habscout

The newest HabsWorld podcast is now online. Episode #60 [the Jose Theodore edition] covers a number of Habs topics and a few non-Habs ones too. As always, we enjoy your comments, so feel free to leave us feedback [bad and good] either here, on the iTunes page, or the podOmatic website. http://www.habsworld.net/2018/07/habsworld-podcast-episode-60/

I think that's due to his skating, which is rated as either average or below average. Poor acceleration, especially for a smaller forward. Mind you that's something he can work hard on to improve somewhat. I think he has a fairly high ceiling due to his other skills being so good.

I knew that was going to happen. Not the Minnesota part, just that he would be drafted just after I mentioned I was surprised he was still around.

Oh you mean Khovanov? Yeah I'm surprised he hasn't been taken so far. But missing half a season [due to hepatitis from a trip to the Caribbean] means he wasn't as exposed to the visiting scouts.

They also compared him to Andrew Shaw.

On the NHL Network, they said Harris scored first in the dreaded VO2 Max test! Nice!!

Yeah I agree. His compete level makes me think about Gallagher, another smurf. I'm not anti-smurf by the way because if he can help the Habs, then I am on board.

After I complain about a lack of CHL picks, they select Cameron Hillis from the OHL. A speedster offensive smurf but he's a center.

Yeah I agree. There were a number of decent CHL picks they could have considered taking, just to jumble up the geographic area where they are selecting. So far it's all Europeans.

Ugh. They traded down to a 3rd round pick and a 5th round pick??

Definitely a good pick. He will be a pro player but I'm not sure if his offensive game will go up a notch, or if he'll just remain a good defensive player. He's in a similar position to Jacob De La Rose, but I'm not saying he'll become the same player as JDLR.

Why ? Did you not want Montreal to draft him?

The Romanov pick seems to me like a reach since he was rated much lower. Bode Wilde would have been a safer pick there. I do like the Ylonen selection though.

Unless of course Bergevin trades some of those picks. I'm excited to see who they pick with all of those 2nd & 3rd round picks. One kid that I'm hoping they draft is Jake Wise, a small-ish center but stocky, with good hockey sense, playmaking ability and a great defensive game. He's rated anywhere from the mid-2nd round to 3rd round depending on the draft guides.

After hearing Timmins mention the ACL surgery Kotkaniemi had over a year ago, something makes much more sense now. He had a below average first half of the season, then came on in the second half. Some draft guides/gurus were questioning his skating ability, but that was probably indicative of the after effects of the surgery, since it takes at least 6-12 months for a full recovery. We've all seen pro players go through that surgery and they always play at less than 100% for the last half of that period.