Commandant

I dont end the rebuild with a 35 year old in stamkos or Kane. That doesnt make a lot of sense. I think you need someone who will be at least close to the age of your core and grow with them. Ending the rebuild isnt signing a 35 year old to a one year deal to try and win now and see them retire in a year or two. The goal.of the rebuild is to build a team that will be competitive for a longer window than they have left.

Ullmark has been good in this game. Really good.

They need Anntunen (illness) to get healthy and fast. Provstesov hasnt been good, yes it was arizona but his sv% was in the 870s for his career. If antunnen can play, he should.

Utah is not going to be run the same way phoenix was, talking everyones bad contracts. That ends with the new ownership who are going to spend on actual players

Avs dominated the game but their goalies couldnt make a save. Gonna have to solve that quick.

Exactly. I like Dach but to say there is no room for a top 6 centre... hogwash. Imagine we win the lottery? Are we passing on Celebrini cause he's a centre? Kidney, Mesar, Beck, Kapanen are all maybes... and the fact is Beck and Kapanen are most likely to make it but are also unlikely to be top six centres. And its not Newhook can play wing. Its hes better at wing than at centre. There is a difference. So all of this means, if you think our top 6 centre spots are set... that means you are counting on both Suzuki and Dach to be in those spots. And if you add one more and those two are healthy and productive, great... you can have the equivalent of the Oilers having RNH, or you can put one on wing. You cant have too many good centers. No such thing.

Anaheim is stocked on LD. Im also not sure Mtl is done at C. Consider that Newhook is probably better on the wing and while we all hope Dach will come back and take the next step hes missed like 2.5 seasons out of his last 4. It wouldnt be wise to put all the eggs in that basket. Zegras also can play wing. Im not crazy about giving a lot for him and Ive said why, but I dont think we are so stocked at C to look away from that.

Didnt say its the kiss of death but its the third season in a row hes been sent there to work on his defensive game. Does that mean he can never have an NHL career? Of course not. But it certainly has to mean his trade value is not the greatest. Anaheim has a ton of prospects in their system and a lot of draft picks, they arent going for quantity over quality right now.

I wouldnt do it either... but my point is that a pick in the 20s, a 22 year old dman who got sent to the AHL due to being a liability and a 26 year old D who is third pairing, isnt gonna get that much.

Anaheim thinks about this for two seconds and says make it your first rounder or David Reinbacher as the RHD and then we can talk.

You were wrong every time you posted it... ignoring issues like the 50 contract limit, or the idea that they should trade picks for 26-28 year old journeymen (even with an AHL limit on how many vets they could carry) and other issues that were all explained to you at the time but double down on it now. An AHL winning team is not necessarily the same as a team that is developping kids for the NHL. Getting vets who take ice time away from kids isnt the way. That said, ideally you do both, but the development always has to be the priority, especially for a team rebuilding like Montreal.

In order to succeed in the NHL at that size, you need something else to make up for it. For most players who make it, its skating at an elite level. It could be shot, or hockey IQ too, but for most people its skating. Locke didnt have the skating and its also why he was drafted his second time through the draft and not his first and he went in the fourth round. Catton will be a first rounder, likely top 15 and maybe top 10. He has the skating and intelligence to get by. Of course no player is guaranteed though

25 Henry Mews 31 Henry Mews. He has one player drafted twice.

It shows you the jump between these leagues and the NHL. The swedish league is a top 4 league in the world (NHL, AHL, and then either SHL or KHL).... but its still a massive jump to the NHL. Yes Brendan Davidson, a journeyman 7th/8th D in the NHL is a top pairing guy in the SHL.

Its a little creepy for an old man to throw that many heart eyes at a teenager.