Canajun

Mr. Bernier, I will say welcome to the forum.

Nice welcome there to a new contributor to this forum. I thought you said you never insult people?

Yes CC, all that and he would get you right into the game by showing his genuine excitement for the action... plus a good helping of east coast folksiness. Bob Cole had it too. Of the current crop, I think Chris Cuthbert is the best.

Well of course - he was a Cape Bretoner! 😉

Hahah... oh cool ! Love those old Danny Gallivan expressions. Maybe David will do a Savardian Spin-o-rama tomorrow night, lol.

I agree there Danny... and also for Newhook to be stepping gingerly and skedaddling over the blue line.

It was a month ago, but I mentioned I would post if I found info pertaining to the defensive acumen of Demidov:

Thanks Alfredoh.

Alfredoh... it's taken a little while, but it seems Sean Farrell is starting to figure out professional hockey. What are your thoughts on him and his future with the organization. I've seen only a few highlights of him but he seems fast - Newhook kind of fast. Thanks.

Yeah he'd be a bit of an upgrade on Dach, but that contract is just too much. It could hamstring us down the road. I still have some faith in Dach... but as a winger though.

"Demidov has "some defensive acumen"... what? No he's a defensive issue in the KHL and as much as I think SKA has been over the top with it, its part of the reason for his low minutes, and thats playing on the wing, not at centre." Have read it more than once that he has decent defensive awareness. If I come across an article mentioning it again, I will post it for you. The chief reason for his low minutes is petty coach/manager/owner Rotenberg "punishing" Demidov for wanting to leave the KHL after this season is over. It's curious how Demidov's ice-time substantially rose *immediately* after the Habs brass paid a visit. "But to think hes immediately gonna be an NHL centre and on a line with two other defensive liabilities in Ehlers and Laine. Wow. That line might set records for xGA and goals against." Might not also. I think their offense would outweigh their defensive shortcomings. Demidov would be no worse defensively than Dach - that would be a difficult feat. And if not Dach, then who? Cozens? Mittelstadt? Neither of those are defensive stalwarts. "Then you have Newhook at centre, position that the team wont put him at this year." No, because they using him to fill out their top-6 and hoping in vain he can be a solution there, as they paid a fairly big price to get him to play such a role. When he played center briefly last year, I found he was better. 3rd line center would give him even more favorable matchups. "Yeah i dont see that as a lineup." Fair enough.

My two cents : - I say leave Dylan Cozens be. Too expensive. - I've read that Demidov said he would be just as content at center, as on wing. He seems more of a prototypical center... great distribution skills, drives play, and has some defensive acumen. Plus being a center would probably increase his production by another 15 to 20 points. - Keep Dach. I like him, but for a center, he doesn't seem to be the greatest passer. He does have great puck possession skills however and when he is feeling it, shows great "generalship" on the ice. I would put him on wing. - I think Laine's legs/knees are not well, and he is showing it... his skating is like a Bambi deer. He is a much more dynamic player than what he is displaying right now, and he will strengthen up and get better. Just needs some time. - I've read that Laine's old Winnipeg buddy Nikolai Ehlers has shown interest in joining him on the Habs next year as a UFA. Sign him. Next year's tentative lineup: Slaf - Suzuki - Caufield Ehlers - Demidov - Laine Heineman - Newhook - Dach Gally - Kapanen/Beck - Anderson That's a pretty deep forward corps. Thoughts? Flames?

Thanks Alfredoh. Young Florian Xhekaj seems to have a nose for the net eh?

Thanks Alfredoh. Sean Farrell seems to have woken up a little bit in the last few weeks... do you think there's any hope for him?

Alfredoh, what are your thoughts on the lack of production from Mesar? Too much perimeter play? Not high enough hockey IQ? Thanks.