baertschi is one bad hit away from the end of his career. Not many teams want to take that type of player situation on.

[qwijibo]

26 minutes ago, Jimmy McGill said:

meh, hyperbole. Its not that big a contract and he has more upside and usefulness than Kovy. 

$70k for 1/2 season vs $2.3m of dead cap space if he’s buried in the minors next year.  How is that hyperbole?  Do you really think that Baertschi is that much better than Kovalchuk that Montreal would happily throw away $2.3m of cap space that could be put to better use?  I don’t. 

[JM_]

37 minutes ago, qwijibo said:

$70k for 1/2 season vs $2.3m of dead cap space if he’s buried in the minors next year.  How is that hyperbole?  Do you really think that Baertschi is that much better than Kovalchuk that Montreal would happily throw away $2.3m of cap space that could be put to better use?  I don’t. 

if this is the only move Bergevin makes by the TDL and he could have had Baer for free, yeah thats a mistake. All you have to do is look at the slide in Montreals record since Berevin took over to see the guy makes far more poor decisions that good ones.