Habs Fan in Edmonton

I agree that it's more than just the goalie, something happened between last year and this year and they are playing a lot worse defensively, goalie included. When they lost the season opener 8-1 a lot of people wrote it off as just one game but obviously it was a pretty good sign that something wasn't right.

Will it ever end. Sheesh

Yup, they do need a goalie. The Oilers are 8 points out of a wild card spot with 65 games left. They are far from out of it BUT they have a lot of work to do and better goaltending is an absolute must.

It would be a good return but Monty's value has increased from a stopgap waiver pickup so that is the wrong way to look at the return you would get.

Teams don't give up top notch goalies easily as they are hard to find and develop. Edmonton is in a tough spot right now. Their goaltending just isn't good enough and they are in win now mode as much as any team in the NHL, Holland has to do something, just don't think Montreal's goalies are a huge upgrade, an improvement perhaps but not a huge upgrade.

Sometimes with goalies it's just a matter of being in the right situation where they can build some confidence. The most extreme example of that is Johnny Bower, kicked around the minors a lot, a few stints with a bad Rangers team and then joined the Leafs when he was 33 and the rest is history. What about Linus Ulmark, all of a sudden at age 30 he is probably considered one of the best in the NHL. Perhaps going to an organization like Boston helped his confidence. I think with goalies being in the right situation is really important. Hard for a goalie to build confidence on a bad team.

I don't think Allen is the long term answer but Monty could be. He just turned 27 and has showed signs of being a dependable goalie. If Monty isn't then I don't know who is. Primeau hasn't shown any sort of consistency yet and any other prospects are a few years away.

Absolutely. With Monty being a UFA his salary demands will certainly play a role in any decision they make. I just don't see Primeau having a lot of market value so I think Monty/Allen are the more likely trade candidates.

Good analysis. Dependable goalies are not easy to find and Monty is showing signs of maybe, possibly being a good one. A 2nd round pick is not enough. I am hardly a great judge of goalie talent though so I trust Hughes will make a good decision as I can't see them carrying 3 goalies all year long. Someone is going to get traded.

But you did mention it. But I also see your point. That's another topic we beat to death.

Exactly, they beat such terrible teams in the playoffs like Toronto and Vegas so it doesn't count.

Agree there would have to multiple pieces involved to make it work and the Habs would need a pick and/or prospects. Reid Schaefer went to Nashville in the Ekholm trade so the Oiler prospect pool isn't overflowing right now.

It's likely Florida doesn't finish bottom 10 this year so Philly gets their #1 pick this year. Then most likely as you said Florida is likely the pick they get in 2025 as Florida is likely to finish higher than Calgary next year. But if they are both outside the top 10 then the Habs get the better of the pick. I spent a lot of time looking through the conditions of the trade so I think I understand it well now but it is complicated.

Beck with a hat trick today, starting to light it up after a slow start.

Sweet, pretty decent skill and speed for a guy most of us project to be a banger on the 3rd or 4th line. He will blow last years stats out of the water.

The ice was a little tilted that period. Allen was outstanding.

The sports writer must have been a Bruins fan. It would take a whole lot more than Ullmark to get one of the top 5 players in the NHL.

True, good management is essential to have success. I do get tired of this "tanking" debate probably because I think many here don't really understand the true meaning of tanking. Tanking is a deliberate act of management to try and make their team as bad as possible to get the highest possible pick. The Habs have not tanked the last couple years and I wouldn't want them to as it sends a bad message to players who should develop within some sort of winning positive culture. The Habs were just bad the last couple years. There is a difference between tanking and rebuilding, perhaps it may seem to be a subtle difference at times but there is a difference. I want the Habs to rebuild, not tank. And yes drafting high does not guarantee you will get a budding superstar, it just improves your odds of getting one. I think that is pretty logical.

This would be unfortunate. I don't like to jump to conclusions without knowing the facts but this is not a good look. I think his career is done. You just hate to see any sort of violence in a family.

I also agree with this. Sometimes progress can't always be measured in wins and losses. The Habs are able to stay competitive with high level teams but can't quite finish the job. Hughes just needs to stick with the program. It will come.

Agreed, I prefer to move on from MB and would prefer not to talk about him but there are still those here that like to drag his name through the mud.

It might look less bad right now but Kadri was also 3 years older when he signed it. At least Kadri will give you some grit when he is not scoring.

Yup, a desperation play. He had to find another center after losing KK and Danault.

I would much rather have Dach. Of course I would like to see him stay healthy.

That is entirely possible. It will be interesting to see what D prospects step up and grab a spot. A good area to have a lot of depth