titanfan

so basically - Dvorak, Poehling and the picks???

You're right. DiPietro and Dione were 2 whole years older and had amazing playoff runs that were crucial in the team winning a Stanley Cup. And both played a full season with the Habs the next year. DiPietro (22 years old) - 8 goals, 5 assists in 17 playoff games Dione (22 years old) - 6 goals and 6 assists in 20 playoff games Caufield (20 years old) - 4 goals and 8 assists in 20 games

This made a lot of sense...

Yet earlier this afternoon 'and I restate my views from the beginning of the season that rushing Caufield and expecting him to be a 30g scorer this season was premature and unrealistic'

Paul Dipietro or Gilbert Dione anyone?

Made it to November 1st...

Good point. And having no scoring leaders doesn't mean you are necessarily a bad team either. No question, balanced scoring is what helped the Habs in the playoffs. The point was just how long it has been since the Habs had a legitimate offensive star on the team. You'd think over that long a stretch SOMEBODY would have had a good season...... Thankfully we've had two goalies win Hart Trophies.

That only accounts for the last two seasons of this exercise. No other team has had this long a drought of top scoring talent on their team. Again, no matter the reason - the Habs have not had a real offensive talent in over 20 years. Even the Devils with Brodeur had more offence.

The lack of offense this century! Let's go back to 1999-2000 These are the ONLY 70 point seasons for the Habs 2018-19 -Domi - 72 points 2009-10 - Plekanec -70 points 2007-08 - Kovalev - 84 points 2006-07 - Koivu - 75 points 2002-03 - Koivu - 71 points That is 5 - over the last 20 years. Only one over 80 and only Koivu did it more than once. The odds of being that BAD offensively are amazing. The truth is - if you are a Habs fan - you love low scoring games and pray for an amazing goaltender.

Depressing stat of the day. Over the last 5 full seasons (I didn't bother to check last year since it was a shortened season) (so dating back to 2015-16) The ONLY time the Habs had a 70-point player was Max Domi in 2018-19 when he managed 72 points. The only teams who didn't (and most had mutliple players in multiple seasons) were Arizona and Nashville.

A) 30-36-8-8 76 points B) 5th C) 22nd D) 26 goals (22 + 4 shootout)

Which is why I can't understand why everyone is putting Caufield in on the first line. Seriously? He has played all of 10 regular season games. He looked good. But he hasn't even earned a roster spot yet, let alone the first line? It would be great if he EARNS that spot, but he could just as easily be in Laval by the end of November. And, let's be clear, I really like Cole. I really do. But he hasn't PROVEN anything yet.

As for Galchenyuk, he has the second most points and third most goals of any player taken in his draft year! Yet he can't crack a lineup anywhere.

The big issue here is the waste of 3rd overall picks. Getting a 3rd overall pick is how teams get good players. We take Galchenyuk and KK. That sure worked out good to us! Maybe it is finally time to cut ties with Trevor Timmins! If either player was any good they'd still be on the roster.

So...here is where we sit. (I don't know why I post. GHT120 is just going to crap all over it, but WTF). Drouin Suzuki Caufield Hoffman Evans Gallagher Toffoli Paquette Anderson Lehkonen Poehling Armia Perreault (Byron injured) Chiarot Petry Edmundson Savard Kulak Romanov Wideman Price Allen Juggle them any way you want, but those are the 13 forwards, 7 d and 2 goaltenders we have right now. Here is what I believe will happen - Very little until mid season Ducharme will have to see what this group can do. if by some miracle they are in the playoff hunt - Bergevin will get creative. If (likely) we are not! - Price (again) waves his NTC and will be moved to either Seattle or Colorado. Trust me he WILL do it in that scenario (Colorado for obvious reasons for both Carey and the Avalanche - and in scenario 2 - assuming Seattle is in line for a playoff spot). Unless this team really overachieves, Price will be gone by the trade deadline and the full on rebuild will be underway. We, most likely, will need to retain some salary but will get picks and prospects that will help us be a powerhouse in 3-5 years... (The smart move would be to deal Gallagher at the same time. The style of game he plays means he only has a couple of good seasons left, but that will be fine for a team looking to make a serious run now). Or GHT120 will think this will never happen.

Three points. 1. Habs are screwed at Centre if they don't match 2. They can't match. Don't have the money (even with Weber relief). Sets a precedent that will handcuff the team for year. Imagine the dressing room - he'd by the highest paid forward on the team! 3. Bergevin gambled (again) and lost (again). He should be fired. He just crippled the team. All he had to do was lock KK up. He had lots of time to do so. But, like Markov and others, he decided to play hardball. This one hurts the team in a huge way! And it is karma for Bergevin's offer sheet to Aho. Which took the hockey world by surprise and forced Carolina into a position they didn't want to be in. The gloves have been off since then. Steve Moore wasn't blindsided this bad. At least he knew Bertuzzi wanted to fight him.

Are we underestimating Perreault through all of this? The NHL lists Hoffman as a centre? Don't think he has played there for a while..... But could we end up with something like this? Toffoli Suzuki Caufield Drouin Hoffman Gallagher Perreault KK Anderson Lehkonen Evans Armia Paquette Byron (injured)

Exactly. Which is why we DON'T make a trade for Eichel.

And that's assuming Weber is off the books

Eichel for Lehkonen, Drouin a 1st and a 2nd Buffalo retains $2 million in cap space. Mtl signs KK for $3m Habs have about $1m to add a depth D About the only way this happens...but wow if it does!

Neither has Kotkeniemi

Plus Lehkonen

...and yet Geoff Molson felt the need to apologize for the Mailloux pick today. Whatever your thoughts are about either player, the truth is both bring baggage (whether you feel that is deserved or not doesn't matter - it is a fact). The Habs don't need the baggage. It is a distraction for everything else.

You are reading that right but the price to sign KK, Lehkonen and Perry will leave them with only about $1.5 million. Now if they can get those guys cheaper then maybe an extra milion.... Based on what they made last year this is what can be expected: KK - $3.5 Lehkonen - $2.8 Perry $1 That is $7.3 Weber is only $7.8 (not $9) So $0.5 plus $900,000 is $1.4. KK might make a little less, but Perry might make closer to $1.5....

I corrected Lehkonen to $2.8. Can you call hitting the wrong number key - a spelling mistake?