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2019-20 NHL Discussion Thread


dlbalr

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36 minutes ago, Richard09 said:

It's sad to see Marky not get to 1000 games in the NHL.  He had a great career in Montreal and will be missed. Too bad Molson and Bergy did not let him go out as  a Habs player.

 

It is sad to see him not get 1000 games. He was a top quality Hab, terrific defenceman in his prime. I think decision to leave was as much Markov's as MB's. Trying to think back, apparently Markov wanted 2 years and the Habs were only willing to offer one. I could be wrong though,  who really knows what happens in these negotiations. 

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28 minutes ago, Habs Fan in Edmonton said:

 

It is sad to see him not get 1000 games. He was a top quality Hab, terrific defenceman in his prime. I think decision to leave was as much Markov's as MB's. Trying to think back, apparently Markov wanted 2 years and the Habs were only willing to offer one. I could be wrong though,  who really knows what happens in these negotiations. 

1,000gms just didnt work out, too many injuries and age slowed him down.

He did go out a Hab, was only NHL team he played for.

He played for 5 different KHL teams.

 

 

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Athletic took poll;

"Just under 60 percent of our respondents gave Marc Bergevin a favourable grade"...

 

More positive than i would of guessed.

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If the NHL is determined that they want to play the rest of this regular season, id offer him a contract at league minimum til the end of the year.

 

Habs arent making the playoffs and have 12 games left.  Let him get to 1000

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3 hours ago, Commandant said:

If the NHL is determined that they want to play the rest of this regular season, id offer him a contract at league minimum til the end of the year.

 

Habs arent making the playoffs and have 12 games left.  Let him get to 1000

 

Since he wasn't on the reserve list at the deadline, I'm not sure they could.  I believe there are restrictions to when a team can sign a free agent who has played in an international league in that particular season and I think the cutoff is the trade deadline.

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1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

 

Since he wasn't on the reserve list at the deadline, I'm not sure they could.  I believe there are restrictions to when a team can sign a free agent who has played in an international league in that particular season and I think the cutoff is the trade deadline.

 

I thought he just

 

1) has to pass through waivers to play.

2) can't play in the playoffs.


I could be wrong on that though.
 

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2 hours ago, Commandant said:

I thought he just

 

1) has to pass through waivers to play.

2) can't play in the playoffs.


I could be wrong on that though.

 

I couldn't find anything in the CBA about it either way (and I spent a while looking before posting that other note).  It's a guess but I can't recall the last time someone from an international league that wasn't on a reserve list signed after the deadline to look at what the precedent might.

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Another example of moving away from ol rock em sock em player, Scott Wheeler on scouting prospects;

"I am increasingly less concerned with athleticism, length, strength and physicality, which, while valuable, are not often the distinguishing traits between the game’s best players and the rest."

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

The NHLPA has voted to continue negotiations on a 24-team playoff with the league.  While this doesn't mean it's a guarantee that it will happen as some are speculating, it certainly seems as if there's some momentum now towards this format with the Habs squeaking into the playoffs as a result.

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1 hour ago, dlbalr said:

The NHLPA has voted to continue negotiations on a 24-team playoff with the league.  While this doesn't mean it's a guarantee that it will happen as some are speculating, it certainly seems as if there's some momentum now towards this format with the Habs squeaking into the playoffs as a result.

 

The whole scheme is rather silly - or maybe desperate is a better word. But hey, seeing the Habs finally play a few meaningful games, even if it is a result of a bizarre affirmative action program? Sign me up.

 

Interesting to note some of the criticisms of the scheme. 'This makes the regular season meaningless.' 'A best of 5 series is unfair.' What's interesting about the first claim is that , for almost all of NHL history, nearly everyone made the playoffs. 4/6 in the Original Six era. 16/21 in the WHA-absorption era. Yet funnily enough, people still enjoyed the regular season back then. (I think there was a lot more hatred and intensity between teams back then, though). As for best-of-five, that used to be the norm for the opening round for many years. I still recall the peculiar intensity, and peril of dramatic upsets, from that epoch: e.g,, when the upstart Gretzky Oilers overthrew Guy Lafleur's Habs in the early-80s. 

 

It's also fun to see the visceral fear other players have of Carey Price.

 

I think the Affirmative Action Covid Playoffs will be crazy. The fitness level between players will vary considerably depending on who was most successful with their homemade workout routines. This means that some stars will struggle and some good players will suddenly look like superstars. Basically, all bets will be off, especially in the early going.

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The US will be exempting international players (plus families and essential staff) from COVID-related travel bans.  That's another notable step towards a return to play; it will pave the way for players to return back to their club cities for a conditioning camp. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-athletes-idUSKBN22Z03D?taid=5ec8ab78c4c54c00017f13ec

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23 hours ago, dlbalr said:

The US will be exempting international players (plus families and essential staff) from COVID-related travel bans.  That's another notable step towards a return to play; it will pave the way for players to return back to their club cities for a conditioning camp. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-usa-athletes-idUSKBN22Z03D?taid=5ec8ab78c4c54c00017f13ec

 

It will probably be necessary for Canada to do the same yet.

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On 5/23/2020 at 8:26 AM, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

It's also fun to see the visceral fear other players have of Carey Price's resume.

 

Would love to see 5 game 1st round series, are normally a bunch of 1st round upsets with 7 gms anyways and anything to shorten season if good by me.

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On 5/23/2020 at 11:26 AM, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

The whole scheme is rather silly - or maybe desperate is a better word. But hey, seeing the Habs finally play a few meaningful games, even if it is a result of a bizarre affirmative action program? Sign me up.

 

Interesting to note some of the criticisms of the scheme. 'This makes the regular season meaningless.' 'A best of 5 series is unfair.' What's interesting about the first claim is that , for almost all of NHL history, nearly everyone made the playoffs. 4/6 in the Original Six era. 16/21 in the WHA-absorption era. Yet funnily enough, people still enjoyed the regular season back then. (I think there was a lot more hatred and intensity between teams back then, though). As for best-of-five, that used to be the norm for the opening round for many years. I still recall the peculiar intensity, and peril of dramatic upsets, from that epoch: e.g,, when the upstart Gretzky Oilers overthrew Guy Lafleur's Habs in the early-80s. 

 

It's also fun to see the visceral fear other players have of Carey Price.

 

I think the Affirmative Action Covid Playoffs will be crazy. The fitness level between players will vary considerably depending on who was most successful with their homemade workout routines. This means that some stars will struggle and some good players will suddenly look like superstars. Basically, all bets will be off, especially in the early going.

I heard something about Pittsburgh being a possible first round matchup. One thing’s for certain when it comes to them; Crosby will be one of those ready to go. I guess for me, his mere presence is the same as what was being said about Carey Price. I imagine him to be similar to Gallagher in that respect, but with more skill. 


I haven’t commented much on the situation, but sign me up for the Habs making the playoffs as well. As long as safety precautions are met, I have no problem with it. No asterix for me, as I actually expect a deserving team would win, regardless of where they were in standings. It wouldn’t degrade the meaningfulness of the regular season, as we shouldn’t expect a circumstance like this to arise again for quite some time, we should hope.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, it seems NBA and NHL will be on similar timelines eh.

 

Wonder how long will take to get back to 'Normal" schedule.

 

Some were suggesting NHL would be better off ($$) to avoid starting season during NFL reg season/MLB playoffs in the fall anyways.

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Jesse Granger of The Athletic, ranking goalies.

"28. Montreal Canadiens

Goaltending rank: 18th | Cap hit rank: First | Difference: minus-17

Unlike the first three teams on this list, the Canadiens didn’t necessarily get poor goaltending this season. Carey Price hasn’t produced Vezina-caliber numbers in a few seasons and his .909 save percentage is well below his lofty expectations. But players around the league still agree he’s one of, if not the best goalie in the game, and he had his share of moments where he kept the Canadiens in games this season. The issue for Montreal is Price’s league-high goaltender salary of $10.5 million per season. Even with a minimal backup salary (Charlie Lindgren makes only $750,000), the Canadiens still have the highest overall goalie cap hit in the league. Paying goalies a combined $11.25 million is one thing, but paying that for slightly below average goaltending is another."

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Athletic crew, figures Habs vs Pitt is like triple-A team vs the Yankees and unless Price pulls a Hasek not a chance.

Given that Habs ended with 3 losses and just 3g in those losses, seems like should be a one-sided series and Habs will hopefully at least retain a top ten pick for the October? draft..

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20 hours ago, DON said:

Athletic crew, figures Habs vs Pitt is like triple-A team vs the Yankees and unless Price pulls a Hasek not a chance.

Given that Habs ended with 3 losses and just 3g in those losses, seems like should be a one-sided series and Habs will hopefully at least retain a top ten pick for the October? draft..

 

That quote wasn't from an Athletic writer, though, it was from an unnamed GM/coach/scout (one of each contributed comments to the article).

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45 minutes ago, tomh009 said:

 

That quote wasn't from an Athletic writer, though, it was from an unnamed GM/coach/scout (one of each contributed comments to the article).

Yeah, I read that and found it harsh but not too far from the opinion of quite a few on this forum. That is why I wanted to move Domi to the wing for the series and play the kids, to evaluate individual performances during the play-in to make educated decision with the RFAs later this summer.

 

*yawn* 😴💤 *yawn* 

 

#AreWeThereYet ?

 

 

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MOntreal was actually a better team than Pittsburgh in 5v5 situations this year. 

PP and PK are the reasons Pittsburgh were better. 

With the way we all know the playoffs work, and refs calling less penalties, this may not be as big a mismatch as the regular season standings seem to suggest. 

 

I'd still favour Pittsburgh, but this isn't the Yankees facing a Triple A team. 

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9 minutes ago, Commandant said:

MOntreal was actually a better team than Pittsburgh in 5v5 situations this year. 

PP and PK are the reasons Pittsburgh were better. 

With the way we all know the playoffs work, and refs calling less penalties, this may not be as big a mismatch as the regular season standings seem to suggest. 

 

I'd still favour Pittsburgh, but this isn't the Yankees facing a Triple A team. 

 

Is Pittsburgh a better team? No question. Is the safe money on the Pens? No question.

 

Do better teams sometimes lose in playoff series - especially in shortened 5-game series? Also no question. Add to that the massive X-factor of player conditioning which will be all over the map in the first round, and it would be foolish to be overly confident in ANY prediction.

 

The rhetoric being spouted reminds me of the Habs vs Washington in 2010. "Over in three" was the standard joke prediction back then. The Pens are a seasoned group, but that kind of overconfidence can be a trap which even veteran teams might fall into especially under these bizarre conditions.

 

Also, we should remember that the Habs were a pretty good team for the first 20 games of the season or so when everyone was healthy. While we obviously do not have the elite talent of Pittsburgh at C, it is not immediately self-evident to me that their overall depth at FW is better than ours. If the combination of our better D-men plus Price can contain their top lines - which I doubt, but is possible - then all bets are off.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:

 

Is Pittsburgh a better team? No question. Is the safe money on the Pens? No question.

 

Do better teams sometimes lose in playoff series - especially in shortened 5-game series? Also no question. Add to that the massive X-factor of player conditioning which will be all over the map in the first round, and it would be foolish to be overly confident in ANY prediction.

 

The rhetoric being spouted reminds me of the Habs vs Washington in 2010. "Over in three" was the standard joke prediction back then. The Pens are a seasoned group, but that kind of overconfidence can be a trap which even veteran teams might fall into especially under these bizarre conditions.

 

Also, we should remember that the Habs were a pretty good team for the first 20 games of the season or so when everyone was healthy. While we obviously do not have the elite talent of Pittsburgh at C, it is not immediately self-evident to me that their overall depth at FW is better than ours. If the combination of our better D-men plus Price can contain their top lines - which I doubt, but is possible - then all bets are off.
 


Exaclty. And lets not forget Pittsburgh is not an overly fast team. Theyre an older team than the Habs. They don't have an overly strong defence group and their goaltending is questionable. Jarry was outstanding this year but theres no telling he'll keep up that same game play in this play-in series. We've seen Matt Murray perform well in the playoffs before, but he has not been the same goalie since Marc-Andre Fleury left either. The goaltending situation could end up being the deciding factor when you have Carey Price staring down one of those two. 

Edited by Phozzwald
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