REV-G
-
Posts
544 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
5
Posts posted by REV-G
-
-
On 2018-05-21 at 3:07 PM, xXx..CK..xXx said:
I dislike Bergevin, relatively speaking, but it gets tiring hearing the mistakes he might make rather than discussing the ones he already has made. What’s even more peculiar is that no one agrees on the mistakes he has made. There are groups of people who hate this move, but didn’t mind another, and then there are groups of people who disliked the move other people liked and vice versa.
People want him fired. That’s fine. Making up futuristic moves that look bad and saying them out loud won’t get him fired though. Bergevin has been questionable, in my opinion, but our team isn’t the circus act some people describe. I want to wait until late August before I criticize Bergevin for another bad off season. It’s easy to say it’s too little too late, or whatever, but we don’t have the power to fire him and it’s also not true that he can’t right the ship. I personally sincerely feel that Bergevin could produce an effective team with some of the pieces we have, he just doesn’t really deserve that opportunity.
I think you've made some very good points. I think it's at the very least a waste of time, if not a touch immature [sorry], to make up potential ridiculous moves he might make and ridicule him for those. That's not fair.
I have written previously about what I think were the bad moves, PK, Radulov, Markov, losing both Emelin and Beaulieu, Eller [when we were so weak in the middle]. Then signing Alzner, slow and to such a long term, Hemsky, Streit. When I look at PK, Sergachev and Emelin, they would look pretty good on our back end with the young guys we have. Hiring friends and keeping them in positions for way too long. Sticking with people [AHL coaches] that simply weren't succeeding. I think it's fair to criticize those moves.
Of course there have been some good moves, Byron, Danault, I personally [in hindsight] wouldn't have made the Drouin trade, but I think what MB was trying to do at the time was correct. It just hasn't turned out very good for us so far.
When I add it all up, I have to give MB a low to failing grade compared to what he inherited when he first came. I think CC is right. MB is a very good talker and probably fun to be around. But his body of work up to now is not good.
If there are pockets of the old boys club they need to be cleaned out and I think we're seeing that beginning to happen. I think the NHL has moved beyond that and we need to catch up.
I think the moves MB made in the past month adding two very good younger coaches is a very good move.
But I agree with the above statement. As painful as it might be I think we have to wait and evaluate his moves in late July or August and then we shall see things as they truly are.
-
21 hours ago, Commandant said:
Thats not what Friedmann and McKenzie are saying.
Hes going to be the cap dump to fit in the McDavid/draisatl etc... contracts.
No one will take lucic or russell.
They dont want to trade RNH.
They are going to need to make cap room somehow and theyve decided hes the guy.
If Friedman and McKenzie are right then 2 second round picks plus a little makes sense and may do it if they don't want to add any salary. This would be a very good addition for us.
-
For those who follow the junior ranks closer, would Zadina be anywhere close the Laine prior to his draft?
Just wondering with all the talk of whether we should trade our #3.
-
Could Stasney fill in for year as a #1 centre while we waited for Kotkaniemi, if we dropped down and drafted him lower?
-
I mentioned or asked about Kotkaniemi earlier in a thread but as I think about it, is he not 17 years old right now?? He's born in 2000 so he either just turned 18 or will be turning 18 this year. Doesn't that mean he's not NHL ready right now and won't be for a while? If he's our answer for a #1 centre wouldn't that be too long of a wait for us? Don't we need someone ready to step in now?
-
3 hours ago, Commandant said:
I think Dudley wasn't going to be renewed. He is one of the casualties of the poor season. They let him jump early so he saves some face here.
If this was the only move, we could speculate as to why it happened. But this is change #4. Heads are rolling, as they should. We would be more concerned, and angry, if there were no changes.
We had a devastating season, third last in the league, and Molson has said it's unacceptable. My guess is that Molson has told Bergevin that the status quo is unacceptable and MB knows that if he doesn't make dramatic changes he will be the next one to go.
-
If we did choose to trade our pick is there anyone that could be an option?
I guess there are two possible paths.
1. Trade for a young centre just coming into their own. But is there even anyone out there that fits that and would be available??
2. Trade for a Robert Thomas type player. Maybe a team would trade a very good prospect for another really good prospect if the fit for them position wise was better.
I agree totally with not trading a 3d pick for ROR.
So back to the original question. Is there any young centre we could potentially trade for with our 3d pick, even if we had to add something to it?
-
I'm reading and hearing more that because our greatest need is a top centre and that because none are available in the draft that will bring us immediate help, we should trade our 3d pick, and maybe add to it if necessary, to get our greatly needed top line your centre.
For interest sake, who could we target, who would be some really good options for us that we could possible get with our 3d pick, plus?
-
Don't beat around the bush....say what you mean!! Joking!!
Ok, putting him aside then. What do you think of the young centre. Are they out to lunch thinking he might have that much potential?
-
Question. I've said before that I don't follow the pre-pro guys, other than maybe the ones who may go in the top 3 in the draft.
So my question is connected to a column by Jack Todd [no comments please] today in the Montreal Gazette, where he quotes a former NHL amateur scout, Grant McCagg, also a friend of Bob McKenzie [I added these credentials [?] just to suggest that he may be a credible source] and McCagg says that he and other NHL scouts are high on a very talented 17 year old Finnish centre, Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Grant McCagg suggests that he thinks the Habs could pull a Carey Price type draft day surprise and pick this young centre, even though he has never been mentioned in the top 3. Todd quotes McCagg who says that in the 2012 draft the best pick ended up being centre Filip Forsberg who was taken 11th overall by Washington and later traded to Nashville, who with that trade settled their first-line centre problem for a decade.
So is it possible that they're right about Jesperi Kotkaniemi? For those of you who follow these guys closely, what do you think? Is the third pick an obvious, can't do anything else, or could this be a Carey Price type pick?
What do you think? Possible or not a chance?
-
I wasn't sure where to put this question so I'm asking it here.
I read an article in the french paper and they are saying that a number of teams are interested in signing Alexandre Alain, the captain of the l’Armada de Blainville-Boisbriand.
I presume he was undrafted?? According to the article he may be a late bloomer who has a great work ethic and could develop into a good NHL'er. The thinking is that he would be a very good AHL player with a definite shot at the NHL if he keeps developing.
Any thoughts on him. Should we or are we interested in signing him?? Evidently he scored 44 goals and had 87 points this year.
What are your thoughts for those who follow the junior ranks?
-
1
-
-
So the next obvious question is who replaces him?
It seems like MB has a great opportunity now to put in place an heir apparent for the head coach of the Canadiens.
If finding a very good bilingual head coach is such a challenge the smart thing to do would be to hire the best possible, most successful QMJHL coach and install him as our AHL coach, and let him bring in some great assistants also with future potential, and hopefully have people developing and waiting in the wings for whenever the next opportunity arrives for the big club.
You would think this should be an obvious direction to go??
-
1
-
-
If we don't get Tavares, and it appears there are not any highly rated, help us now, centres in the upcoming draft, would we get a decent to good #1 centre for Max Pacioretty? Would it have to be Max plus......
Does anyone know who would be some #1 centre possibilities that we might get in return for Max?
-
I wasn't sure where to put this, so this seemed the most appropriate place.
What do you think about Jake Evans? MB said he wanted to sign him last year and expects to sign him in the next week or so.
How strong a centre prospect is he. Where do you think he will slot in in the NHL?
-
Pat Hickey in the Gazette today said that only Dahlin is NHL ready, so if we don't win the lottery there's no help coming in the draft.
Is that an accurate assessment? Are the consensus picks #2, 3 and 4 not NHL ready?
I don't follow the potential draft picks very closely so I'm deferring to those of you who do.
-
Question. I read today that TVA Sports is saying that they have some evidence that there are plans for Paul Stastny to join Montreal in the off season. The article also said that TSN broadcaster Gord Miller stated the Montreal would be a very possible destination for Tavares this summer. Evidently Miller has been told that Tavares friendship with Price and Weber, an original six team and the tradition and atmosphere of Montreal are all very appealing to Tavares. Plus on the practical side, Montreal would have the cap room to do it while a number of other potential teams would have to move some major assets to make a Tavares addition possible. Interesting to say the least.
But that isn't my question. I don't really follow players not in Montreal very closely so other than his stats I don't know much about Paul Stastny other than he's 32, has maybe underperformed the last few years and has told someone in the media something that would cause them to tweet a prediction that Stastny is coming to Montreal. That's in the TVA Sports article today.
Would Statsny be a good second line centre for us for two years while some of our drafted centres [I'm assuming that along with Ryan Poehling we'll draft one or two good centres in the 2018 draft] develop and get ready for the NHL.
Would Statsny be a good fit for us compared to what we have now?
-
I like that plan and I agree about the possibility of trading both Max and Weber. I would trade Web in a heartbeat for a solid top 2 younger defence man, to a team who needs veteran leadership now and is willing to give up a young guy to get it.
-
While waiting for the final games to wind down, I'm actually hoping we lose every one of our final games, obviously so we can get the best possible draft pick. There's really nothing else to look forward to at this point.
So I had this thought. Is there anything Marc Bergevin could do to win us back...to fix his reputation.....is there a path going forward for us that leads to success.....even contending? In fact I wondered if there has ever been a GM who did so poorly over a 5 year term, and saw his team drop so dramatically, and was able to turn things around? I'm not referring to a GM who inherited a mess and built it up, but someone like MB who has made bad moves and trades and then was able to revive that same team?
I think there is a path going forward that could change our future dramatically. But let me first say that I understand what I'm pointing out is a bit like catching lightening in a bottle. The odds of everything coming together according to the path I'm suggesting is way out there. But it's possible. Kind of like Edmonton getting the first pick for so many years.
So here it is. Remember, this is possible, however unlikely, but there is a path that could lead to a huge turnaround for us. Here it is.
What if we lose most of our final games and then win the draft lottery and improve to the top 3 and get a very good player who will play for us next year. Certainly possible.
What if we add Joel Bouchard, as is being reported, and also added Dominique Ducharme, or someone like him to bring in fresh leadership and begin a new culture. One of them as our AHL coach and the other to replace JJD or even as GM with MB being moved up to another position. Certainly possible.
What if we sign John Tavares? Ok, here's catching the lightening in a bottle.
What if we kept Max P and united him with Tavares and Drouin?
What if we signed or traded for a top 4 left handed Dman?
What if, combined with our draft last year, we pick up a few very good prospects in the draft this year?
What if the terrible season we had this year lights a fire under Molson and Bergevin, like a slap upside the head, and they realize that the fans, media and players are all looking at them to fix this mess whatever it takes. We're certainly there on that one!
Maybe there's more but if these changes or something close to them could happen I believe we would see a huge turnaround.
Honestly, I think all of it is very possible. The only real big question mark is of course Tavares. But the islanders have had a very bad season. And even the media has openly talked about the possibility of him having friends on our team and maybe him liking the idea of coming in and being part of a resurrection, along with a big payday, back in Canada. I heard Darren Dreger say a month ago that while Tavares has never said anything to him, he has the feeling that Tavares would be open to coming to Montreal. Has he heard something. Now this next thought is purely speculation. We have all been very surprised, along with the Montreal media from what I've read, that Molson has not fired MB based on his record and the state of our team. Is it possible that MB has told Molson that he has inside news that Tavares is seriously considering signing with us. Why is Bergevin so confident about being here? Does he know something big is going to happen? Tavares?? Speculation....but is it possible. It is.
So there is a path. It could happen. I wouldn't bet on it but there is a path going forward. could MB turn it around and win us back??
What do you think? Since there's not a lot else to talk about I thought this could give us something interesting to ponder!!
-
16 hours ago, Commandant said:
How I rank them
Tier 1: Dahlin
Tier 2: Svechnikov, Zadina
Tier 3: Boqvist, Dobson, Tkachuk, Wahlstrom, Hughes
Tier 4: Bouchard, Smith, Veleno, Kotakniemi, Kupari, Lundestrom, Farabee,
Bouchard's skating is what puts him a step behind Tier 3 IMO. Its just average, where Boqvist, Dobson and Hughes are closer to elite skaters.
How do you rank Barrett Hayton, a centre?
-
8 minutes ago, Machine of Loving Grace said:
Lindgren deserves a shot in 18-19. If he slips up there's bound to be another Niemi type available. There's a lot of young guys breathing down Lindgren's neck. It's gonna be survival of the fittest.
Actually that's a good point. There probably will be guys like Niemi out there. I'm still impressed with him though. I presume Waite's input to MB about Lindgren and what he feels Lindgren is capable of will be a key determining factor.
-
If we have confidence in some of our goalies, I'm not really thinking Fucale here, developing in our system then I think, based on what Commandant said, I would seriously consider our best interests over the next year or two and sign Niemi for two years and trade Lindgren. Unless of course they feel that Lindgren is developing into at least a solid backup.
I think Niemi might want to stay with us since Waite is here to work with him and keep him on track.
-
Choosing which players to keep and which ones to send down or trade is sometimes obvious and other times not so much.
I haven't been watching their games for a while now but I still read about them and follow. I'm actually hoping they lose all their remaining games to try to be in the top 3 for the draft and the lottery.
One observation I've made is that there have been a number of reporters who made the comment that the team enjoys and is confident playing in front of Niemi. When I've watched a game he seems confident and seems to be challenging shooters and makes the big saves.
If I was the decision maker I would seriously consider keeping him as my backup next year for the following reasons.
1. He has performed better than Lindgren in front of basically the same team over the past few months.
2. At this point we are not totally sure how Carey Price will do injury wise next year. I think we had the same feelings about Markov when he injured his knee for the second time a few years back but he came back strong and healthy and played at a high level again. We all want that for Price but we all know there's no guarantee. If Price is injured again next year who would we want as our back up? Niemi or Lindgren?
3. Reuniting Niemi with his former goalie coach, Stephane Waite may be one of the reasons for his great return to form with Montreal which means he may play this way for all of next year again if the two stay together.
4. We must make sure that we are better at every position next year. If we add a #1 centre [John Tavares??] and if our top draft pick this June is high enough so that he makes the team next year, we have to make sure we have a very solid, reliable backup to help Price and win some games but also be able to step in if injuries hit. I think Niemi is best equipped right now to do that for us.
5. I had higher hopes for Charlie Lindgren. I know some goalies take longer to develop but I'm beginning to wonder if he will develop into a #1 goalie. At this point I'm not sure I want to put too much faith in him to be able to step in and do the job if Price goes down.
6. Why release a goalie [Niemi] for nothing when he either could help us or if we kept him around until next fall, then trade him and get something for him when some team likely will be in need of a solid backup. To me it's just smart asset management. If Lindgren steps up and does well, then we will have something that some other teams need and we'll get something in return. For me it's a win win situation to keep Niemi and let things fall where they will. Releasing him and letting him walk for nothing accomplishes nothing.
What do you think?
-
It will be interesting to see if they move a few more pieces that perhaps wouldn't cause much of a stir but maybe just enough to increase our chances of dropping a bit more for the draft. Probably not, but I can't help wonder....but that could only be a thought if a few more pieces are moved for draft picks.
-
18 hours ago, John B said:
This isn't the first time that we've heard that Bergevin's (or any other GM's) asking price is too high. I'm pretty sure this is just the way it goes until some form of compromise can be made. I'd be curious to hear what that asking price is though.
I personally thought Sakic was ridiculous for holding out and asking so much for Duschene.
Look who had the last laugh. Sakic got a boatload in return and by far was the winner and his team is looking a lot better now than before!
I'm glad MB is asking a lot. He should. Big, fast, skilled perennial 30 goal scorers should command a really good return.
2018 draft thread
in Habs & Hockey Talk
Posted
Interesting to note that some of the recent top few draft picks haven't turned out very well. Nail Yakupov was maybe the biggest bust in the past 8 years or so. When Edmonton drafted Jesse P. after he fell to 4th it seems like they thought he was a steal. But compared to Matthews, Laine, and Dubois Jesse has had trouble staying in the NHL. Granted he's still young and has lots of skill and time to develop. My point is that maybe who we think should be #3 and #4 in the draft may not be the best player available. Maybe another player further down the list is the one to draft. Just a thought.
Two examples of pre-draft inaccuracies are perhaps Carey Price, supposed to be lower and arguable the best of his draft class. Anse Kopitar, drafted 11 I think, and other than Sidney Crosby was the best in his draft class. If someone had drafted him 2 or 3 they probably would have been criticized. So maybe one of the centres currently rated lower could be great picks.
Question: for those of you who follow the junior players and the draft eligible players, do you think there are any Pierre-Luc Dubois players in any of the lower ranked centres this year?