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Nashville has acquired two legitimate top-6 C over the same span in which Bergevin has been moaning about it being "too tough" to get a top-6 C. I love how he tries to present himself as the voice of sagacity versus us ignorant fans, when HE is entirely responsible for taking a very good team and turning it into a steaming pile of dogsh*t.

You mean, like Subban for Weber?

Nazem Kadri for example #2.

http://www.tankathon.com/nhl We just went #1! (on the fourth try)

He scored 20 goals once. Otherwise his totals were 12, 9, 15, 14, 12, and currently 10. Two 30 point seasons and a 29 point season so that's a little more fair. Paying $4M for Victor Rask makes sense because he's had 40 points twice as a 6'2" centre. He got it after a 48 point season where he looked like a budding top six centre. That made sense. Shaw got $23.4 million at $3.9M a year after a 34 point season and cost 2 second round picks despite the Blackhawks having to trade him because they had no cap space to pay him at the time. Grunt? Nah. Legit top nine? Yes, but not a legit top six, meaning he's a third liner. His offensive stats are pretty similar to Matt Cooke, actually. I would rather not pay a premium in two second round picks for a third line agitator who should only have 5 goals and 13 points but Julien has decided to play him on the powerplay this season at an average of two seconds per game less than Brendan Gallagher. He also had 7 points on the PP last season, which with Radulov and Gallagher on the right side he never should have seen a second on the PP.

I'm not even sure he has offence this year...

Being strong at centre is part of being a great team. No team has won a Stanley Cup without a strong number 1 centre. The value of centres in trades far outweighs the value of wingers, there is a reason for this.

The thing they have done with Drouin, is the thing they didn't do with Galchenyuk. When he made mistakes, they lived through it and left him at Centre. When everyone screamed he was better on the wing, they lived through it and left him at Centre. When he wasn't scoring, they lived through it and left him at Centre. They should have done the same with Galchenyuk. heck they should move Galchenyuk to centre now, and next season and do the same and run Drouin - Galchenyuk - Danault as the top three lines. They won't... but thats what should have been done from day one and should be done now.

Sigh. The Galchenyuk file is even more depressing when you consider these examples of other teams who managed to develop talented C. The Drouin experiment does seem to be improving over the past few weeks, though. Maybe they're not making the same mistake twice. Then again, I'm leery of drawing too many conclusions from games played during "garbage time."

I forgot about those simulators, and they’re way more fun than they should be hahaha. Habs #3 on the first role for me!

Current roster needs not really a big factor, likely only Dahlin will be in NHL next year and rest will likely take 2 years or so. I only agree not to take any d-man in top ten if he lacks the skating and puck skills to contribute offensively. Solid defensive d-men projects can be found in 2nd round.

How I rank them Tier 1: Dahlin Tier 2: Svechnikov, Zadina Tier 3: Boqvist, Dobson, Tkachuk, Wahlstrom, Hughes Tier 4: Bouchard, Smith, Veleno, Kotakniemi, Kupari, Lundestrom, Farabee, Bouchard's skating is what puts him a step behind Tier 3 IMO. Its just average, where Boqvist, Dobson and Hughes are closer to elite skaters.

Proper development and they have a number 1 centre right now.

Would anyone here be happy if Bergevin traded Seth Jones for Ryan Johansen? Advantage Columbus by quite a bit in that deal player for player if you ask me. A GM can make a trade to fill a hole but will likely lose the deal. So pick your poison, either people will complain he doesn't make trades or will complain that he got ripped off. And just because players are traded doesn't mean that the Habs missed out on them

The longer MB has been in charge, the further away they've gotten from contention. In 2014, they got to the semi-finals and might well have made the finals if Price hadn't suffered that knee job. Contender. In 2015, they are eliminated in the second round. Perhaps contenders, but their lack of scoring had become an obvious issue at this point. Most of us were of the view that they were in the second tier of contenders and needed moves to put them in the front ranks. In 2016, they miss the playoffs. Not contenders. In 2017, ridiculously healthy, they are one and done against a Rags team that itself is at best a second-tier contender. Not contenders. In 2018, they are one of the worst teams in hockey. Not contenders. See a pattern here? MB inherited a team on the cusp and turned it into a steaming pile of horsesh*t.

You complain about people complaining a lot...

You are some fixated on this. Sucks that being a winger is such a downgrade, like Patrick Kane who was tried at centre but is a bust I guess, even though Kadri finally made it at centre 9 years after being drafted.

And dont forget Buffoon Muller as well, he is the one often seen conversing with Galchneyuk post practice, not head coach. But of course, you know best given all your NHL player personal coaching experience.

When we get one with that potential, they will likely do just that.

In your opinion as a fan, knowing absolutely zero of what has been said to him after practices, during games and sit downs with coaches...etc