GHT120

As always, with soooooo mnay players, the question is whether the #s will translate to the NHL. After watching his junior career I was so pumped when the habs got Corey Locke in the 4th round of the 2003 after his CHL Player of the year and Top Scorer Awards (Regular Season: 66 gms, 63 g, 88 a, 151 pts; Playoffs: 46 gms, 23 gms, 19 g, 19 a, 38 pts) ... GREAT AHL player ... 9 gms, 0 g, 1 a ... albeit Locke was smaller. That is why NHL scouts/GMs get well-paid.

At least he isn't drafting a dead player. In the 1995 Las Vegas Posse dispersal draft, the Ottawa Rough Riders selected defensive end Derrell Robertson in the fifth round, only to discover that he had passed away in a car crash roughly five months earlier ... a year later, the Montreal Alouettes selected defensive end James Eggink in the fifth round of the Canadian college draft in 1996; after the draft a Concordia University football coach noticed Eggink's selection and called the Montreal Alouettes to inform them that Eggink had passed away from cancer a number of months prior.

Interesting article explaining how Winnipeg's pick ***** COULD ***** end up as low as 23rd overall ... VERY unlikely, but possible.

Still better than 5th ... or 6th/7th.

Weber was clutch in that Cup Final run ... his subsequent "implosion" was entirely injury related ... I see Savard as more a Hal Gill who managed to play, admittedly in declining numbers of games, until he was 39. Deadline deals are almost always for draft picks or recently drafted players who are a couple of years away from the NHL ... is that worth more than the veteran support that Savard can provide the youngsters, especially the RHD, as they break in?

RANDOM THOUGHT: If David Savard were willing to sign a 3-yr extension this summer for $2.25 AAV with 25/26 20-team, 26/27 10-team NTC and 27/28 5-team NTC would you do it? Makes him (hopefully) the 35-yr-old, 3rd pairing, veteran RHD to support Reinbacher and Mailloux the season after next ... AAV still tradeable.

For example: https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/pick_odds I stared at the odds for a while, and logically I don't see where the 0.3% comes from ... if the Habs win either lottery they pick #1 or #2 ... if two teams ahead of them win the lotteries they stay at #5 ... if one of the teams ahead of them and one teams behind them (6th to 12th) win the lotteries they drop to #6 ... if two teams behind them (6th to 12th) win the lotteries they drop to #7.

Jankov not on the listed 17 (18 with Tuch) ... If Stephens, Perreault and Gignac are "out" there are still 15 potential forwards ... and I expect Gignac (leading scorer) and Stephens would likely dress, if at all possible, before the youngsters.

And the 'Yotes (gotta use that as much as possible until they slip into their "5-yr option" coma) gifted the Habs a full percentage point in better odds at #1 and 1.1% at #2. From a conspiracy theorist perspective, I fear the NHL favouring Salt Lake City (get them off to a good start) and Chicago (their new Toews and Kane). #1 would (seemingly) pretty much have to be Celebrini ... #2 might bring in the "defenceman" debate ... Sportsnet's April rankings have RHD Artyom Levshunov, Carter Yakemchuk and Zayne Parekh in their Top 6 ahead of all forwards other than Celebrini and Demidov

He did only say "might" ... and there are three RHD in many/most of the Top 10s ... Artyom Levshunov, RD, Michigan State University (NCAA) ... Zayne Parekh, RD, Saginaw Spirit (OHL) ... Carter Yakemchuk, RD, Calgary Hitmen (WHL) ... Top 6 in Sportsnet's April ranking.

A-game Anderson would be a great addition to the 3rd line ... and could have value at the trade deadline ... I wouldn't want to trust that he stays at that level for the following two seasons. But I-M-O he has no place in the Top 6 (not saying anyone suggested he would/should) because he is a "fifth wheel" on any three-person line.

The Rockets website currently shows 17 forwards, but Tuch is not yet listed ... not certain who is out due to injury, if anyone, so it will be interesting to see whether they lean on the two recent signings in their effort to make the playoffs ... I expect and hope they will.

Since Stuble is a defenceman, my "target" might be a more skilled and dependable (e.g. 12 minutes/game) "Micheal Pezzetta", still with possible 3rd line upside.

Good on MAF

Rust and Karlsson maybe (although Erik's 3 more years @ $10M AAV would likely be the hardest to move) ... but Crosby, Letang and Malkin may well want to be "Pens for life", unless they are going to a team with a close friend with whom they want to play (e.g., Crosby with MacKinnon in Colorado).

The Pens "stars" (Crosby, Malkin, Rust, Letang, Karlsson), as well as Carter have NMCs ... so they have to be willing to be traded.

Rich owners "eat" contracts if GMs over-promise and under-deliver ... Presidents usually get to have 2/3 GMs before their heads are on the chopping block ... as long as he remains GM, Dubas is at higher risk than other Presidents of getting a nice severance package but having no job to go to every day.

"Sorry" may have been the wrong word ... he did do it to himself ... but I do recognize he is in a very tough situation. I expect he looks forward to hiring a GM and getting a bit more job security as just President of Hockey Operations ... otherwise, he may be looking for a new job sooner than he expected.

I feel sorry for Dubas ... he is between a rock and a hard place ... an aging roster of stars ... just out of the wild card ... ownership seemingly not open to a rebuild ... not a lot of roster flexibility in so much as they have 6 players with NMCs and 4 with M-NTCs ... Pens do have $12.7M in cap space (14 players signed).

My sense is that HuGo are at least a season away from expecting the Habs to win ... Hughes said he expects improvement next season, and accepted (what choice does he really have) Molson's "in the mix" characterization, but also said he doesn't know how much of an improvement to expect in 24/25. *** IF *** they were to find they need to make a change next summer or the year after, the extra year or two provides stability in the interim and a "bonus" for his good work in the early part of the rebuild process ... also, he could well then move into the front office (developmental role as a future GM?) ... as you said, it's not our money ... and there is no management cap in the NHL.

I just said it would be easier to move up with Winnipeg's pick than their own ... predicted nothing. As Hughes said in the presser, all options are on the table ... with all the prospects the Habs already have, and their extra picks in the next couple of drafts, there is nothing to say they couldn't do both ... other teams may also want young NHLers or closer-to-the-NHL players rather than prospects.

Hughes did say he will be talking with MSL and then the assistants in the days to come ... when asked about adding experience to the coaching staff he said it was something that he and MSL will discuss ... sounds open to the possibility ... suppose it could also be in te context of a consult (i.e., not behind the bench).

The one consistent message was that HuGo et al will look at all options this summer but will not make moves that are contrary to their long-term, rebuild plan. If a defenceman is CLEARLY the best player available when they pick, he is open to taking a defenceman. Gorton seemed genuine in saying he is happy in Montréal. Hughes seemed comfortable with Geoff Molson's characterization of his goal for next season to "be in the mix" ... but didn't seem to feel that meant they had to make the playoffs or it was a failure ... Kent expects improvement. but doesn't know how much of an improvement will that be. EDIT Hughes said he and MSL will meet in the next few days to discuss the coaching staff, as well as then with the coaching staff ... Kent is open to discussion of whether adding experience was necessary ... I suppose that could be behind the bench or as a consultant. Kent said he is open to all options ... that at this point the last couple of years they had no idea that Dach and Newhook were actually available or what Chicago/Colorado might want in return ... so impossible to say whether they plan to make trades for anything in particular. Acknowledged that they need to add "offence" but did not commit to doing to specifically for next season ... which I took to mean they could add a Dach/Newhook type with an et=ye to future offensive upside than an immediate 24/25 impact offensive player. EDIT 2 Gorton said "Montreal will become a place players want to play"

I suspect it might be "easier" to use the Jets' pick and other assets to move up into the "teens", maybe even 8-9-10th depending on the assets with which they are willing to part, than moving up from their own first round pick. NOTE: Not "easy", but "easier"