GHT120

IMO it is a huge LOSS for the Habs as they need the #1, or even #9, pick far more than the few playoff games they would likely play if they beat the Pens. The 6-7 young (25 or under) players who will be important to the team in the next few years would admittedly get the benefit of "playoff hockey" but IMO adding more top-end talent is more important as the team is still several pieces away from being a Cup contender.

Don't disagree ... for the play-in ... but I was looking at 20/21 ...

Agreed on the play-in ... from there, a "no AHL season" obviously answers the question ... hopefully by Fall there will be more clarity and overall improvement ... but I would consider loaning him to an overseas team if there is no AHL team and it would be best for his long-term development ... I'm always concerned about young players with high-end upside getting bottom six minutes ... eventually worked for Sean Couturier but took seven seasons before SC broke 20 goals or even 40 points ... he was Phil Danault for quite some time ... and much as I like and respect Danault, that is not what one hopes for form a 3rd overall pick.

New GM in Buffalo ... Sabres don't get a TOP pick ... what would it take to get their 8th overall selection? As I am a "re-@#$%&" (the word that MB shall not speak) advocate I'd start with Domi and Mete as an opening offer and see how talks go.

Assuming you mean rank the playoff losers into a regular lottery, doubt the bottom 8 "playoff teams" would have accepted that ... we would they rick losing their playoff spot in return for almost no chance at a top pick ... and those votes might/would have been enough to deadlock BoG discussions ... .

It is only one video clip, and it is always dangerous to put too much faith in highlights, but nice to see a LHD with "hands" in the pipeline

As Commandant said, play-in losers are not in the playoffs ... no matter what tale MB may spin. In my opinion any process that gives the Cup winner a chance (no matter how small) at #1 is seriously flawed ... at least in 2005 there was no Cup winner to possibly benefit from drafting Sydney Crosby (BTW in no way comparing Lafreniere to Crosby)

Given the post-lottery reality ... if Price doesn't play (I expect he will play) the Habs should give Keith Kinkaid a chance to redeem himself going into free agency (LOL)

Agreed ... just hope their decision for 20/21 on whether to play KK in the NHL or Laval is based on what is best for the development of his full potential and not that sending him back to Laval to start the season would make their drafting look bad.

Would that not give the Stanley Cup winner a chance at #1?

I've heard it said that Vegas will be a true "bubble" as the hotels are attached (immediately adjacent) to the arena ... so outside contact will be minimzed.

most of what I've heard from the "experts is that the top 10-12 picks are very strong ... so I don't want another "OK" first rounder ... I would love a top 10 pick (and even another next season) ... both for the prospects for the "rebuild" and because another playoff miss might just be enough to push MB out the door ... decent-ish recent moves doesn't undo the first five years and his refusal to acknowledge a "window" when Price and Weber were 30&32 at the start of the "reset" two years ago.

Since I do not want them to win ... make KK the 1C or 2C ... even if "his game had gone up more than a notch" in Laval I doubt he could handle Crosby or Malkin ...

These ***ARE NOT*** playoff games. They are the "Let's be fair to the teams that had a chance to make the playoffs (NYI, NYR, FLA, Van, Min) and find a way to include the Montreal and Chicago TV markets" play-IN games ... Habs have to beat the Pens to be in the playoffs ... so it is really only like cheering for losses in the three of the last five regular season games to optimize draft position. As for 12.5% ... those are better odds than anyone but Detroit and Ottawa had last night ... slightly more than twice the odds the Habs would have had normally ... 12.5% chance at #1 or pick 9th ... in the regular lottery the Habs odds of picking 9th were 36%, and could even have picked 10th (7.8%) or even 11th (0.4%) ... overall, as long as the Habs lose to the Pens they have come out ahead (IMO).

Agree ... and hope "anything" won't happen ... while a hard fought 5 game series would be entertaining, it would also validate MB's "we are close" mantra ... "hurry hard" Pens, "hurry hard"

I would, if I could ... because I don't see the Habs as anywhere near a Cup contender and want a MAJOR re-set (since "rebuild" is apparently a dirty word around the Bell Centre) BUT, a full tank would (for example) mean playing Lindgren, sitting Weber, Petry, Gallagher, Drouin, Domi, Suzuki and Tartar ... the NHL might then take away the Habs first rounder as a penalty for obviously tanking ... more subtly, I suppose they could do things like: "force feed" KK as the 2C ... but getting eaten up by Crosby or Malkin may regress his development sit Domi for health reasons, or move him to LW (which seemed to make Max sulk when last done) to make room for Poehling as 3C ... but that could screw the relationship going forward) play Peca, Barber and Weise as the 4th line manage Weber and Petry's minutes ("because of" the layoff followed by inadequate training camp) and play Folin and Alzner as the 3rd pairing 18 minutes per game But even that would be a fairly obvious tank (if not perhaps punishable by the NHL) and annoy the players (if they are going to play they want to try to win) Sadly ... I think they have to count on the Pens just being better

I live in Ottawa and have to put up with Sens fans ... so I hope the process somehow goes crazy and they pick 14th and 15th (LOL)

Totally agree about health being a question, especially when considering term ... but that Hart season was (IMO) an aberration ... 50% more goals and 25% more assists than his 82 gm averages throughout the rest of his career ... since then he certainly has had injury issues and has only produced slightly below his career averages ... might he have carried the momentum of his spike year forward sans injury, and established himself as an elite player? ... we will never know ... ALL THAT SAID ... on the right deal I could see the Habs signing him ... perhaps overpaying whatever the market becomes this "summer" but for 2-3 years only ... and I could accept it as a "now" move (overall, I my preference is going more strongly "reset") .

IMO that is in part related to his having been a #1 overall ... he is a without a single doubt in my mind a top 6 winger, and almost certainly a first line winger, but at 26 goals per 82 (sans one spike season) he is not (IMO) elite ... that matches Gallagher's "per 82" average and much as I love Brendan don't consider him elite ... I reserve my use of the term for a very small number of players (e.g., McDavid, Crosby, Kane) ... but it is a matter of semantics when discussing adjectives

Does Price REALLY want to play this summer?

James Wilder is now retired ... might be. little hard to recruit another RB or two until the details of whether or not there will be a season are resolved

Back to the line-up ... there seems to be some talk of Jesse Ylonen joining Evans and Lehkonen on the 4th line ... Poehling might have a shot at elbowing his way in ... I like the logic of the "surprise" factor of the Scottsdale Speedster ... even though I am seriously hoping for an embarrassing Pens sweep ... anything to further destabilize MB's position.

Agree, on the rent-a-goalie aspect. IMO Primeau should be in Laval playing 45-50 of the 76 game season ... he could get some pre-scheduled NHL starts but shouldn't be sitting on the bench ... Lindgren has the incumbent's edge but have a hunch that Demchenko will win the backup job

IMO Holtby makes no sense unless they are going to move Price ... which is OK by me ... doubt he will sign as a backup, or at least not at anywhere near a reasonable salary ... Crawford (or maybe another Keith Kinkaid-like bargain basement option) ... I am curious to see Demchenko ... think he is better than his last season's stats show. Toffoli is a nice player but, other than one 31 goal season, he is a 21 goal per 82 games player ... not the top 6 scorer the habs need ... unless (for example only) they were going to trade Domi for a #1-LHD ... Taylor Hall is closer to what the Habs need but even then, other than his one standout season, he is a 26g/82gm ... Mike Hoffman matches that and would likely be cheaper ... Dadonov has been slightly better since returning from the KHL (29g/82gm) and might be a good option, using the down market to keep the term and salary down ... an under-the-radar RFA option might be Oskar Lindbom (who pro-rated to 82 games had a 30 goal season).

The ones I would really want (Markstrom, Lehner and Holtby) won't want to be a backups, so no use talking unless MB does the UNEXPECTED and trades Price If Crawford accepts being a backup he might be the best option of the four. However, I don't expect MB to "challenge" Price with a backup capable of playing 30 games so it will likely end up being a minor UFA, Lindgren or Demchenko as Carey's backup ... I would love to give McNiven a full year as Primeau's only backup in Laval to see how he develops but I fear he has been crowded out. I have a gut feeling that Demchenko will surprise.