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You've been insulting him since he got here... But good to know that we don't go too far until we insult EVERYONE here. If you think a member here brings absolutely nothing of value to the discussion, please put them on your ignore list instead of trying to browbeat them off the site.

Lernout improved immensely throughout the season thanks in large part to his defensive partner in junior, Zarley Zalapski, who's second cousin was actually Tom Kostopolous. And that's why Lernout skates with a limp.

LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL Let's talk about real facts. 1) Lehkonen didn't come to Summer camp this year when he was excused by Habs brass. He told them he was exhausted and had some bumps and bruises from the long SHL playoff run. The team told him to take the time off and be ready for camp. 2) Reway attended camp this year. He was AWOL last year, when he was invited to camp and told the Habs, thanks but no thanks, i'll be sipping margaritas on the beach instead. 3) Lehkonen's contract is NHL or SHL because he has one year remaining on a contract with his SHL team. The Habs would have to pay to buy it out, but have chosen not to. This isn't Lehkonen's choice, its the negotiations between the Habs and Frolunda, because Lehkonen is under contract to them. 4) Reway has no contract in Europe. So its not the same situation. I guess you pay as much attention to facts as you do to analytics. ========================================== Now Lernout vs WEber Here is what you said "Up to this point in the two players careers there isn't a huge difference in terms of what they've accomplished. Which speaks well for Brett Lernout as a prospect." Here are the real facts. 1) At this point in their careers Weber was on team canada's world junior team twice. He was on the top pair twice. He won a gold medal and was a top pair defenceman on a team that was the greatest World Junior team ever assembled. He shut down two Russians by the names of Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in the gold medal game. A team who was so dominant that they destroyed the tournament and the fact is that Jeff Glass rarely faced more than 15-18 shots per game. Lernout wasn't even invited to try out for team canada. 2) Weber played 28 games and 4 playoff games on a playoff team. He took on a role of top 4 defenceman. Lernout played 1 game for a team that used 15 defenceman as they were killed by injuries. 3) Awards and honours Weber - AHL Playoffs Most Goals by Defenseman 05/06 - CHL Memorial Cup All-Star Team 03/04 - CHL Memorial Cup Champion 03/04 - CHL Second All-Star Team 04/05 - U20 WJC Gold Medal 04/05 - WHL (West) First All-Star Team 04/05 - WHL (West) Second All-Star Team 03/04 - WHL Champion 02/03, 04/05 - WHL Playoffs MVP 04/05 Lernout .... Nothing since joining the WHL 4) Stats Weber 27 points in 46 AHL games as a rookie.... 11 points in 14 playoff games 10 points in 28 NHL games.... 2 points in 4 NHL playoff games vs Lernout 12 points in 69 AHL games 0 Points in 1 NHL game Yup, their accomplishments are very similar. I mean Weber had 12 points in 32 NHL games, and Lernout had 12 points in 69 AHL games. So very similar. LMAO... High level analysis here folks. ==================================== Yeah thats probably a good idea.

Also in what universe is Martin Reway stronger and tougher than Lehkonen? Cause it isn't the one we live in. Have you watched those two play? Or did you just say Martin is a better name than Arturri, I think he's stronger. Seriously get your eyes checked if you've actually watched the two guys play and think Reway is stronger and tougher. Playing gritty, battling in the corners and in front of the net is a hallmark of Lehkonen's game... Reway, not so much. He's more flash, less fight. You also indicate that Reway is in it for the long haul, but Lehkonen is likely to quit and go back to europe? WHAT??? The guy who has twice quit on his coach in the last three years and abandoned his team and changed leagues on a whim is in it for the long haul, and the other one is a risk to quit and go home? Thats some outstanding analysis there.... outstanding.

Weber is still today an excellent NHL defenceman and a top pair guy. Lernout's ceiling is likely a third pairing guy; maybe by some miracle he makes the second pair. But seriously comparing the two is absolute madness....

I believe Mccarron is nearly 10 months older. More or less a full year. I'm also not really sure if giving Mccarron extra years for development is fair at all; I actually see his size as an advantage for being NHL ready. Scherbak also had many injury woes last year which delayed his development significantly. I expect to see Scherbak have a sharp period of development in the upcoming year. I see him posting points similar to how Hudon has produced. 25 goals 30-35 assists.

I think Roman Hamrlik should be in the discussion here. He gave the Habs four solid (and underrated seasons), playing pretty much #2 minutes the entire time while replacing Sheldon Souray. He averaged nearly 30 points per season (the Habs made the postseason each year), blocked an absolute ton of shots (731 in 312 games), and provided a lot of stability on the back end. He was never flashy but he was a key, core player in his tenure with Montreal.