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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Wed May 02, 2018 3:57 pm 
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La Presse and RDS reporting that Valiev is leaving for the KHL. Considering how lousy the team's LD situation is, it's unfortunate that he didn't want to try his luck here.

https://www.rds.ca/hockey/canadiens/lnh ... -1.6072014

That leaves Alzner, Reilly, Mete, Schlemko. I suspect Schlem won't be back and they'd love to get rid of Karl if they could.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Mon May 14, 2018 12:08 pm 
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The best revenge is living well, but in addition to that, Lars Eller and Joe Morrow have taken time out of their busy playoff schedules to slag their former organization a little.

Morrow said he basically chose the Habs because of CJ but he shouldn't have based the decision solely on a coach. Also, with regards to Bergevin's attitude comment: "I'd say that's an unfair comment. Marc wasn't in the dressing room often. I don't know if he was trying to save his job, but I don't find that right. You can't say that your locker room & players have bad attitude."

Meanwhile, Lars on finding his place in DC: "“I definitely found my identity as a player that I maybe, when I was in Montreal, had kind of lost... I was just bounced around a lot — and I mean a lot — whereas I had a lot more stability here.”

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Thu May 24, 2018 12:19 pm 
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Here's what the team looks like headed into the offseason:

C: Drouin, Danault, De La Rose (Extras: Evans, McCarron, Froese, Vejdemo, Alain)

LW: Pacioretty, Galchenyuk, Byron, Carr, Deslauriers

RW: Gallagher, Shaw, Lehkonen, Hudon, Scherbak

LD: Alzner, Mete, Reilly, Schlemko

RD: Weber, Petry, Juulsen, Benn

G: Price, Niemi, Lindgren

The most glaring holes are at C (either a 1st or 2nd) and LD. They've got some strength at the wings, and with Max as a UFA after next season, it seems entirely plausible the team will deal him for centre or defence help. They could also re-sign Max and trade Galchenyuk for a centre/defenceman. They currently have $62 committed but need to re-sign Danault and De La Rose.

Weber, Byron, Shaw and Evans all underwent major surgeries this offseason and could all miss training camp or part of the regular season. Not sure how much that factors into the team's offseason moves besides adding depth, which they'll do anyway.

Obvious candidates to not be back next season are Schlemko and Alzner. Mete and Juulsen showed enough that they could make next season's squad, but then again a little seasoning with Bouchard couldn't hurt.

At centre, De La Rose stepped into the Plekanec role after the trade and looked... ok. He just turned 23 and was jerked around a bit early in his career so I think it would be unwise to give up on him even though his upside might be limited. Some think he's a future 3C, while others think he'll never score enough to be a regular. He can skate and has size and can play the wings if the team somehow gets some centre depth, so it's worth giving him another show me deal.

Scherbak was another guy who took a step forward but not an entirely conclusive one. He can play in the pros and isn't the defensive liability he was early on, but he's had trouble staying healthy and developing consistency. I think if he's healthy the team has to ride him and see what they've got.

Lehkonen and Hudon look good. Solid top-9 types.

Carr scored a bit but CJ doesn't seem to like him much. Still feel like he's the poor man's Gallagher.

And that brings us to the draft. If they grab Svechnikov or Zadina at 3, they've got themselves a winger who's ready to step in. It would make trading Galchenyuk or Pacioretty go down a little easier. If they draft Hughes, who I think they might like, he might go straight from college even if he's not ready. Otherwise, none of the other picks look like they'll be ready to step in right away.

They have 5 picks in the first two rounds and 4 in the next two. Without exaggeration this draft is the most important thing the Habs will do this decade and next. The opportunity exists to totally re-stock the team for 2021. I don't think they need to reach for a centre at 3 because they could also package a couple of picks to move up to land a Veleno/Hayton-type. They could also get another first rounder in any Max or Alex deal, but that would signal that they're in a rebuild.

Lots of intrigue surrounding Notre Dame star Evans. Surprised he didn't get more Hobey Baker consideration. Had surgery for sports hernia at the end of the Frozen Four, which I think guarantees he won't start the season in Montreal. Takes a while to recover, and Laval needs some star power. Evans needs to get bulkier and find a way to survive without great speed. Vejdemo is even more mysterious. Solid third-liner in Sweden and can really skate. Like De La Rose, I feel they might rush him because he has wheels and can play defence. He can return to Djurgarden if he doesn't make the big club, but I could see him going to Laval if centre depth appears shaky.

Offseason priorities:

1. don't fuck up the draft
2. acquire one or two centres
3. find someone to play with Weber
4. pray for good health for Price and Weber
5. re-sign Danault

If they do these things, the future won't look so gloomy.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Wed May 30, 2018 12:36 pm 
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Bergevin interview with NHL dot com. To the surprise of no one, he says he won't deal the pick unless he's blown away. He will not be blown away.

https://www.nhl.com/news/montreal-unlik ... =277764372

Also reiterated it's full steam ahead on the Drouin at centre, but in a cagey way that suggests to me the team will look to add centres this offseason but are hedging their bets in case they come up short. You be the judge:

Quote:
Is he Sidney Crosby? Of course not. But can he fill a role at times? Yes he can. We'll have to address some of our needs, sure.


Assuming JT is off the table, I think the Habs will throw a stupid amount of money at Stastny because they won't have a choice. Bozak just seems to me to be Plekanec 2.0. Might as well sign Plekanec on the cheap.

I think they should go after KHL centre Jan Kovar, who's finally coming over after dominating there a bunch of years. Could be Shipachev 2.0 but Kovar is Czech so he's already playing in a foreign country. I'd rather they roll the dice than commit too much money to someone.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 4:51 pm 
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Rumours the Habs are interested in pending UFA LD Jack Johnson. Feels a little like the Alzner situation last year: Columbus doesn't want JJ back and the Habs have a hole at LD and too much money to blow.

Considering Alzner will likely be back, a top-4 of Johnson-Weber, Alzner-Petry sounds pretty disastrous, especially if JJ gets decent money. JJ's only quality at his best was he could absorb heavy minutes. Not so sure he can do that anymore, although his lost ice-time was perhaps a result of the Werenski-Jones emergence and his trade demands.

The Habs forked over big money for Hamrlik in 2007 and it ended up working out: he was a workhorse and replaced Markov at the time, who was out with knee issues. I feel like they're trying to recapture that magic a little, but the game is faster and defencemen are getting aged out earlier than they used to.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 9:30 am 
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E.L. wrote:
Rumours the Habs are interested in pending UFA LD Jack Johnson. Feels a little like the Alzner situation last year: Columbus doesn't want JJ back and the Habs have a hole at LD and too much money to blow.

Considering Alzner will likely be back, a top-4 of Johnson-Weber, Alzner-Petry sounds pretty disastrous, especially if JJ gets decent money. JJ's only quality at his best was he could absorb heavy minutes. Not so sure he can do that anymore, although his lost ice-time was perhaps a result of the Werenski-Jones emergence and his trade demands.

The Habs forked over big money for Hamrlik in 2007 and it ended up working out: he was a workhorse and replaced Markov at the time, who was out with knee issues. I feel like they're trying to recapture that magic a little, but the game is faster and defencemen are getting aged out earlier than they used to.


Tangent but man...Hamrlik played 21 seasons and 1395 games! And that was getting hit with 1 lost season and 2 partials too. Crazy.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 12:12 pm 
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Bosc wrote:
Tangent but man...Hamrlik played 21 seasons and 1395 games! And that was getting hit with 1 lost season and 2 partials too. Crazy.


Hamr was nuts. He was 33 when he signed in Montreal and averaged 22:40 mins per game over 4 seasons and only missed 15 games over that entire time. He was a special breed along the lines of Markov/Chara. Not sure how many defencemen will be able to do that going forward. Habs are banking on that from 33-year-old Weber the next 4 years, and prior to last year's foot injury I wouldn't have doubted it.

Suter is 33 and we'll see how he ages. Keith didn't look the same last year at 34 and Dion/Seabrook look toast. Hamhuis and Hainsey are ageing well, and Boychuk might still have top pairing ability if he's healthy.

Burns and Buff are 33 but are they even defencemen?

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Tue Jun 12, 2018 2:13 pm 
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https://twitter.com/JeffVeillette/statu ... 5144879104

Quote:
Bob McKenzie on TSN690 says he expects Jack Johnson to get in the neighbourhood of 6M per year, give or take a million. Expects the Canadiens to be interested.

Quote:
The Montreal Canadiens, a team that finished 28th overall with a rebuild in desperate need, might be just weeks away from paying Shea Weber (33), Karl Alzner (30), Jeff Petry (31), and Jack Johnson (31) a combined $24 million for the next several years.


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:16 pm 
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Two potential "centres" I'd look at this offseason: JT Miller in Tampa and Charlie Coyle in Minnesota. Miller is an RFA and struggled in the playoffs. He's a luxury TBay may not feel they can afford. Coyle might be collateral if the Wild go for sweeping changes.

Max and a 2nd to Minny for Coyle and their first pick, then flip that pick for Miller? Is that enough to get it done?

The only way this team makes sense to me is if they get two centres, assuming Max is gone (which seems a foregone conclusion):

Drouin-centre-Gallagher
Galchenyuk-centre-Scherbak/Zadina
Lehkonen-Danault-Hudon
Byron/Carr-De La Rose-Shaw/Deslauriers

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:50 pm 
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Those two would be serviceable and have size.

They would definitely be a plug.

Between them and Zadina, Max's production would be taken care of.

It would also be neat to see what the team would do with two big fast centres down the middle.

Coyle would make lots of room for Drouin, but who's the trigger guy? Gally?

And on the second line of Chuck, Miller and Zadina?

Miller could grind out pucks but the other two love to dangle and hold on to the puck to control the play.

Not sure how they would work out.

er...

Skeptical...


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:53 pm 
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And...

Once this is done, what does the d look like?

Let me paint you a picture:

Old, overpaid and overrated/young and small
Shitty and out of his element / overpaid and shitty
Shitty/shitty.


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:25 pm 
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I really don't think of Coyle as much more than a decent utility guy. I don't think his off-year this season was an anomaly.

J.T. is better on the wing IMO, and he's kinda perfect in the "Namestnikov" spot on that top line where he serves as the defensive conscience and kinda/sorta center for Stamkos and Kucherov. I can't imagine they part ways with him unless they run into a severe cap crunch, in which case there's other guys they can jettison (Killorn) first.

My opinion: Aim a little higher.

-Frans Nielsen isn't living up to the large deal he has in Detroit but IMO is still a very capable two-way center.

-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins is either on or off the block, I have no idea what Chiarelli and his constant dithering have in mind long-term. But he's a legit top-line talent IMO, but he'd cost quite a bit to get.

- IMO an ideal candidate would be Jeff Skinner. I think he's always been a better option at center than wing, and I think that's one reason why he's stalled (no pun intended) in Raleigh. The reported asking price is a 1st rounder and a prospect. That doesn't seem too exorbitant.

There's other less-glamorous options (Filppula, Bozak) that you could get signed as FA's but obviously that's not idea.

One other possibility...Nic Petan is seemingly on the outs in Winnipeg despite putting up great numbers in the A. He's obviously not a big guy but there's real potential there.

Either way, I think they need to close the book on Pacioretty and Galchenyuk once and for all.


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:55 pm 
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Skinner is basically a lesser Pacioretty: goal scorer with a year left on his deal. Might as well keep Max at that point. Also don't see him as a centre: more of a sniper.

TBay might re-sign Miller, but he'll command 5/25 and with Kooch, Sergachev and maybe a McDo extension to factor in a year from now, his poor playoff performance might've turned them off from locking him up.

Nielsen is a third line centre. I'd take Anisimov's salary over him. Same with the UFAs not named Tavares or Stastny. Might as well give Danault the 3 and DLR the 4.

Someone should take a flyer on Petan, but he's a winger at this point.

I like Coyle, and Habs brass does too according to Minny's beat guy. Feels like a fit, and he's underpaid the next two seasons, even if he's nothing more than a role player.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sat Jun 16, 2018 1:56 am 
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Oh, I forgot, there's a couple other long-shot possibilities:

Matt Duchene. I'd be flabbergasted if he opted to stay in Ottawa past 2019. Problem there is that age and injuries are already kind of taking a toll, and he's almost better as a winger than a center.

Jason Spezza. Dude is slllllllllllllllllloooooowwww these days, but there's reason to believe his bad year in Dallas was due to mishandling by Hitch. He'd be an okay interim measure if nothing else.

And yeah, I know some of those other guys are grinders, but that may be the only solution. You're not going to get legit top-line guys via trade, and not likely through free agency either. Just get an above-average guy in there, preferably with some two-way ability, and hope he Rucchin's it up.


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 12:27 pm 
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Draft thought: Every team has their own profile of a prospect, but if Kotkaniemi truly has bits of Kopitar and Barkov as some scouts say, how can the Habs not bite? They desperately need a real centre.

In two years they could have Kotkaniemi and Poehling lining up 1-2 at centre. They have to try. No more barely scraping enough talent up the middle.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 12:33 am 
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The Habs completely botched the Price-Subban-Pacioretty-Galchenyuk generation.

Here's hoping the Kotkaniemi-Poehling-Price generation goes a little better.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 1:07 am 
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I'm sorry...I shouldn't but...



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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sat Jun 23, 2018 2:35 pm 
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Seems Max is about to become a shart.

Wonder what's coming back...


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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 11:20 am 
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Habs drafted a zillion players on day two, including free wheeling Russian dman Alex Romanov, playmaking Finnish winger Jesse Ylonen and Swedish centre Lucas Olofsson.

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 Post subject: Re: Fuck this team
PostPosted: Sun Jun 24, 2018 3:56 pm 
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I actually think Timmins done did good on this year's draft. It's the idiot who he works for who fucked up (yet again).

I think Jesperi is a bit of a reach, but not a massive one. The only issue I see is if they fail to build around him and/or they put impossible expectations on him like they did that other center they took 3rd overall in 2012.

Word has it Zadina was being compared to Pacioretty. I guess I could see that scaring away the Habs in that case... :lol:


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