tomh009

All merged up now!

Canadiens: Caufield - Suzuki - Slafkovsku Armia - Evans - Gallagher Roy - Newhook - Anderson Pearson - Gignac - Ylonen Matheson - Guhgle Struble - Savard Xhekaj - Harris Montembeault Primeau Sabres: Skinner - Thompson - Tuch Benson - Krebs - Peterka Greenway - Mittelstadt - Cozens Robinson - Girgensons - Okposo Dahlin - Jokiharju Bryson - Clifton Clague - Johnson Luukkonen Comrie

Which veterans (besides Anderson) do you think have suffered from St-Louis coaching? I think Monahan, Matheson, Armia, Kovacevic have all benefited, I think. Savard seems no worse. Gallagher and Pearson?

Maybe there is a GM out there that thinks he can make Anderson productive. And if there is, maybe we could take back a smaller bad contract ... OK, it's really stretch, I know. In the meantime, fourth-line minutes would be appropriate. Give the ice time to younger players who need it. (The sad thing is that Anderson is only 29, a year younger than Armia and only two years older than Evans.)

I think it would be easier to move him if the Habs retain 50% and collect some modest draft pick in trade.

1. Hutson 2. Reinbacher 3. Roy 4. Beck 5. Mailloux 6.Engstrom 7. Mesar 8. Heineman 9. Farrell 10. Kapanen I don't rank goalie prospects, they, you know ... 😂

Nothing is for certain--not even Suzuki and Caufield, one never knows--but I think Dach has shown enough that I'm comfortable that he has the potential to be a key contributor. Now, we still need to realize the potential, but it's certainly far closer than that of a potential top-ten draft pick in this year's draft.

Good genes are real, but those, like the development/training, are already baked into what that prospect is today, it's unlikely that anyone's genes ("pedigree") will result in a huge improvement (relative to other prospects) after the draft.

Wouldn't Dach meet that description, too?

Newhook looked good tonight. Add Dach, and we almost have a second line.

And he's unlikely to be any better next season.

Observation: Ovechin is slow. Oshie and Strome look like they are coasting to let grandpa keep up with them.

I do agree. Although getting bought out might give him a jolt. Maybe.

The list is just speculation, though. I really think guys like MacFarland and Gorton are long shots. Very qualified, but unlikely to be interested.

Apparently Columbus wants the Habs' permission to talk to Gorton ...

Absolutely.

As I recall, he was on the PK while Armia was in Laval, and was not terrible (in spite of this being a new role for him) but I don't think he's seen any PK time since Armia returned.

Some players are able to make good players better--they are essentially complementary to good players--but cannot drive or enable a weaker line to become a strong one on their own. I would say Hoffman might have been in the complementary category, he could help the scoring on a top line but couldn't do much at all on the bottom six. On the other hand, Monahan could make almost any line better. Somebody else probably has better examples. 😊

Finding space. Playing without the puck. Anticipating the next move. This is prototypical hockey IQ, and Gretzky was indeed the master at this. And the goals followed.

Exactly. He's not the right fit for the fourth line, but that's where St-Louis has him. Another team might give him a middle-six opportunity and succeed in a reclamation project. Maybe.

"Best ever" or "GOAT" are such difficult comparisons to make, in any sport, as the nature of sport--and the science that goes into training and preparation--has changed so much over the years. McDavid is likely the best player in this century, but is it realistic to compare him with Gretzky? Orr? Beliveau? Howe? Harvey? Richard? Shore? Morenz? Impossible, I think. Best player in the salary cap era, though? Definitely. 😊

Not arguing that it wasn't the correct call. But he did get the puck in the net this time. Not much production indeed, but he also hasn't had linemates with much skill or much ice time, let alone a PP opportunity. I don't think he's really a good fit for a fourth line but that appears to be the only option on the Habs. He may end up not getting a qualifying offer; if that happens, he may end up being picked up by another team. Or back to Europe.

Ylonen did score a goal against St Louis, but was denied because the refs judged that the Kovacevic fight had started before the puck entered the net.

This.

Greig may have rubbed it in. And then Rielly decided that the Leafs don't really need to be in the playoffs at all.