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I don't see how the Habs can trade him. If it wasn't for the team's PK this year, jeez, we might have been gunning for Columbus territory. I know Plekanec's offensive totals are down and people are maybe reading something into that, but I think this has been his best overall year in terms of his full game contribution and consistency. He is a beast now on PK, and his speed is a factor every night. He hasn't converted well, needs to use his wrister more or get off some of those quick shots on the rush that he used to more than looking to pass to his clunker wingers or make dekes, but he can sort that out. With a better team, or with a different focus in his game, he's still a 30-goal 70-pt threat IMHO. But I'm very satisfied with him at his current salary as a 15-goal 40-pt player too.
I think he's an ideal #2 center to line up behind your big guy. Ideals are hard to achieve in the modern NHL, however... so when instead of our "big guy" our #1 line is centered by David Desharnais, well... You can't have everything. At least our #1 line had a pair of 30-goal scorers on the wing this year. Can't have everything perfect. But I wouldn't be seeking to move Plekanec just because of that imperfection. I'd really like to see what he does next season with Gionta back and hopefully a new talented winger.
I'm pretty sure there's no offer out there that another fanbase would make that would remotely interest me. Plekanec is very underrated and very valuable to the Habs IMHO.
Put Marian Hossa with Travis Moen and Louis Leblanc, and tell me how much points he'll put out.
Plekanec is an elite 2nd center. And a good 1st C. But he wont be able to put up points if hes playing with border-line 4th lines and 3rd lines players.
If you want Plekanec, you'll need to send us a nice package, something around what Jeff Carter and Mike Richards got, when they went out of Philly.
We would need a top prospect coming back, like Saad, and a pick. Not certain if Chicago is willing to make a move like that but Plek is our best asset, thus the return has to be high.
A top prospect maybe,the top prospect no way.Hawks aren't giving up Saad anytime soon unless someone makes the proverbial "offer they can't refuse".
Plekanec is what he is,a good 2LC.No more,no less.If a team has to rely on him as a 1LC they are in trouble.His 50pts are 2nd/3rd line territory,49.1% on faceoffs is not great and that -18 is just bad,even for the Habs.
Some claim his numbers are the result of poor team play and revolving linemates.That given steady quality linemates he would produce a lot more.While I have no doubt this is at least partially true,there is still no way he is 1st line material.
I would love to see Plekanec centering say Hossa and Sharp,but not at the cost of a player like Saad.Lower your expectations just a wee bit and you might make a deal.
One more thing,IMO,the Habs best assets are Price,Subban,Pacioretty,Desharnais and then Plekanec.In that order.
Now if you want Saad,we might work something out around that Price feller.How attached to him are you ??
A top prospect maybe,the top prospect no way.Hawks aren't giving up Saad anytime soon unless someone makes the proverbial "offer they can't refuse".
Plekanec is what he is,a good 2LC.No more,no less.If a team has to rely on him as a 1LC they are in trouble.His 50pts are 2nd/3rd line territory,49.1% on faceoffs is not great and that -18 is just bad,even for the Habs.
Some claim his numbers are the result of poor team play and revolving linemates.That given steady quality linemates he would produce a lot more.While I have no doubt this is at least partially true,there is still no way he is 1st line material.
I would love to see Plekanec centering say Hossa and Sharp,but not at the cost of a player like Saad.Lower your expectations just a wee bit and you might make a deal.
One more thing,IMO,the Habs best assets are Price,Subban,Pacioretty,Desharnais and then Plekanec.In that order.
Now if you want Saad,we might work something out around that Price feller.How attached to him are you ??
Are you implaying that Saad is your best asset? Is this real life?
Alll our stars have big contracts some rather lengthy (Keith/Hossa)
All our depth guys (Bolland , Hjalmarsson , Stalberg) are likely too hard to replace or not worth enough to move
Saad is cheap asset for a team acquiring him , Is tearing up OHL and already has (Very limited of course) a taste of NHL
With all that Saad ,, Moving Saad IMO is a non-starter
I have always liked Plekanec so if Hawks had room (Who knows with uncertainty over CBA) I would love him as our #2 C
McNeill + Hawks 1st
Sharp-Toews-Kane
Saad-Plekanec-Hossa
The problem is, Montreal can't really easily replace Plekanec. The offer isn't bad (though I'm personally not a fan of McNeill), but unless the incoming GM wants to make a splash, I doubt there would be any willingness for Montreal to move Pleks barring an overoffer. His stats are down this year, but he hasn't really had the opportunity to develop chemistry with anyone this year and has recently been playing with guys like Moen, Blunden, Bourque (who has been terrible for us) and Leblanc.
Personally, I'd be open to trading him, but not to give away. I'm not sure Chicago has the available assets to get Montreal interested in moving him (if Saad is a non-starter).
A top prospect maybe,the top prospect no way.Hawks aren't giving up Saad anytime soon unless someone makes the proverbial "offer they can't refuse".
Plekanec is what he is,a good 2LC.No more,no less.If a team has to rely on him as a 1LC they are in trouble.His 50pts are 2nd/3rd line territory,49.1% on faceoffs is not great and that -18 is just bad,even for the Habs.
Some claim his numbers are the result of poor team play and revolving linemates.That given steady quality linemates he would produce a lot more.While I have no doubt this is at least partially true,there is still no way he is 1st line material.
I would love to see Plekanec centering say Hossa and Sharp,but not at the cost of a player like Saad.Lower your expectations just a wee bit and you might make a deal.
One more thing,IMO,the Habs best assets are Price,Subban,Pacioretty,Desharnais and then Plekanec.In that order.
Now if you want Saad,we might work something out around that Price feller.How attached to him are you ??
If you really think Desharnais should have higher value than Plekanec in a trade you clearly know nothing about the Canadiens. The bottom line is that Plekanec has been the Canadiens best forward for the last 3 years. He hasn't been putting up great numbers this year but that is mostly because of his absurdly low shooting percentage (7.5%), playing with less than stellar line mates and the fact that he hasn't been getting much PP time (and a lot of his pp time came on the point, which is less than ideal for him). It's fair to expect between 55-65 points a year from Plekanec with elite defensive play.
The first problem with the Hawks acquiring Plekanec is that his cap hit is $5M and his contract has 4 more years.
The second problem is what it would take to get him. I'm in agreement with other Hawks posters who have said Saad is a non-starter. While it's true that success in Jrs often doesn't translate to the NHL, especially not right away, the thing that Saad has going for him is that at 6'2" and 210lbs, he already has an NHL body and he didn't look out of place in the couple games he played with the Hawks before being sent back to Saginaw.
The third problem with acquiring Plekanec is I don't think the Hawks need him. I'm in the minority on this, but now that Kane has been playing center (again) for the last 20 games while Toews has been out, I think Kane and Hawks management will be re-committed to Kane playing 2nd line center next season.
He is a 2nd line center on bad or mediocre teams. If you want to win a cup he is on your 3rd line and Chicago has this Bolland guy already there so no need.
Chicago still has all 3 of the top 3 centers they won a cup with. What they need to do is put the correct players around them. ...
Two things to notice.
1) The last game or 2 Sharp has begun to take some faceoffs (getting ready for the playoffs)
2) Chicago has several highly touted prospects at wing.
They will go with what they got this year and will have pieces in play moving forward.
Plekanec is a 1st liner on a mediocre team, people think Desharnais is the #1 center, it's just because he has Pacioretty and Cole as winger, put them with Pleky and he would have 70 points already. Since Martin got fired, we saw a significaly drop of icetime for Pleky + he played a lot of games with White, Bourque, Darche, Eller which are not top 6 material ( Eller is sometimes)
Are you implaying that Saad is your best asset? Is this real life?
I said he was their best prospect,never mentioned him as an asset.Reading comprehension is a wonderful thing,try it sometime,it's an asset in real life (as is spelling) !!
If you really think Desharnais should have higher value than Plekanec in a trade you clearly know nothing about the Canadiens. The bottom line is that Plekanec has been the Canadiens best forward for the last 3 years. He hasn't been putting up great numbers this year but that is mostly because of his absurdly low shooting percentage (7.5%), playing with less than stellar line mates and the fact that he hasn't been getting much PP time (and a lot of his pp time came on the point, which is less than ideal for him). It's fair to expect between 55-65 points a year from Plekanec with elite defensive play.
Quite familiar with the Canadians thank you,Montreal is my 2nd home and I get plenty of info on them (whether I ask for it or not ! lol)My opinion on Desharnais is just that,my opinion,based on what I've seen and heard.It was pretty close,could just as easily put Plekanec ahead,but Desharnais got the nod because of age and salary.But no matter which one of them I chose 1st,Price,Subban and Pacioretty are still better assets and I doubt you can argue against that.
Alll our stars have big contracts some rather lengthy (Keith/Hossa)
All our depth guys (Bolland , Hjalmarsson , Stalberg) are likely too hard to replace or not worth enough to move
Saad is cheap asset for a team acquiring him , Is tearing up OHL and already has (Very limited of course) a taste of NHL
With all that Said ,, Moving Saad IMO is a non-starter
I have always liked Plekanec so if Hawks had room (Who knows with uncertainty over CBA) I would love him as our #2 C
McNeill + Hawks 1st
Sharp-Toews-Kane
Saad-Plekanec-Hossa
If Saad is a non-starter, and you are looking at a deal around McNeil and your 1st in 2012 for Plekanec, I would ask for a little more. What about:
Hawks get Plekanec
Habs get 2012 1st, McNeil (OR Morin) and Jimmy Hayes
I am not really sold on McNeil, and the Habs passed him up for Beaulieu even though center was a bigger need.
Kepp in mind, if the deal is easy to make, it is probably not balanced. A trade should make you pause and groan a bit for it to be fair to both teams. Think it over.
Pleks is a good 2A center that can fill in at times as a 1B center, definately not a third liner, maybe a 4th liner on pittsburg thou!!! There arnt; many teams in the NHL that Pleks would not be an upgrade over their current 2nd line center
Plekanec is available, if you want him. Looking at your line up with him in it is great. Just you`d be missing a player from that line-up, because one of them would be playing in Montreal. Im not saying Toews or Kane, but you`d be ponying up Sharp,Hossa, or Saad+ for sure. That would be the asking price, not saying you`d agree
