tomh009

It's an issue, sure. But once you get into the playoffs, you need to be able to deal with it and find another level regardless of how tired you are: more for a young team to learn.

Anderson confirmed to be in Montreal still, so it’ll be both Kapanen and Pezzetta playing.

I think he really wants to stay in Toronto. Of course, if the Leafs don't make an offer, that will not be an option. I don't expect he would accept a one- or two-year deal, though.

It was unclear as of this morning so apparently he did not fly with the team.

Pezzetta will keep playing as long as they are winning, I suppose.

Yeah, we'll see how St-Louis manages that (and which of Beck and Kapanen start the season on the Habs' roster). Kapanen had a very strong season in the SHL but we don't know yet how well those improvements will translate to the NHL.

The team has made steady progress for three seasons now: from 55 in 2021-22 to 68, then 76 and now 80-plus. We'll be adding Demidov and likely upgrading our D (Reinbacher or Mailloux instead of Savard). And the team now knows how to play the St-Louis system. If you look at the season from December on--eliminating the first two months when the team was flailing about and trying to learn how to play the way St-Louis wanted them to--they have scored 62 points in 52 games. Tampa is 67, Toronto 66, Ottawa 65 and Florida 61. "In the mix" for a top-three position, so to say, if we look at the last 3/4 of the season (Carrier and Laine also arrived in December, which certainly made a difference as well). It's no guarantee, to be sure, but it does not seem to be an unreasonable goal to aim for 95+ points. Of course, the answer to our 2C question will matter, too.

2019 ... one of my favourite drafts! I was happy with the Flyers picking York at #14 back then and absolutely super happy about it now!

4-0 Devils with two minutes remaining. I think we can stick a fork in this one.

If we sign Granlund (or someone else) for 2C, the 3C would need to be one of Beck, Dach, Kapanen or Newhook. Not so sure that Beck and Kapanen would be worse than the other two options.

I think we are already on the fringe of playoffs this year 🙂 so I expect that next year’s goal will be a top-three finish in the Atlantic.

As a rule, right-handers are more effective on the right side. Habs don’t have a lot of NHL-calibre righties, though: Savard, Carrier, Reinbacher and Mailloux.

Maybe two years, three on the outside?

4-3 OT win for SKA so they stay alive. Demidov 1g+1a in 22:59 TOI, the highest of all SKA forwards.

He has already played eight games in Laval in the past month, and looked good. I think we can assume he will be fine by September; if not (or if he doesn't look good at camp), then the Habs will need to do something else.

Pretty close to what I proposed—plus Granlund. @HabsFan4eternity Reinbacher would essentially replace Savard, not Matheson.

Welcome to the forum! On the roster: Demidov, Kapanen or Beck, Reinbacher. I expect to see Dobes as the backup next year, too.

He's still outscoring Anderson, Armia, Heineman and Newhook--and tied with Dach--on a points/game basis.

And Fowler in 2016-17? 🤪

High-danger chances 7-1 for the aHabs in the second.

Indeed. Same for me, I couldn't care less about either one of them.

Columbus gets no love from the prediction models.

According to the Habs' official twitter account Kapanen joined the team yesterday. Whether he will play tonight is still TBD though. Some new Kapanen content here: https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/shl-success-could-help-oliver-kapanen-boost-canadiens-secondary-scoring/

I think our last game of the season is against Carolina. I hope St-Louis has something figured out by them so that the Habs won't get suffocated like they did last time.

Barely any shots ... yes, but that had something to do with the Panthers stifling any offence after their second goal, too.