GHT120

Great write-up ... and the Final Thought was tight, accurate, thoughtful ... but it lacked the venom for a rant ... which, after last night, is to your credit ... it would have been so easy to slip into a true rant.

dlbair clarified for me that with Primeau returned to Laval the Habs have the cap space for Caufield (or a similar contract) but it will their last call-up of the season ... so its a strategic decision for MB et al, not just that they want to see what CC can do

As I understand it ... if they add him to the roster so he can play, that would be their last call-up until the end of the season ... if it doesn't work out he could be sent back to the AHL but the Habs could not call-up a replacement forward from Laval or the taxi-squad ... they would have to play a defenceman as the 12th forward

Thankfully in his 10:21 he didn't

But if they sent down Byron they could, for example, bring up Caufield ... but be unable to replace him with anything other than a roster defenceman if it proved to not work out?

Post-game Zooms Byron is Byron ... straight answers ... takes responsibility for the second goal ... patient (6:49) Price was less abrupt that he sometimes is ... but as usual a quick in&out (1:31) Chiarot, like Byron, steps up and answers all the questions Similarly, Ducharme steps up, answers the questions as best he can (6:50)

Not a huge Slapshot fan ... but LOVE that bit

As I understand it Habs are up against the cap ... to add any player means waiving someone and that would be the last "regular call-up" for the season ... so whoever is demoted is off the roster for the rest of the season unless an emergency situation (as defined by the NHL, see below) exists ... seems risky to do that this early ... if an "emergency" develops then it could be well worth considering giving him some games to see how he does 13.12 Transfers To/From Minors. (m) Emergency Recall. ... (ii) Emergency conditions shall be established when the playing strength of the Loaning Club, by reason of incapacitating injury or illness or by League suspension to its Players is reduced below the level of two (2) goalkeepers, six (6) defensemen and twelve (12) forwards. Proof of the existence of the emergency conditions including the incapacity shall be furnished to the Commissioner of the League upon request made by him.

Think that is what I said ... absent the extra details Was last night and/or this on the original schedule or was it a Covid consequence?

Agreed ... its not even like it had to be at 4:00 because of a HNIC triple header

dlblair has explained that any roster change uses up their last non-emergency recall for the rest of the season ... so whoever is added replaces the player leaving for the rest off the season ... absent emergency situations

Not what I said ... Caufield is caught up in a Covid related roster issue ... all I said is that *** if *** he is not going to play there is still some value in being around the team

A Covid complexity ... perhaps the rule needs to be tweaked to consider traded players ... a day for "regular" trades to allow the player to travel, but also allow for instances when players are unavailable due to a non-hockey mandate that prevents the player from joining their team ... seems like Canadian teams are being punished for being in Canada

Agreed ... even getting to know "the guys" has value

Well expressed ... and an interesting perspective that I had not considered previously. Between those "two teams" were two two off-seasons in which he committed to then two core pieces but didn't provide them the support needed for them to take the team further ... the next offseason he undertook a re-tool while those assets became less reliable ... a retool that is at least one year, likely two, away for KK and Suzuki to be at their potential to be a true 1/2C tandem ... and longer for the re-tooled defence.

Apologies if you felt it was a private discussion limited to you and hab29RETIRED ... and agree that the merits of Bergevin being retained or fired is another discussion. And it was not a jab at you personally but at the essence of the question (you are not unique in posing such a question) ... as it was asked the question implied, intended or not, that no one should advocate for Bergevin (or presumably any GM or coach) to be fired unless they have a replacement in mind who is guaranteed to be better. IMO it is not for fans to know who should replace a GM (not that it will ever stop us from each having an opinion) ... it is ownership's job to pick the right person, just as it is a GM's job to pick the right coach ... to not express the need for change if a fan feels it is needed is accepting less then the fan feels the team deserves. In the totality of the thread, as a fan I was expressing that if the Habs do not perform well in the playoffs then Bergevin's time is done ... by corollary, if they do well he deserves an extension ... IMO GM's should not be lame ducks contractually ... so, IMO this summer is fish or cut bait on MB's contract ... extend or fire.

And on what basis will Molson base his decision? Not popularity (although sadly that may play a small role) but the results that Bergevin has delivered ... Molson OK'd some serious spending (which is great) but if doesn't produce the results Molson expected than MB is more than likely in trouble ... and I doubt just making the playoffs is the standard ... in fact, before the season was the first time in a long time I recall them not setting (to paraphrase) "first you have to make the playoffs, and then we'll see" as the expectation.

So until Sam Pollock is reincarnated they should stick with Bergevin because who knows if the next guy will be better? If the habs do well in them playoffs then MB deserves his extension, if not he deserves to be replaced (IMO)

Yzerman was GM for 8 seasons ... the TBL had over 100 points 4 times, over 90 twice and twice in the 80s ... he built the "foundation and framing" of the team that won the Cup ... Brisebois did an excellent job of "completing construction, with some tweaks" ... both service credit. I hope nobody thinks it is easy to win a Cup, I certainly don't ... but MB blew it (IMO) when he had Price and Weber at near their best and failed to see the need for immediate moves to take advantage ... instead he waited until "the roof was leaking and the foundation had cracks" before deciding serious renovations were in order ...

A successful GM is not judged by a scorecard ... they are measured by a team's success ... MB's fate will depend on what happens in the playoffs ... time will tell

He has had one season of real success at centre, and has yet to repeat it ... centre may not even be his position ... no way (IMO) he is a 2C let alone a 1C

Domi ? ? ? ... he had an exceptional first season, regressed to his norm last season and is below his norm this season ... and no way Julien or DD play him ahead of Danault, KK or Suzuki ... so that is one expensive 4C ... plus, CBJ were looking for a centre and I don't think Poehling would have gotten he deal done AGREED

If my aunt ....................

I agree ... wasn't advocating it

There was a reason Staal had to waive his NTC for trade ... finishing the year by himself in Montreal is different than either moving his family to montreal next season or being away from them for a full season ... don't know whether he would sign