Leaderboard

The only forward we’ve had since the mid 90’s that can be considered a guy to build around, is a leader and makes everyone around him better was Koivu - and he was never the guy he could have been I’d he didnt blow out his knee. That’s a terrible indictment on the habs management teams for over two decades. maxpac and Kovolev are great complementary players you need to win, but they aren’t the straw that stirs the drink. We had one of those on the backend and dumped him.

Hey Montreal has always been a tough town to play in. Dryden won 6 cups in his 8 years and he was booed and people were calling for Bunny friggin Laroque to replace him - the same way they wanted red light racicot to replace Roy- until it happened. Ive always liked Maxpac. The issue is he also is not the straw that stirs the drink. He scored 30 goals playing with basically a 3rd line centre in DD, but he is not going to create offence on his own. He needs a Markov and Subban on the back and someone to feed him to get his goal. He is a less skilled (but way more heart) version of Kessel. If he’s all you got he’s not good enough and that’s the problem right now - he’s all we’ve got, he’s the captain and is the target of everyone’s frustration because how lousy the team has been the last 3 years. When you add in the fact that some fans and media don’t like the fact that he doesn’t play like Gallagher, despite being looking like he’s twice his size and he becomes a bigger lightening rod for criticism - he is very similar to van Riemsdyk. Big player who can score, but played on the perimeter and people always wanted more from him - when he’s gone from Toronto next year he will be missed. But at least they’ve got Matthews, Marner, Nylander, Marleau and Kadri. We’ve got Gallagher, galchenyuk and Drouin - the last two playing of position and being misused. when maxpac is gone we’ll miss him even more, because we are even more starved for offence, but as much as I like him, I think we need to trade him. This team isn’t going anywhere and it will take at least 3 years to build a serious contender - unless MB pulls a Tavares and a top LD out of his hat that still has the stench of all of the crap he has been brining in the last 3 or 4 years. I’d trade him, Price and Weber and do a complete rebuild - not because I’d don’t like any of them, but because I’d don’t think we can surround them with what’s needed to be a contender in the short window they have left. I also wanted Kovolev gone during his last two years and was pissed that gainey offered him a contract and let Koivu walk for nothing and traded for Gomez as a replacement.

I get that Kovolev was never going to be mistaken for bob gainey, but do you hate all Uber skilled offensive players, or guys that have flash and dash, rather than being boring vanilla or granola robots?? That’s been the issue with habs management for far too long. Everyone has to be bob gainey to be considered a guy that should play on the habs. How often did guy lafleur or Steve shutt backcheck, kill penalties or block shots??? Hell in the 81 Canada cup my leaf fan friends in school ridiculed me for Lafleur turning away from a fake slap shot from a Russian, who than preceded to walk around him and score. we don’t need every player to be a penalty killer. We’ve been one of the lowest scoring teams forever and the main reason is the coaches and managemt have been hung up on trying to turn goal scorers into bob gainey and guy carboneau, or they keep wafting first round picks on guys like chipchura and Mccaron, or play guys like Weiss and Moen on the top PP unit. It’s no wonder why we can’t find and develop offensive players.

I see many of you taking your shots, but he produced more and put on a better show than any forward on the current roster does. I'd rather watch him play hockey than Patioready any day.