xXx..CK..xXx
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Posts posted by xXx..CK..xXx
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My short opinion is that some put way too much emphasis on a single draft pick having such an influence on the future of our club.
At one point or another, free agent signings as well as trades will have to be made in order to put any of our competitive clubs over the top.
I am always optimistic but I don’t see our current club as a contender.
My main concern in particular is our back end. (Goaltending)
With that said, in any given year management can make moves to bolster our club. I don’t believe one draft pick of any capacity will be enough to do it. It’s like an addiction to some. “I wasn’t happy with 3rd, let’s go for 1st.” We get 5th. “I wasn’t happy with 5th, let’s go for 1st overall draft pick again”.
Rinse and repeat.
We didn’t make any major moves this off season so I have a tough time seeing us as a contender this year. Have an unexpected successful start to the season? Maybe some deadline moves make our team better than expected. Not this year? Maybe we sign some free agents next year and build off that. My educated guess was that we’ll make the playoffs again not this year but next.
The team will go out there and try to compete this year. Tanking is not an option for them, nor is it a guaranteed recipe for success.
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5 hours ago, TurdBurglar said:
I hope they revisit acquiring Askarov. I know it's a long shot, but Anderson, Dvorak, Hoffman and young D are things Nashville need. I'm not saying they have any interest in any of those roster players except Anderson.
The biggest question mark in the prospect pool, as any prospect pool, is goaltending. Would be nice to have another swing at a highly touted goalie prospect.
I once said it may take ~20 years to replace Price, when people were complaining about having Price.
Time is-a-ticking. 🙂 -
If Mackinnon wanted to be reunited with Drouin so badly, we could have at least kept him.
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Thanks for the service, Joel. An intergral presence during our 22 game cup run, just a couple of seasons after his 22 game cup run with St. Louis.
My first reaction had less to do with how this affects the Habs but more-so that Washington’s been making some nice decisions as of late.
Best of luck to you!
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1 hour ago, TurdBurglar said:
By every scouting report I’ve seen Michkov is the second best player in the draft, talent-wise.
I’m glad Montreal didn’t pick him. With him signing in Russia, I believe there’s legitimate concern that once that 3-year deal is up he may just stay in Russia. Then nearly any other player is a better pick.Posts like this are dangerous because the entire merit hedges on the reality that Michkov does indeed stay in Russia.
It can sway an opinion heavily but what you say may not come to fruition.
I believe he’ll come oversees but again it’s simply an opinion.I am rooting for Reinbacher and anyone who dawns a Habs jersey but did not like the pick. He’ll be a good defenseman but I would have preferred Michkov.
Hughes was asked what he views as Reinbacher’s ceiling and he responded a #2 D. While he could be saying this to alleviate some pressure from the young man’s shoulders, what would Briere’s response be if asked about Michkov’s ceiling?
Even the fact that his name is coming up in this thread has to mean something.
I won’t beat a dead horse anymore but this is my opinion and we’ll see how things play out.
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12 hours ago, tomh009 said:
So, we can conclude that either the Habs’ hockey ops department doesn’t know how to read the Internet, or that they think they have better information than the Internet pundits do.
Don’t forget that they are not making decisions based so much on what these kids have done in the past few years, but really on what they believe they can develop into. And, for that, understanding your own player development and coaching capabilities also has a big impact.
The easiest comment is always to turn the sarcasm on and talk about arm chair GMs vs being the real thing. With that being said, Hughes said that part of the reason that Michkov was not picked was because they could not watch Michkov live recently (since the war began), which is a major part of their scouting. Theoretically when it comes to the specific fact that they could only watch video on him for scouting purposes as of late, fans on the internet were in the same boat.I am only going to ever compare Reinbacher to Michkov and not everyone else because I cannot argue that I absolutely wanted someone like Leonard or Benson so if Michkov does not pan out, I will stand corrected. It seems as though from what I have seen, however, that Michkov is the one with more potential.
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57 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
I respect everything you say. And I agree that a reasonably informed person could look at this pick and be unsettled by a pick that seems to be positional rather than BPA, in a year full of elite talent. On the other hand, let’s face it, you are basically setting yourself up here as a superior talent evaluator to the habs’ scouting staff, Hughes, and Gorton.
Then there are all the denunciations that they didn’t move down - as though we are privy to what trade options were actually on the table, or deny that Arizona wanted the kid.
Word like “disaster” and “gut wrenching” are being used to describe this pick. That seems out of all proportion to me. The Habs took an unexpected turn with Slaf and now with this kid. We don’t know yet whether our group has superior draft acumen, or is just outsmarting itself. Concern is a reasonable reaction. Lamentations and anger seem unreasonable. Again, I remember Price and the rage and dismay that shook Habs land when his name was called. It is simply too soon for such strong reactions IMHO.
My main point though admittedly overblown is that the reaction to this pick should not be compared to the Price pick, outside of the fact that it was 5th overall.
Price demonstrated much more as a junior than Reinbacher and therefore while people may have overreacted to the Price pick, I don’t see negative comments in this case as being similar to the other case. Price will have been superior to Reinbacher by the end of their careers and it was something that I think could be seen early. As I stated many times in my other post, I do know nothing because it is impossible to predict what will happen with 100% certainty. With that being said, I feel confident enough in this thought to make it public without fear of it being incorrect in the longterm.
I personally do not think of this pick as “gut wrenching” nor being a “disaster” but I also don’t think we’ll have had the steal of the draft when all is said and done, like Carey Price.
Secondly, I believe that if you think I am setting myself to be a superior scouting talent than Hughes and Gorton, then you are misinterpreting my previous post. I do not see myself as a superior scout to the Habs management. In fact, that is the opposite of what I said.
There can be reasons why my thoughts differ from theirs without being superior. It is not hard to imagine that the organization has “higher standards” or “morals” (Russian factor) which they take into consideration that a typical fan like myself won’t care about. Perhaps they don’t want to risk Michkov’s contract situation, etc. whereas a regular fan like myself wouldn’t care about that when compared to the thought of his potential.
I wanted Michkov but knew the Habs would not pick him because any of the risks that I mentioned in the last paragraph. They care about the organization’s image, values, and culture more than a fan would.
It’s also easy to state that current management are superior to a fan because they should be, however I have had similar situations in the past where people disagree with an opinion of mine like this, and it turns out to be right.
On the other hand, this is a draft of kids and so only time will tell. I wanted Zadina (or Tkachuk who was hated by many) instead of KK. I can admit Zadina would not have been a great pick and I thought he would be so I look forward to seeing how this plays out and hopefully Reinbacher does turn out to be a stud, even if I personally have my doubts.-
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19 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
Well, that's why I'm not ripping out my hair. The case of #31 is a good reminder that none of us really know what we're talking about. Humility behooves us as fans on draft day.
What I don't like is that we seem to be drafting for position here, rather than for raw talent or upside. Philosophically I do not agree with that.
On the other hand, I really believe you need elite talent on the blueline. If this kid becomes a stud #1 defender, we will not regret this pick for one minute. The problem is if he turns into a nice #2, while other picks turn into superstars.
I am not saying I am the best scout out there but I do watch international junior hockey religiously and I personally pair players like Caufield, Subban and Price together because they were players who performed internationally at the junior level prior to the draft. Caufield also broke a lot of scoring records as a junior that made me confident about his transition to the big leagues.I understand that the Price pick was not the most popular choice at the time. Around that time, I myself would have liked taking someone like Kopitar, although I didn’t hate the Price choice. With that being said, while it is indeed a small sample size, him and Jonathan Toews both had extremely memorable moments at the junior level; particularly that shootout versus the United States where Price made multiple key saves and Toews scored multiple goals. Price went 5th and Toews 3rd. He also won championships.
Subban isn’t comparable as he went in the second round but I also saw special things from him as a junior that I was excited to see translate to the NHL level.
I haven’t watched Reinbacher as much as I watched those players so I don’t have much footing to stand on, but his statistics do not exactly yell out “stud first pairing defenseman”.
I am hopeful for Slafkovsky and he had some great junior moments as well but I did not have the same emotion with he or KK as I did with Price, Caufield and Subban in recent memory. I feel the same way with Reinbacher. Felt differently with Price.
I will always route for every one of our players so I am cheering Reinbacher on. I also agree that when it comes to the drafts, outside of the top pick or two, and even them, it is such a crap shoot because there will be many unforseen factors that come into play. As a result, none of us know what we are talking about in the present.
I can still say publically that I expect better things from Michkov than Reinbacher, even though I do know nothing.
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I knew it would be Briere who picked Michkov.
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Hopefully next year everyone on the board will once again be excited to tank for someone of Reinbacher’s skill level.
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2 minutes ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
No easy out for the Habs...they have to make a decision on Michkov.
At this point, I’d be going for him. Not sure how the organization feels. -
Happy for Hoffman and Dadonov
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1 hour ago, Sir_Boagalott said:
Well, it was a hell of a bad game and a perfect loss for them to be the 12th+ team this season to join the 5 losses in a row club.
At least @xXx..CK..xXx will be happy, the Caps didn't get an open netter.
I was indeed content when I saw that Allen was still in the net at 2-9.
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I haven’t been the only one to comment on the timing of some of the goalie pulls this season. Some games have been alright, some games the timing has been off, whether it has been because of our positioning on the ice at the time of the pull, or another reason.
From my standpoint, there’s a reason I am discussing this topic this season and never have before, even though Patrick Roy started a trend years ago.
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Habs looking like Austria out there 🇦🇹
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22 minutes ago, hab29RETIRED said:
I think if you look at the other team on the list (with a few outliers), their is one common theme, most of the teams suck, and having lousy years. Lousy teams are going to have a lower success rate, since they aren’t very good to begin with.
Exactly my point.
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4 hours ago, Commandant said:
Analytics will tell you that while you give upore empty netters by pulling with 3-4 minutes left, you also score more tying goals. Thats why nearly every NHL team is doing it.
Analytics also show that the Habs are top 5 worst in terms of success rate when it comes to playing with an empty net, and have allowed the second most goals against in the same situation. Perhaps the coach should make an adjustment based on the specific team he is working with, rather than follow a general trend.
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On 12/23/2022 at 11:47 PM, Commandant said:
Who cares if they score an empty netter. Losing by 1 or by 2 is the same result.
Even if your faceoffs have been bad, you have nothing to lose, you have to put faith in your players and at least try.
Leaving the goalie in is giving up and you never want to instill that mentality into the team.
Not talking about this instance specifically but St. Louis has been terrible at deciding when to pull the goalie. Not pulling your goalie with 3-4 minutes left is not giving up on the game, and there have been many instances where he has done something of the like. We go from having a chance, to not having a chance.On 12/24/2022 at 11:27 AM, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:It’s not like we had a plethora of offensive stars up front, though. IF he keeps up his current 65-point pace - a big “if” - then perhaps it’s fair to condemn the lack of imagination on the part of our former coaches that led them to keep a guy with that upside relegated to a primarily defensive role. Water under the bridge, of course.
This also doesn’t really change your point as Lehkonen was indeed generally used in a defensive role, but just as recently as our last playoff appearance, Lehkonen was used on the top line with Danault and Gallagher. He was also used earlier in his career to replace Tatar on the top line with Pacioretty and Drouin. Regardless, not his primary use, and not much of a comparison talent wise to what he’s playing with now In Colorado.
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7 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:
Why pull allen? Fo% has been terrible
As I’ve stated before, we are really good at letting in empty net goals.
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1 hour ago, The Chicoutimi Cucumber said:
Great post. I tend to share this outlook, and I don’t remember ever cheering for the Habs to lose a game. Sometimes, when the team is terrible, I find myself not caring whether they win or lose. But *actively cheering against* the Montreal Canadiens? Not once. I just can’t do it.
As bad as this group has looked in recent games - surely a regression to the mean - I have a hard time believing we will finish last overall unless one of our two stars up front goes down with a serious injury, which God forbid. Even our G looks solid with Montembault taking a step forward this year. So the notion of “taking hard for Bédard” just seems like a shibboleth to me. We’re not getting Bedard.
On the other hand, because this team is really not a very strong team, we’ll likely be in a position to get a top-10 pick regardless. That *should* bag us a very good player, provided our management group makes the right call. Seen this way, we can still cheer on the Habs to win on any given night, confident in the knowledge that they likely will lose enough to end up with a good draft position anyway.
My perspective as well. I always go back to thinking about having a child and watching the game with them. A fictional example, but seeing the child sad after a loss and telling them “it’s okay Jimmy, the Habs are trying to lose this year”.
I don’t think I would have become a fan of the Habs or sport if I grew up wishing the Habs would lose at any point. I’ve always wanted them to win every game. One could argue that a child is naive and “adults know better”, but I also think that a losing mentality goes against the grain when it comes to sport that it is so unrealistic to actively cheer for it, because there is not a single player on the team that are actively trying to achieve that result.
That type of mentality has to stem from someone who has not faced mental adversity in sport before, and the players we should want on the team need to be mentally strong and keep competing when faced with adversity. For the myriad of reasons mentioned already, I cannot be on the same page. But alas, you summed it up very well, and I agree.
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Nice win in OT! 🚨
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I’m not here to change anyone’s mind but there are key differences.
1) I don’t equate fighting for a playoff spot as the same as fighting for last place in the league
1a) fighting for a playoff spot is good for the team.
1b) fighting for the tank is good to get 1 player, who will likely only have a slight impact on any future championship, relative to the reality that there are 18 other players on the ice in any given game.
This, in addition to the fact that a losing culture is bad for the current players, especially the youth, whereas winning develops our youth in a positive environment.
2) For all we know, Arizona goes on a 10 game winning streak immediately after this game. 4 point game? Whoopdy do.
Perhaps if the game were in April and we actually saw that it made a difference.
3) The Habs are the team we cheer for. It’s much different to cheer for the team against a division rival so we can make a playoff spot, rather than root for our team to lose for the opposite reason.
Personally, I don’t equate the two, but realize that some people do.
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22 minutes ago, BCHabnut said:
17th to 24th is not where you want to finish. 25th or worse in a rebuild year is ideal in my view. Provided key players are developing. With that, I've seen enough of Hoffman and Dadanov. Give a youngster a shot.
It’s probably so rare that the game that people wish the Habs lose because of the reasons stated actually make a difference come the end of the year.
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Some points people will agree with, some points people won’t like.
1) Anaheim’s 2nd regulation win of the season after 31 games. 👏
2) Drouin has had some decent spells since being back. I thought he had a good game the other day until he had a huge gaffe at the offensive blue line which led to an empty netter. With that being said, he also had an assist and caused a penalty which was a borderline penalty shot due to his hustle. It is what it is in terms of fan perception, but I actually expect him to go on a decent run. Unfortunately for Drouin and the fanbase, a decent run for him could mean 10 points in 15 games along with a -11 total.
3) Only a small annoyance, but I am getting tired, and have already been tired of padding the other team’s stats with poor goaltender pulling tactics. Sometimes it has potentially cost us the game as well.
18th Annual Regular Season Prediction Contest
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
34–40–5-3= 76 points
Atlantic = 7th
League = 25th
20 Goal Scorers = 4
Suzuki = 72 Points