All Activity

This is my thought as well.

A few years ago. He obviously wasn't ready. But there was a need, and they kept trying him. I feel like he got more chances than a lot of people do. Just going off memory.

I think you're bang on with that last sentence. There doesn't seem to be as much interest in the incremental upgrade at this point; their focus seems to be swing big or hold to make sure they have as many assets as possible to eventually take that swing. Sometimes that works, others it means that in-season incremental moves need to be made (like Danault last year). I don't expect anything in terms of a big swing so we'll see how this group does to see if they'll have to look for a stop-gap again.

The colours look nice (and match up with what's out there), not a fan of the logo being messed with though.

According to ClickBait30, this is the new Habs alternate sweater Hope they're right, looks great

I don't think anybody here thinks we can wait forever. I guess it depends on your definition of forever. No doubt the window of opportunity is opening up but the right player has to be available. I don't think Hughes is willing to spend a bundle for a marginal improvement at centre but I think he is willing to spend for the right player.

Of course there are reasons why, I just think now is the time for him to force himself onto the team.

Hearing him described reminded me immediately of Juolevi, who triggered a very similar response from the fanbase in Van when he was drafted. It was almost exactly the same thing: guy with size, does everything well but has no particular signature skill, seemed to go higher than everyone expected, etc. The fan reaction turned out to be correct. Hopefully that’s not going to be true here. That’s pretty helpful - it suggests that the pious cliches from greybeards like me that ‘defencemen take longer,’ ‘big D take even longer than that,’ etc., may be increasingly obsolete.

Reinbacher missed an entire year with his knee injury and then missed another chunk of time the season of his return. His development is certainly behind. I think that Reinbacher makes the team even if he doesn’t impress in camp - unless he is outright bad. My gut “feels” like we picked a bust but I think he will get enormous opportunity to show us what he has.

Yeah it was Basu i heard with the same facts on a podcast.

Basu noted this; So Reinbacher is behind most recent top d-picks. ...Of those 11, only two — Juolevi and Makar — had not played a full NHL season by his 21st birthday. Juolevi was a bust for the Vancouver Canucks, but Makar was obviously the opposite of a bust and a sign that it might not be too late for Reinbacher. If you expand the scope to defencemen picked in the top 10 over those same 10 drafts, you get a list of 25 defencemen, and still, the only three on that list not to have played a full NHL season by their 21st birthday in addition to Juolevi and Makar are Haydn Fleury, Simon Edvinsson and Brandt Clarke, which means 80 percent of those defencemen taken in the top-10 had established themselves in the NHL by the time they were Reinbacher’s age.

I saw someone do a study, while defencemen in general can be later than forwards, its coming earlier and earlier for them. And even with that, if a defenceman is a top 10 pick and isnt an NHL regular (at least on the roster) by age 21, its like 70% that hes gonna be a bust, and 25% that hes a 3rd pair guy at best. So its almost now or never for Reinbacher to at least become a full time regular NHLer. That doesnt mean he has to be top 4 as a rookie but he needs to earn a roster spot.

Totally irrational - this is not analysis - but DR has felt like a cursed pick right from the moment Price garbled his name. We were then told he’s one of those guys who ‘does everything well’ but has no signature elite skill, which feels a bit like being told the girl you’re being set up with has a great personality. Then he goes on to get all these injuries…and after two years of floundering, finally has a solid but not electrifying season in Laval. It’s strictly a ‘feel’ thing but there has been literally nothing in his arc from the moment of his being drafted to get excited about. Rationally speaking, you have to look at him and think he has a decent chance to put it together and evolve into a highly capable, top-4 RD. But that ‘feel’ thing probably colours the fan response.

Wasnt a critique of Hugo. Just a theoretical discussion for here on the price of getting a top line quality C (even if they slot as our #2)

When did they "keep playing" Joshua Roy? Did he even play 40 games in his whole Habs career? They hardly tried to force him as an NHLer.

I agree. Acquiring that elusive impact C - or even that top-6, impact W with size - will HURT. It’s going to cost us more than we would prefer to give up. And if and when such a deal goes down, I suspect a lot of fans will denounce it as an ‘overpay.’ Unlike some, though, I don’t think we can wait forever and burn through Suzuki’s best years. If we haven’t made a major move by the deadline, I’ll be disappointed. Yes, we didn’t look too impressive against CAR and faded as each series ground on (saved by Dobes in consecutive Game 7s), a Semi-Finalist is nothing to sneeze at and standing pat when we have very clearly-defined holes in the roster starts, after a while, to feel like negligence. (We’re not at that point yet, but it’s slowly drawing closer).

We will likely never know who was available and at what price. Maybe Hughes thinks Hage could be the guy and wasn't willing to pay a huge price for a position that might be filled internally. I think we all agree that a 2c is the biggest need and I am sure Hughes has explored every opportunity.

Agreed ... but I am not certain that HuGo have truly had any opportunity this offseason to grade for a legit #2 centre, let alone a 1B

So while thomas may have never been available, the cost of waiting for a bargain and not paying the price when the next guy becomes available, is that bargain may never come.

The trade I always go back to is the Stars trading Iginla for Nieuwendyk. Did it suck to give up a 19 year old we all knew had loads of potential and became a franchise icon and hall of famer? Yes it was painful The pain went away when Nieuwendyk won a Cup and Conn Smythe You gotta.give to get and sometimes these things can be win/win.

And the fact Im not sure St Louis ever seriously considered trading him. My point more was that we arent getting this quality of centre at that age and with that contract for cheap. 25+ teams should be interested and the bidding would be fierce if he was truly available. When we make the move for the last piece it will hurt.

There was that pesky NMC that rendered all our hopes, dreams, and discussions moot.

I'm putting Reinbacher with the player best set to mentor him. I'm also putting together a top pair that we saw some of last year and worked well together. Hutson Dobson Matheson Reinbacher Guhle Carrier

I don't think the price for a top 6 Centre is going to get any cheaper. I get the hesitation on wanting to pay that for Thomas, but I would have done it. Yes, it's painful, but thats the price of doing business and getting a player who is at nearly the same level as Nick Suzuki to be our #2C. If we pay less, we aren't getting the same quality of: - 2 way top line capable player, - with 4 years remaining on his contract at good value, and - at a prime age where you aren't worried about a decline during that contract. You get what you pay for, so we either pay the price, or we are going to take a downgrade on one or more of those three things above.

I think that Carrier-Guhle would be an excellent 3rd pairing ... Carrier is not anything more than a 3rd pairing D, but I think his play was negatively impacted by having to babysit Struble or Xhekaj ... paired with Guhle I believe Carrier can play to his full 3rd D potential and be a solid contributor